I began writing this piece with a strong rebuke of the "Chicken Hawks" in both the Republican and Democratic parties who, on the one hand, want to appear tough on terror, and on the other hand are so terrified themselves that they are incapable of providing the leadership needed to stand up for American values. But in the last few days I have grown increasingly alarmed at the number of people who are clearly susceptible to their message because they are afraid. It is not a rational fear - after all only 6% of the terrorism in the US since 1970 has been wrought by Muslims. We are far more likely to experience terror from the hands of a gun toting Christian than from a Muslim. But fear is rarely rational and it can only be effectively countered by those who can provide a counterweight to its power. This is not achieved by name-calling or by ignoring the power of fear. Nor can it be countered simply by discounting that fear. The fear is real even when the reason lacks credibility.
Instead we must provide a counter-weight that calls upon what Abraham Lincoln called the "better angels of our nature". Even in the face of what seems like a tsunami of people preying on that fear. . . even in the face of our own fears.
I refuse to believe that the American people will be fooled by those who try to gin up a climate of fear as long as there are enough of us to stand up and speak out.
While young Americans in the military sacrifice to wrest the Middle East from the grip of terror, and people of all ages volunteer for NGOs helping to resettle refugees, I will not remain quiet as the fear-mongers dishonor those sacrifices by calling for a halt to the resettlement efforts or by attempting to stir up a climate of mistrust among Americans.
When Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz suggest we impose a religious test - allowing Christians to be fast tracked for refugee status; or Donald Trump suggested a database of Syrians, I will not be quiet in the face of such anti-American rhetoric.
I am not a pollyanna about this. The threat of terrorism, while numerically small, is nonetheless real and its power is contained in the power of fear to move people to act in ways that are often contrary to logic and their own best interests. We must fight terror, especially those who are already prepared to do us harm, their minds and hearts will not be changed. We must fight them and eliminate them. But we must also begin laying the groundwork for a future where terrorism is a rare or nonexistent event and that can only be achieved by giving the people, especially young people, a reason to hope and dreams that do not involve harming innocent people or following thugs who pose as religious icons.
This is why I am largely in support of the approach that President Obama is taking. Where the fear mongers beat the drums of war and call for escalation, playing right into the hands of Isis the President has a steady and calm hand on the tiller. Where the voices of division and hatred call for American troops to lead the battle, the President insists, rightly, that this must - first and foremost - be a battle waged by the countries of the region with our help.
There is no quick fix to this. We need only look at what has happened when we tried the quick fix of removing Sadam Hussein to see that quick fixes often make matters worse. The mess we created in Iraq and to some extent Afghanistan has led to the rise of Isis and emboldened some very bad players into believing that they can use fear and intimidation to stampede us into a world-wide religious war.
We are too far down the road to expect that ignoring the problem will make it go away. We must be both tough and smart on terror. We must attack the instruments and perpetrators of terror where they can be found but we must also let our values speak loud and clear about what is possible in a world where democratic values, compassion and reason prevail. Do not play into the hands of the terrorists by turning away refugees who will someday be the leading edge of our efforts to create a better world. If we are smart, they will be the vanguard of a tide that turns the world away from terror as an instrument of change.
Finally, we must expect more from the fourth estate - the media. Never has there been a more important time for members of the media to step up their game - not simply providing reporting that tells each side's story but being willing to weigh those stories in light of the evidence. For example, if Donald Trump can make a patently false statement that people of Arab descent in New Jersey cheered when the twin towers fell, then the media's responsibility is to report not only what he said but also the lack of any credible evidence for his statement - further, they should report on the historic precedents for his behavior: Joseph McCarthy, George Wallace, David Duke and their ilk.
Good journalism is not defined as presenting both sides without regard for where the truth lies. Good journalism is not morally neutral. Good journalism helps us by putting disputes into perspective, by bringing historic context to current events and by vetting the veracity of statements and actions of all parties.
Is all of this risk free? Is there ever a way to be 100% certain? Of course not. All pathways forward carry risk. I'm willing to risk a little safety for liberty and for peace. Each of us must decide for ourselves and then we must stand and be counted. If we have learned the lessons of history, perhaps our grandchildren and great grandchildren will not be faced with the need to apologize for abandoning our values in the face of fear.
This is not just a fight against terrorism . . . it is a fight for the soul of America.
Links
Scott Atran
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-to-enemy-making-unmaking/id383721017?i=325684356&mt=2
US News
Data Show Links Between Fear of Terrorist Attacks, Anti-Muslim Bias
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/11/20/data-show-links-between-fear-of-terrorist-attacks-anti-muslim-bias
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