American Consulate Attack in Libya

[dreadgeek]

Originally Posted by Words

I was in Israel at the time of the Twin Tours attack and found it very interesting how the Palestinians differentiated between the American Government and the American people. On the one hand, yes, there was a feeling of 'FINALLY, someone has dared stand up to the American Government and show it that, in its arrogance, its completely forgotten that it's not invincible'. On the other, however, there was genuine sadness at what doing this had cost in the terms of human life. In other words, they saw the attack on the US Government as something completely different from the attack on the American people in general and those who were killed/injured in particular.

I know it's hard for Americans to believe or understand that, but I witnessed it first hand and can attest to it - with a very few exceptions - being true.

Words

I think it is terribly sad that most Americans don't realize that distinction. On 9/11 I was teaching at a business school in Portland and I had students asking me why this had happened and why people in Palestine seemed so pleased with it. I told them that I wouldn't answer their question no that day but that I would try to explain it on Friday when things had calmed down. That night I almost lost my job giving the following explanation. I told them:

Imagine that Mexico annexes the West Coast of the United States and creates a new nation calling itself Northern Mexico. We are all displaced and are now second class citizens on the lands that our fathers and their fathers before them toiled on. The Mexican government has the backing of Canada in this endeavor such that we know, with the certainty of things that have actually happened, that should we step out of line the whole weight and force of the Canadian military will fall down upon around us. How long does it take you to start hating Mexicans and Canadians? I then explained that in this thought experiment, California, Oregon and Washington were the Palestinians, Mexico was Israel and Canada was the United States.

I went on to explain that this did not justify the attacks but it explained why Palestinians seemed celebratory that it had happened.

As it turns out, two other night teachers--two of us veterans--had independently done something similar in our classes that same night. The head honcho of our campus took us all into her office that Monday and laid into us hard, culminating in a "if you don't like the United States you can leave".

At those words Bob, a retired Air Force officer (I think he'd made Colonel) jumped up out of his chair and in his very solid voice challenged our boss saying, "You served when and where?" To which our boss replied, "I was never in the military, Bob." At which point he took her to the woodshed saying, "Well then, I will thank you never to question my patriotism or the patriotism of this young lady (pointing at me) our years wearing a uniform on your behalf paid for our being able to say what we want about this matter." With that he turned on his heel and walked out of the door.

I always respected Bob but in that moment, I loved him.

Cheers
Aj