Message to America

"What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents." - Robert Kennedy

At a time in world history when we are bitterly divided by social, political and religious points of view, it is reassuring to remember that our deepest fear is also our darkest secret: we cannot survive alone. We are raised by other humans, schooled by other humans, fed and clothed by other humans and use machines, conveniences and weapons which are manufactured by other humans. Like it or not, we depend on one another to survive as individuals, as communities, and as nations.

To those in power, this mode of thinking is subversive because it fosters humanizing everyone around you. And, despite being a Judeo-Christian country, we don’t like to humanize our enemies because that makes us connect emotionally with them. Not surprisingly, since the 9/11 tragedy, our nation’s language has been transformed by our leaders in order to encourage the dehumanizing of others for the sake of violence. The words “evil-doers”, “terrorists” and “axis of evil” are now commonplace in our lexicon. But a funny thing has happened: people now use the word “extremists” and "terrorists" interchangeably. And this provides an unexpected opening: after all, if we’re fighting extremists, it’s only in other countries, right?

Well, not exactly...

Extremists exist in every culture, in every religion and in every country – even America. Thus, it becomes essential for each culture to have a guideline for identifying extremists. And since Americans currently have no guidelines from our Republican dominated leadership, I humbly offer my own:

#1) Extremists polarize issues, reducing all options to only two possibilities with no middle ground permitted. I freely admit that seeing the world in simple terms makes life a whole lot easier. For example, if every action is either “Good” or “Evil” but never “a little bit of both”, it makes navigating life much simpler. Despite our illusions, however, the complexity of life allows for many combinations and shades of grey. For example, how do we reconcile that we each have different definitions of “Good” and “Evil” and "God"? The answer: we cannot. Which is why a true democracy must rely on diversity of opinion as much as it does consensus.

#2) Extremists rarely, if ever, admit fault or apologize for their actions. Isn't it incredible how utterly perfect some politicians are? Or how morally correct some talk show hosts seem to act? And how they respond to opposition by becoming arrogant, loud, and angry? That's because for the extremist, strength is a necessity. Because admitting mistakes is considered a sign of weakness for someone in power, extremists never apologize for their actions regardless of how bad the mistake may have been.

#3) Extremists use God to justify unjustifiable actions or ungodly points of view. Muslim extremists site Koranic passages in order to justify suicide bombings. Christian extremists site Biblical verses claiming that only Jesus is way to salvation. Jewish extremists insist that the murder of Yizhak Rabin was justified by Jewish law. Isn't is ironic that although Mohammed, Christ and Moses were all peaceful prophets in service to God, that some people honor their memory by using violence, insults and exclusivity to achieve their political means?

#4) Extremists confuse decisiveness, moral outrage and loudness with correctness. Just because someone makes a decision based on their opinions and proclaims it loudly, it doesn't mean that they are right. We must always be vigilant when filtering what others tell us, even our leaders. Questioning what we read, hear and watch is a healthy and necessary exercise that allows us to refine our own moral compass and help those around us do the same. In addition, in an open democracy like America's, graciously challenging those with opposing points of view -- even our leaders -- can help us all to discover our common truths.

#5) Extremists preach an almost exclusive combination of fear, anger, hatred and violence. Timothy McVeigh blew up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Pat Robertson called for the assassination of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Senator Joe McCarthy used political witch-hunts to attack and shame American citizens. Theodore Kaczynski, the "Unabomber", sent explosives through the mail. Ann Coulter won't compliment, show graciousness or flatter a democrat. All of these people are Americans, and all of these people are considered terrorists or extremists.

When we are finally able to identify those extremists currently among us, we will be better equipped to deal with the problems that face our neighborhoods, our culture and our nation. But, if we continue to think of extremists as dark-skinned people from other parts of the world, we will be trapped in a cycle of ignorance and violence for some time to come.