It's Begun.....

Six Shot, One Dead at Seattle Jewish Center

A man walked into Seattle Jewish Center on Friday and opened fire, killing one woman and injuring at least five others in what is being called a hate crime.  The gunman, who employees said claimed to be a Muslim angry at Israel, forced his way through the center's security door after an employee had punched in her security code.  Staff members said they overheard him saying "'I am a Muslim American, angry at Israel,' before opening fire on everyone."  Local authorities had been warning synagogues and Jewish groups to be watchful since hostilities erupted between Hezbollah in Lebanon.

I knew this would be an excuse for some to indulge their bigotry and hatred.  I lay the blame directly in the laps of the Bush administration.  They have allowed prejudice a voice in America these last few years.  This is its natural result.  You cannot control and direct hate.  For Bush, Cheney and the rest to think they could turn it on and off in response to their political needs was hubris in the extreme.  There will be more of this - and not just directed at the Jewish faith.  We are about to fight the battles of the 50's and 60's all over again.  So people - brush up on Selma, Stonewall and Kent State.  History is about to repeat itself - and this time it will be for keeps.

Comments

[Debby]

I don't even know where to begin or what to say. The fear I feel for the course this country is on almost paralyzes me at at times. The naivety of most of the populace and the complicity of politicians and corporations is surely going to be our downfall.

[The Fat Lady Sings]

You know - I received two emails from someone I know whose child recently enlisted in the Navy. My husband was 10 years in the Navy before moving on to the civilian side of working on intelligence for the government - so ‘Navy’ I know quite well. I also care deeply about America's sons and daughters being stuck smack-dab in the middle of a civil war without the necessary troop strength or equipment to save themselves - but that's another rant. The first email this person sent made me catch my breath. He and his wife were trumpeting the 'fact' that their son was in Iraq 'kicking some Muslim ass'. They then followed that up with actually saying they would be proud if their son died as a 'hero'.

Well - I was appalled. No 'pray for our son’s safety' no 'we are worried but support his being there' - just how happy they would be if he died. Now - I know this man had constantly berated his son for not being the kind of kid he wanted. This young man was an artist, a musician - but that wasn't supported. I know this kid rather well - joining the military was an attempt to gain his fathers approval; also - his parents kicked him out of the house immediately following high school graduation; refusing to help him pay for college. The military promised to help with that – and the kid thought it being the Navy, he would be moderately safe.

Anyway - the second email I received was saying that their son was actually attending school in San Diego (something I know to be the truth – for some unknown reason they lied about his already being in Iraq) - and that he'd witnessed some 'bad Iraqi woman in a burkah' putting down America and disparaging the American flag. The highly bigoted story ended with her being told to get her ‘fuckin’’ ass back to Iraq while everyone in the immediate vicinity applauded. Hate - pure and simple. So in my opinion, incidents such as happened in Seattle are going to occur much more frequently, I'm afraid. There are too many people who feel it’s OK to hate; who equate hatred with 'Americanism'. People like that man I know. I have, by the way, asked to not be sent any more emails like that. And I pray for that kid. I pray he survives – and that he attains adulthood without glomming on to his parents prejudices.

[Peacechick Mary]

I too feel this coming. We go to street demonstrations - Peace and anti-war and anti-Bushco. The number of people who are violently reacting to our presence is increasing. They used to make rude gestures or yell something stupid, but now, it's different. The police have come to stand-by knowing that someday there will be a serious incident. The police used to give us a hard time until the ACLU got involved and then they understood they had best protect our right to peacefully demonstrate. What a mess. All so sad.

[The CultureGhost]

Debby..."going to be our downfall"?
Pull up a chair, it's started. By 2010 this country is going to be a wreck.

[Lizzy]

I feel this country is already a wreck. The only hope, and I am beginning to feel it slipping away, in November.

I am worried, deeply worried.

Thanks FLS, for posting this.

[The Fat Lady Sings]

Scares the piss out of me too. Did you hear about Mel Gibson? Arrested this weekend for drunk driving - he began shouting anti-Semitic epithets at the arresting officers - threatened them too. Said he 'owned Malibu' and could ruin their lives. Asked if they were 'fucking Jews'. Called the female officer ‘sugar tits’. Just Google ‘Mel Gibson’ and read for yourself. What he said was horrible. And it was initially covered up. The arresting officers were asked to omit what he said in their report. They were told it might cause riots or some bullshit like that.

My point is - he felt perfectly comfortable saying it. Lots of people these days feel perfectly comfortable saying the kind of things that used to only be heard at KKK meetings. Disney is producing Gibson’s next two movies AND a TV series he is supposedly doing on the Holocaust. I can just imagine what Mel has to say about Hitler. And you know none of these people will walk away for ethical reasons. No - Disney will probably just ignore the whole damn thing. Gibson is protected by the neocon bible-thumping crowd – he can do and say anything he wants. Just like Coulter and Limbaugh. Despicable people saying despicable things. Welcome to the new America.

[glenda]

I had a young friend in Houston, a Seikh, whose family was originally from Pakistan. He was attacked and subjected to daily hostility after 911, because he had a beard, wore a turban, and people thought he was from the middle east.

When will individuals get over generalizing their hate for the actions of a few (who have power to create havoc) onto innocents who have nothing to do with what heads of state or other activist aggressor groups create?

This was so misguided, it's hard to sputter out a comment.

[Comandante Agi]

The US will be a third world banana republic within thirty years. As for history repeating itself...I caught the end of "Kingdom of Heaven" last night. That epic about the Crusades and the conquest of Jerusalem has never ended.

[robin andrea]

I just read an account of the crime in the Seattle newspaper. One madman has shaken the inter-faith community, but also brought people together. I read how some leaders of the Muslim community are planning to meet with the survivors and family of the woman killed. Perhaps we learn to live with each other when we stand together and weep at the graves of the people who have died in the cause of madness.

[karena]

Fat Lady, those emails from the folks with the son in the Navy are bizarre and chilling. They would rather him die a war "hero" then live as an artist I guess. I lost a friend to Aids. I was at the hospital riding the elvator up to visit him with his mother. She turned to me and said, "His death I can handle, his life is what I couldn't live with." This was twenty years ago. The first Aids death reported in that city. So little has changed since then when it comes to prejudices. Some, but not enough. I hope your dire predictions are not going to come true, but it is pretty bizarre when you hear a famous person spewing out hate venom as though it was just okie dokie. Of course he later claimed he said dispicable things he did not believe, but I am a firm believer in wine there is truth. He only said things he wished the wrong people had not heard. I am sure he has a gaggle of buddies who engage in this type of talk freely and without reservation.

[The Fat Lady Sings]

I said this over at Shakes Sis regarding Mel and his musings. I truly believe that alcohol's like money; it only makes you more of what you already are. No one who's not already a raging an anti-Semite is going to make such bald-faced, unambiguous statements against Jews. Too much whiskey might make you want to go home with a guitar player; it doesn't paint a swastika on your forehead.

[DivaJood]

All I can say is read John Dean's new book, Conservatives Without Conscience.

[The Fat Lady Sings]

I have read excerpts from Deans book - and I must say he really seems to have laid it all out in chilling detail. It's especially frightening considering Dean's personal provenance. He knew better than just about anyone else the intricacies of Nixon's paranoia and abilities to disregard the law. But as he points out so clearly in his book - Nixon didn't defy the Supreme Court. When they demanded he turn over those tapes - he resigned rather than ignite a constitutional crisis. Dean then points out that Bush isn't Nixon. Bush WILL defy the Supreme Court; he will and has defied just about anyone who doesn't immediately and completely fall in with his plans. I have found Dean to be a brilliant man. I always love it when Olbermann has him on; especially as Olbermann is no slouch in the smarts department either.

[The Minstrel Boy]

Too much whiskey might make you want to go home with a guitar player;

i have counted on that effect my entire career.

[Lilo]

It seems like they can't touch anything without just turning it all to shit!!!

And there is street harassment against Muslims, too. There has always been bigotry, but I agree, it's gotten uglier over the past few years.

And I feel like praying for that boy, too.

[Kevin Wolf]

Sadly, I think you're probably right. As the economy tanks and America goes down the tubes thanks to Bush, Inc - and the majority of citizens who sleepwalk through life and can't be bothered to pay attention - hate will become more common.

We need someone to blame for our troubles, after all.

[The Fat Lady Sings]

I think those 'somebody’s' will expand to include everyone on the 'not allowed' neocon list - all minority ethnicities and opposing viewpoints, women, non-Christian, non-fundie religions, gay people - the list could go on ad infinitum. People who nurture hate will always be looking for an outlet.

[pissed off patricia]

I have heard said that the guy also had some previous mental problems. No excuse, but may have fed into what he did.

[devilsadvocate]

It sounds to me that you people want a conflict in the US, that you cant wait, actually. a little blood lust, no? but its ok if it's from your side i guess.