From the Sep 20 – Sep 26, 2001 issue

Columns

Celebrity I Saw U

by Adrian Ryan

It would be inappropriate and vulgar of me to ignore recent events and prattle on as if nothing had happened. Therefore, out of respect for matters infinitely more important than what Michael Jackson ate for breakfast, I'll take this opportunity to step out of character and expound upon some observations that struck me as I, like everyone else, sat riveted to my television, radio, and computer during and after what I pray will be the worst day any of us will ever experience. By the time these comments actually run, no doubt much will have changed.I am tearfully proud of the tremendous heart and generosity of the people of the United States, for obvious and well-publicized reasons. Sadly, as the best of our nature is so clearly demonstrated, so is our most odious. Within hours of the attack, cries went up--online, in print, on-air--of "kill the fucking ragheads," "nuke the bastards," and "use all force available" up to and including nuclear weapons.

Callers to a local call-in radio show held the lack of prayer in public schools and limitations on personal weapons somehow responsible for the kamikaze attacks. Perhaps most terrible (if least surprising) came from would-be president Rev. Jerry Falwell. On a Fox News interview, he energetically admonished that "it's time we stopped tip-toeing through the tulips with these fanatics [meaning non-specific Arabic people].... They're monsters, they're butchers... they're crazy and we need to wipe them from the face of the earth." He then went on to blame gays, lesbians, feminists, "abortionists," and pagans et al. for "bringing terrorism to our shores."

These sentiments speak for themselves. It would be an unthinkable mistake for us to allow people to exploit this catastrophe for their own ends, either by blindly marginalizing and scapegoating another group of innocent people, ushering in a new warlike era of Ugly Americanism, or by allowing our constitutional rights or autonomy to be sacrificed in the wake of the federal security paranoia that is sure to follow these events.

Disraeli said, "He who fights monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster." This has rarely been truer. In the weeks and months to follow, we must take this opportunity to demonstrate our goodness, fairness, and sense of true justice to the world--and, far more importantly, to ourselves. It's a time for all of us, as thinking, feeling human beings, to demonstrate that we understand, and embrace, the enormous difference between justice and revenge.

celebisawu@thestranger.com