I’m faced with a bit of a dilemma tonight: either my pain meds are making me queasy, or it’s this column by RenewAmerica rookie Russ J. Alan (Some fear no backlash against Muslims). Since I’ve already ingested the meds, and I can’t seem to stop reading Mr. Alan, there’s no way to scientifically determine which of the two is triggering my nausea; but I’ve been taking the pills for awhile now without any ill effect, so I’m going to assume my discomfort is an allergic reaction to Russ. At least, I hope it is, since the medication is actually beneficial, and considerably less racist.
Russ, as you’ve probably surmised from the title of his piece, is quivering like a blancmange at the prospect that American racism, despite a long and resilient tradition, may not be up to the task of exploiting the Fort Hood massacre. But first, let him couch his beliefs in a little biological determinism:
It’s ok to be picky about what breed of dog we get, maybe a German Shepherd, because they have a particular instinct to protect their owner’s property, or if we want to kill moles in our yard maybe a Rat Terrier is best at that, or if we want a particularly affectionate cat we go for an Abyssinian. It’s ok for an Atlanta Falcons quarterback to stereotype Pit Bulls as the best killing dogs since they are bred to fight to the death.
It’s ok for birds to discriminate. Black birds migrate together and white birds flock together and yellow ones and red ones hang with their own kind. It’s ok to say that Blue Jays kick other birds out of the feeder and gold finches prefer Niger thistle seed best while Robins prefer worms. It’s their instinct, you see, it’s genetics.
It seemed odd that Russ made “Niger thistle seed” a link, until I realized he was probably part of the Amazon Associates program, and if enough of us click through and buy Niger seeds, he’ll be able to afford that extra “g” he’s had his eye on.
It is not ok to say that Japanese men are better suited to get in and out of a Toyota Prius or wear smaller than size 10 shoe than women who are Polish, nor to say that black people are better suited for warm climates, even though there are only five African-Americans in Great Falls, Montana, and four of them are at Malmstrom Air Force Base (the city of Great Falls has an annual all-white Martin Luther King birthday parade).
Despite Russ’ carefully researched proof that Mother Nature is a bigot, there are still “politically correct” hippies who won’t let him use the diet of finches to excuse racial separatism, even after he’s gone to the trouble of counting all the Negroes in Montana.
Speaking of military bases, it is unclear how many Muslims of Arabic descent are in the US military. Estimates of anywhere between 3500 to 12,000 have been thrown around. Why don’t we know for sure?
Maybe because it wouldn’t really prove anything? John Walker Lindh, the “American Taliban” wasn’t of Arabic descent. Nor was “shoe bomber” Richard Reid, nor “dirty bomber” Jose Padilla. Of course, none of them were in the U.S. military, unlike, say, Timothy McVeigh.
It is because they aren’t allowed to count them. Same reason we frisk a snow white red-headed grandma at the airport but we can’t stop an olive skinned man with a keffiyeh on his head — we don’t want to be accused of “profiling” in this politically correct country we live in.
Whenever I’m going through airport security I try to avoid standing in line behind any snow white red-headed grandmas, because nothing excites the suspicion of TSA agents more than an elderly albino with a henna rinse.
Never mind 3,500 to 12,000 possible Muslims in the military. What if it is an average of only two per military installation? Never mind Muslims in the military… why do we have them in the country period?
There’s a Zyklon-B shortage?
Never mind the country — why do we have one in the oval office?
That sentence is such a highly sophisticated alloy of stupidity and bigotry, I wonder if Russ has an engineering background. Let’s check his bio, shall we?
Russ J. Alan is a political philosophist and writer. He served in the Department of Defense in Europe during the Cold War under President Reagan (1980-82). After working in engineering (1983-92), Russ was involved in the business development, marketing, and financial sector (1992-2001). He then worked in commercial construction (2001-2006). Currently, he is an adventurist and conservative political writer.
My dad wanted me to study to become an adventurist, but I couldn’t handle the math.
Though we are not allowed to stereotype anybody, we are all familiar with the explorations regarding whether or not it is possible for a good Muslim be a good American.
“I’m not racist! I’m simply exploring racism.”
His allegiance is to Allah, The moon god of Arabia.
“The moon god of…?” The hell…? Sounds like somebody’s been reading Jack Chick tracts again.
No other religion is accepted by his Allah except Islam.
What a jealous God. I’m glad our Judeo-Christian God is totes cool about us having other gods before him.
His allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews.
I don’t think it’s all Christians and Jews, Russ. I just think he doesn’t like you.
He cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.
Well this stereotype sounds like kind of a jerk. I’m glad he’s in your anxiety closet and not mine.
Yet, the only thing troubling folks in military command like Army Chief of Staff George Casey for instance, is the possibility of a “backlash” against Muslims in the military as a result of the shootings.
Oh, I wouldn’t worry, there wasn’t a huge backlash against creepy white guys from Texas when George Hennard killed 24 people at a cafeteria just outside Fort Hood in 1991.
We need to be “troubled” at the probability that there won’t be a backlash against Muslims.
If we let this golden opportunity for a nationwide pogrom slip through our fingers, we’ll have to answer to God on Judgment Day!
I just hope it’s the right God…Boy, wouldn’t that be embarrassing!
Yeah… it’s not the meds. Just the title of this one made me ill as well.
Russ, the reason it’s “okay” to speculate about what kind of seed large populations of birds prefer or what kinds of dogs have what kinds of temperaments but not okay to generalize the same way about humans is that it’s… dehumanizing.
Even then, I’m betting loads of dog owners will jump all over anyone who suggests that dalmations are neurotic or pit bulls are aggressive, because they know their own dogs and their own dogs have distinct personalities that don’t correlate to the stereotype. See, racism sells people short. It doesn’t accept that humans have their own personalities, their own quirks, their own likes and dislikes and above all their own capacity to determine who they are now and will be in the future. It suggests that people can’t change, and can’t control their own destinies, that they lack free will or at least the introspection to engage in free will, all of which is pretty insulting. Which is probably why people are insulted by it.
I’m not convinced, frankly, that much of that is valid to say about non-human animals, but even if it were, it would still amount to dehumanizing people on the basis of superficial differences. And people tend to get grumpy when you do that. Sometimes, when it goes on long and viciously enough, they even may stop acting human, which probably doesn’t do anyone any good.
Left by D. Sidhe on November 9th, 2009