What Obama Said Only Days After 9-11

Sen. Barack Obama said certain things only eight days after 9-11 that have gone unreported and which I believe needs to be shared with the general public: "We must also engage, however, in the more difficult task of understanding the sources of such madness. The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity or suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, it may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair. We will have to make sure, despite our rage, that any U.S. military action takes into account the lives of innocent civilians abroad. We will have to be unwavering in opposing bigotry or discrimination directed against neighbors and friends of Middle-Eastern descent. Finally, we will have to devote far more attention to the monumental task of raising the hopes and prospects of embittered children across the globe – children not just in the Middle East, but also in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and within our own shores."

To think that the Islamoterrorists merely suffered from an "absence of empathy" and the "inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity or suffering" of others is naive. The terrorists are able to imagine human suffering very well, just watch any beheading video if you need proof of their imaginative abilities. It was not a lack of empathy but a religously motivated declaration of war on America. When Obama said that it is not "unique to a particular culture, religion or ethnicity" he ignores the history of Jihad in Islamic culture. This is not to say that Islam is the world's only religion with a violent past, that would be utter nonsense. But it is to say that because these specific attackers are motivated by a specific religion that the reality is that the violence and terrorism of today's world is specific to a particular religion. When Obama said that the terrorism "grows out a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair" it almost sounds like we should feel sympathy for the terrorists. It almost sounds like an excuse for the depraved inhuman acts of barbarism. "Raising the hopes and prospects of embittered children across the globe" has nothing to do with the reality that many children are being raised by parents who believe in an unhealthy dose of Islamic radicalism and support of jihad terrorism. Furthermore, if it is was purely poverty that was the cause of the terrorist acts against America one must wonder why the extremists in the world do not seem to be tied by a common income level but rather by a common religion? In fact, the 9-11 hijackers were not motivated by poverty or lack of education because men like Mohammed Attah had neither a lack of money or education. In Britain the world saw doctors attempt to committ acts of terrorism at a Scottish airport. Were these men, living in the West and working as doctors, motivated by poverty? Were they helpless? Obviously not. One has to realize that what motivates these people to act the way they do is an expansionist religous ideology and an intense hatred of the United States and her allies, especially Israel. Ideology is a powerful tool when in the hands of madmen bent on using it to kill innocent people. Yet just as the war on terror was beginning Barack was already talking about taking "into account the lives of innocent civilians abroad" as if America had some urge to kill innocents anyway. These comments have been unreported because they show a lack of understanding of the nature of the threat America has confronted since 9-11.


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