Ignorance is not Bliss

“Why do they hate us?” It's a flexible question, isn't it? Born in indignation for the things that we don't really understand, this question brings victimization to a whole new level. It implies that the poser of this question can do no wrong. After all, if “they” hate “us”, surely “we” did something wrong, right? If “we” did something so terrible that “they” hate “us”, surely “we” know what we did. After all, such strong feelings don't come from thin air. These terms in quotation are debatable, pronouns that take the place of no obvious nouns. To whom do these words refer?

These people are the people on either side of the line in the sand. It doesn't matter from whose perspective you view it from, “they” are all that is evil in the world, and “we” are the freedom-fighters, the few who fight against those who oppose us. Those hedonistic westerners with no morality. Those turban-wearing suicide bombers. Both are firmly convinced that “they” are the enemy, and “we” are fighting for what is right. But when right is a moving target, hiding behind various forces that obscure it for a multitude of reasons, how can anyone hope to hit it?

It was mentioned earlier that the wording of “why do they hate us?” itself implies victimization. For a sentence so short, wording will not help—it is general meaning that holds the answers. Just having to ask shows that the one doing the asking genuinely doesn't know—as if they could do no wrong. It doesn't matter if you ask why Muslims hate Americans or why Americans hate Muslims. It doesn't change the fact that either way, the answer probably won't be satisfying; after all, it implies that maybe we just don't know what it is that makes “them” hate “us”.

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...s easier to ask “Why do they hate us?” without actually thinking about it. It will always be easier to keep bumbling on as we have been doing, to not pay attention to the echoes of our footsteps.

Works Cited

CBS News. "Poll: Most Say 'Ground Zero Mosque' Is Inappropriate." CBS News. 25 Aug. 2010. Web. 6 Oct. 2010. .

Goodstein, Laurie. "Islam: Not in My Backyard?" New York Times Upfront 20 Sept. 2010. Print.

Hamid, Mohsin. "Why Do They Hate Us?" Editorial. The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 22 July 2007. Web. 6 Oct. 2010. .

Saad, Lydia. "Anti-Muslim Sentiments Fairly Commonplace." Gallup. Gallup, 10 Aug. 2006. Web. 6 Oct. 2010. .