Interesting to say the least. I have said its time to relegate this sad episode to history.
Let me try to clear up a few other things first though. The reason we don't shove things
in the face of the Japanese and Chinese, is because we struck the first blow, to our
fellow citizens of those two countries. The Chinese were subjected to head taxes and
legislative restrictions designed to keep them reaching their full potential. In addition
some Japanese citizens were fighting for Canada and indeed America, while their relations
were being interned in prison camps and their property and bank accounts stolen
Wouldn't want the children of today hear about our ethnic cleansing episode would we?
As for the Muslims, I admit I have been critical only because I think many in that Community
have not done enough to distance themselves from those who committed these vile acts.
We need to see the Muslim Clerics interact with the rest of their countrymen. They must
advocate for peace and renounce violence with more vigor. On the other hand, the rest of us
must not continue to hold resentment on an entire community for what some radicals have
done. When we view all those people with suspicion and resentment, if not outright hostility
we achieve the opposite goals we seek. If people are marginalized they naturally close ranks
and embrace their faith with more vigor as there is no where else to turn.
Because we grieve for those who died, it does not give us licence to indiscriminately hate others.
Unfortunately we have expressed negative attitudes against all those who survived, while the
people we are angry with are dead and can not feel our anger. Would you spank a small child
because he was the brother of a child that misbehaved?
Today I heard a radio interview on the way home from a Legion Meeting. Interviewed, was a woman
who lost her son in 9/11 and two years after the even she met one of the mothers of the radical
extremists. She found out the mother of the terrorist, was just as hurt as she was and in fact
apologized for the actions of her son. She also made it clear she would never condone such a
terrible act, of terror and violence.
Again I say its time to put this in the historical vault and someday we can look at it as a historical
piece minus the hostility, the hatred, the misinformation we all spread around the world. perhaps
with the monument opened, we can now say goodbye and get on with life. There is enough over
all sadness to go round.