Home-grown
The phrase “home-grown terrorism,” which seems to describe acts of terror perpetrated by the offspring of newcomers to a country, suggests to me that those offspring have been somehow cultivated for such by their new country, just as a farmer raises crops to his liking. Ironically, there may be more truth wrapped up in that media-worthy catch phrase than most would care to acknowledge.
I remember reading Black Like Me, the memoirs of a white man who chemically tanned his skin dark enough to experience, first-hand, what it was like to be black in the American south. He observed that the southern blacks had been forced down by a white-biased system and, worse, blamed by that system for being down. The effects of such persecution on the psyche of the southern downtrodden was clearly segregative.
Today, a comparable situation exists for certain Western-based minorities who are, more and more, demonized by popular opinion and media sensationalism. Those whose skin is a little too dark or whose names are a little too Arabic tend to experience more than their share of persecution, these days. Some of the persecuted, naturally, seek refuge among those who profess to be like-minded. Sometimes, though, they wander into the company of those who prey upon their despair and channel it into acts of evil.
We are each responsible for our own actions, of course. I cannot blame another person or group for the actions I, myself, choose to take, no matter how much prodding towards those actions I endure. The decision is, ultimately, mine. At the same time, do we not have a responsibility towards one another to ease the prodding? Perhaps a smile in place of a frown might replace a bomb with a book. Naive? Fanciful? Maybe. But maybe not.
In the words of Kahlil Gibran, “Like a procession you walk together towards your god-self. You are the way and the wayfarers. And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone. Ay, and he falls for those ahead of him, who, though faster and surer of foot, yet removed not the stumbling stone.” As human beings living on one planet, tribal differences notwithstanding, we’re in this together.
We’re all home-grown. Each of us is the product of cultivation, and each of us become cultivators. The sweet flavour and ripe colour of the crops we raise are a reflection of the love we put into them, just as fields of disease and rot are signs of our neglect. Beyond ethnicity and countries of origin, beyond second languages and sacred customs, we’re each the product of the communities we create together. We’re all home-grown, regardless of what we call home. The only question is: What are we growing?
Joe Nittoly
August 10, 2006
Well, Joe, well said indeed. I wonder just how much ignorance on the part of the majority influences the insecurity of the minority. Its like the mom who tells the little kid to eat every bite on the plate but then can’t figure out how the kid got obese.
BTW…Michele sent me.
K Jones
August 10, 2006
Well said…
Michele sent me. Have a nice weekend !
Just a trumpet player
August 11, 2006
Here via michele’s today. Fascinating stuff. I will be back to read more I promise.
Sue
August 11, 2006
Joe, thank you for stopping by my blog. I’m so glad I came here. What an articulate piece! It brought to my mind the Wisdom of the Native American Way and their consideration of the seven generations before and the seven generations after when deciding upon a course of action.
Tia
August 11, 2006
We ARE in this together, if only everyone would understand and stop the angry differences.
Common Sense Beauty
August 13, 2006
Nice blog you have here Joe, great job.
Matt
November 19, 2006