I come from a generation that is too laid back to be yuppies, yet too image conscious to be hippies. We tattoo ourselves, and pierce our nipples and throw up our middle fingers at the establishment in an act of clear defiance ... or maybe we are simply seeking attention?
The truth is, with a world population of over six billion, who isn't seeking attention? We all want our names remembered, our lives honored, our commitments appreciated - we hope to build legacies ... but it is nearly impossible if no one is watching
Within the past several years our attention has been perversely captivated by terrorism and more specifically the notion of suicide bombers. The thought that an individual cares about a cause, to such an extent that they are willing to forfeit their lives to make a statement, is indeed intriguing. Some will be quick to judge the actions of a suicide bomber as being disgusting, others may view it as being defiant. But a large majority of us will never stop to think that in a sense we are to blame. We have created "News Bulletins" and dedicated large portions of the front page of The New York Times to "Acts of Terrorism."
What we have done is we have created a forum that in a sense allows terrorists to showcase their work, highlight their cause, and keep them forever engrained in our history books as the person responsible for such-and-such attacks. There is a certain honor in a death that is marked by recognition.
We as a society have neglected to afford many people the dignity to express themselves while they are still alive.
In order to begin to place judgment on terrorists and to condemn the act of killing innocent civilians we have to begin by granting all people the same platform to express themselves. We have to begin to acknowledge that all people are equally human, their struggles are equally real, and their lives are equally worthy of recognition. It is only after we afford them that dignity that we can begin to pass judgment.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 3.5 million people have died in the past six years as a result of civil unrest. 30,000 people die a month in this central African country - casualties of a war we know close to nothing about. How often do they get press coverage? When do their lives, their battles and their legacies get written into history books - or at least make it onto the seven o'clock news?
The truth is that we are selective about who we care about, and the extent to which we care about them. What we see is terrorists and suicide bombers who are willing to perform unfathomable acts to get and then maintain our attention. We have given people a reason to die and have failed to cultivate their reason to live.
We have become the moral authority and terrorists have understood that it is the sound of the explosion and not the cause for the bomb that catches our attention.
Before we pass judgment on divisive issues, like why suicide bombers are in fact strapping themselves with explosives, and how we can wage a war on terror - we need to take some time to listen. We need to give all those in need of attention a podium from which to speak their cause. It is only after we have allowed them the dignity to express themselves that we can pass judgment and take a firm stance on the fact that no murder is justifiable, that the taking of a hostage will not be a necessary way to ensure our attention and even less our cooperation. We can begin to pass judgment that will be perceived as fair and rational.
As for my generation and the overwhelming number of us on a quest to appear "different," those of us who have dyed hair and own Che Guevara t-shirts - before you pass judgment and take a firm stance on the aesthetics of our leprechaun tattoos - take the time to ask our names.
