Mash-up

            War has dramatically changed in the age of terrorism, which I believe to be an appropriate term because of the mass terror amongst Americans and others alike. When there is mass panic, the enemy is uncertain and often generalized, making everyone just as guilty as the criminal. The best example of this is the animosity directed at Muslim and Middle Eastern people. Because there are extremist groups in the native lands of these certain, the entire nation and all of her citizens fall under the same category: terrorists. This is absolutely not true, for the second generation whose parents did not allow them to forget their native tongue, who are as “American” as they come, they are wrongfully grouped into the small class of people that are labeled as terrorists. This war on terror is a different type of war from all others, for while the war is moraled as ending terror, it is inflicting terror on the American citizens whose roots are in the Middle East. The most terror, I would believe, is inflicted on the average citizens of these countries that are torn apart by this war that has lasted for far too many years.

            Going back to Friday, I was thrilled that we were able to actually speak to someone who has had a personal stake in this war. Joshua LaViolette shared some great insight with us about what life was life while on tour and I was amazed at how some of his lifestyle contradicted my thoughts on what life would be like for an American soldier in the Middle East. I wished that I would have been able to concisely formulate my question for while we had him in class, but the discussion was great anyway. My question was about how he personally felt about how the Americans treated the native civilians?