I could not let this one slide.

Fair warning, this is a long rant.

Here is an email I received recently. I took out the name and the addy to protect the innocent...?well, stupid. Please remember these words in the quoted mail are not mine nor do I ascribe to them.

>Hello Cyclone Rangers,

>I am really excited about your work and what you do to
>protect the U.S. and its citizens from those rag
>heads, those moslem terrorists. We will never forget
>the September 11th and we must fight them in their
>lands instead of ours.
>I would like to become a Cyclone Ranger or a Rough
>Riders. So what do you recommend that I do? I live in
>Athens, Ohio and there are many bull shit moslems
>around. I wish I could kill all of them at once.
>Do you have Cyclone Rangers here in Athens, Ohio
>already? How can I contact them so that we can work
>together?
>
>I am waiting for your commands.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Sxxxxx Cxxxx


And now my reply:

Dear S.C.
Terrorists come in many forms, their religious views not withstanding. There are even atheist terrorists. To judge an entire religion by a few misguided zealots is grounds for many problems you do not want. There are many followers of Islam who:

A) Do not condone the actions of these misguided few
B) Are very supportive and caring people who do their best to extol the virtues of kindness and charity, even to those who are not followers of Mohammed.
C) Are not any different than anyone else that you would say is "normal"

Let us for a moment examine a small example you might or might not be familiar with:

Consider a young man who is unemployed and sees his people being mistreated by what he considers an oppressive government. He gathers around him a tightly knit group who believes he is right and has all the answers. Then this person goes off and trashes a local religious edifice; let us say a temple. He then becomes a wanted fugitive for speaking out against the government. Would you call this person a terrorist? Some did.
Others called him Jesus.

Being a terrorist is all a matter of perspective. The founding fathers of the United States were terrorist of their time, if you asked the British. Where do you draw the lines between terrorist and freedom fighter? Is it after the struggle is over? Remember, the victors write history. Perspectives are fluid if they are well thought out and will alter, as more information is available.

You are right, the US will never forget the horrors of September 11th. Your suggestion of fighting terrorists in their land instead of ours is a sound tactic overall. But to carry out such a fight one should apply sound tactics. To quote Sun Tzu, the Chinese general, "?To know the enemy is to know yourself."? You need to understand why these people are terrorists to begin with to stop them. One way of defeating an enemy is to take away his most valuable supply, people. Many people join terrorist groups as a way to try and change the world to fit either more into their view or change their location in a social structure. Nothing recruits them faster then social inequity and poverty. So you want to fight them in their lands? Great! I suggest you start by trying to understand them as people and not as inhuman objects. Many terrorists have the view that the average American is overweight, frivolous, under educated and rich. I will assume you do not fit into such a mold. Again, global affirmatives are globally wrong. Think about it. Terrorists are people so frustrated with their lives that they are looking for someone to blame and then direct that anger at. It happens all the time. History proves me right on this point. Consider Germany post World War One. The economy was in shambles; the German mark was so worthless that people were papering their houses with it. They were starving in one of the most environmentally rich countries in Europe. So who'?s fault was it? Well, there were some who blame the Versailles Treaty and its demands for war reparations. Others blamed Kaiser Wilhelm and his government. Others blamed the Jews. So you can see how that turned out. The National Socialist Party was able to get people angry and then focus that anger on a specific group. Ever seen Nazis and The Talaban together? If you apply simple logic, you can see there is little difference. Evil, in all its forms, begets horrors on those least able to defend themselves.

You asked what you should do. Allow me to give you a few examples that may be of assistance. First, chill out. A calm mind is able to see fact from propaganda. Second, arm yourself with as much information as you can. Learn, read and ask questions. Use reliable sources, not "?he said that she said"?. When we do not ask questions about those things around us we follow blindly down a road to ruin. You need to talk to these people you are afraid of. Sit down with someone and really listen to what they have to say. Give them a fair chance, just like you would want. Almost everyone comes from immigrants in this country, remember that. Find a follower of Islam and ask politely if you could talk with them for a while, that you have some questions and need some answers. Learn not to confuse anger and outrage. The mix up of the two can be harmful not just to others but to you as well. You need to understand that we are all just passengers on this rock flying through space and no one is driving this thing. Placed in perspective such as this, you can begin to understand your place in the grand scheme of the universe.

You asked about Rangers and Rough Riders. Did you notice that there are no references to any of us following any religion? There is a reason for that. We all have our own beliefs and respect the beliefs of others. We are Christians, Pagans, Agnostics and Atheists as well as others. Myself, I am a Buddhist. One of our Rough Riders is a follower of Islam, and someone I am proud to call my friend. She embodies all the virtues one hopes to see in a follower of Mohammed. How we place ourselves in this big black void we call the universe is our own business. We should not judge others on how they believe, that is between them and whatever higher power they ascribe to.

You asked if there are Rangers in Athens, Ohio. The answer is yes as well as Rough Riders. You pass them on the street every day in almost every city in all walks of life. We do not wear a badge for all to see nor do we shout our names for everyone to hear. Many times, you will never hear of us doing anything. We are not publicity hounds and not a fraternity nor sorority. We let our good works stand as testament to our ideals. We do the right thing as best as we can and move on. Follow my suggestions and they will reveal themselves to you, it is almost impossible to track them down if they do not desire for you to find them.

I believe you have some soul searching to do as well as a lot of learning. I wish you the best of luck as you head down this road. It will not be easy nor always fun as changing ones views can be a painful experience but worth it in the long run. I know, I was there once myself.

Good luck and enjoy the trip,


Till next time,
Be mindful and awake...