Dangerous Rhetoric

There has been a great deal of anti-Semitic rhetoric coming out of Iran lately, especially from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Most worrisome are blatant statements by him to the effect that “Israel must be wiped off the map.” The outrageousness of that sort of comment speaks for itself, but I wish to address another line of comments which have been spewing from the silver tongued leader of that nation. He has also been publicly pedaling the falsehood that the Holocaust was merely a myth fabricated to bolster pro-Jewish sentiment. When a leader begins to twist the lessons of history to his own advantage, the world needs to keep a very close eye on him. This may be a ploy to solidify his position, to unite Arab nations, or even to soften public opinion prior to some future intended military action. This is all the more disturbing when such a leader simultaneously calls for the destruction of another nation, discounts the value and rights of its people and strives to develop a nuclear arsenal. These issues add up to a recipe for disaster, while pointing to some ancient historical lessons which warrant our attention. You see, how a nation deals with the Jewish people often betrays much about its character and where it will fall in the greater scheme of history. From Haman to Hitler the enemies of Israel, especially those bent on the eradication of the Jewish people, have generally proven themselves to be evil and doomed themselves to eventual destruction. Such intentions often portend darker designs by that nation and whether as the ends or the means, Israel seems to end up in the crossfire. I appreciate talk show host Dennis Prager’s opinion that the Jews are the world’s canary. Miners traditionally took canaries into mines with them because of the birds would die if the air became toxic, thus warning the miners of danger. So it has been with history. When you see a nation align itself against Israel or its people, especially if it involved their annihilation on any scale, you can bet that a greater evil is afoot. And I here take license to propose that such a nation will also turn out to be the enemy of God. That may be offensive to some people, but if so I challenge you to take a broad look at history and you will almost always find that the enemies of the Jewish people turn out to be the bad guys. Bear in mind that I am not Jewish. I am merely a student of history and current events. However, I actually don’t wish to belabor this point today as I have another agenda.

When we hear the dangerous rhetoric of a leader which cheapens the value of a certain cultural, religious or ethnic group, even blaming it for troubles in the world, we must be very attentive to their future actions. Such talk may be the litmus test for the aspirations or intentions of that regime. When a leader uses another nation or people for a scapegoat, it usually points to shortcomings in his own country from which he needs attention diverted. That culture of hatred also paves the way for future atrocities, providing justification for both oppression and murder. This has been historically cyclical so we must never let our guard down. We must not allow the darker chapters of human history to be forgotten, for that is always the first tragic step towards the perpetration of future atrocities. That is why such rhetoric must be addressed, and such nations must be confronted in the strongest possible manner. For the language of hatred today becomes the fuel for evil tomorrow and the dark episodes of history in the future. We cannot, we must not, allow any leader or nation to openly promote the annihilation of another nation or people. The world has become far too small for such language. It is, in point of fact, tantamount to treason against humanity and must be dealt with most severely because it openly promotes the justification of terrorism. In this modern world there can be no place for ethnic cleansing … nor anyone who promotes or encourages it. Iranian President Ahmadinejad has stepped over that line and it is time for a responsible world to act. There is no better way to circumvent future terrorism and atrocities. The lessons of history are all too clear and we can only look forward to a brighter future by understanding the darkest chapters of our past. To that end I offer the following poem as a warning about our human nature and how we must be proactive in circumventing the evil we have proven ourselves capable of.

Atrocities
The inhumanity of humans
has plagued us through our history
We mighty, moral Homo Sapiens
with such a knack for cruelty
No matter how we train or educate
some leader rises from the throng
To perpetrate new crimes of hate
while the masses follow along
Somehow, accepting what is evil
and so clearly unacceptable
We are wooed, once more, to hate
and do what is unthinkable
We, who have evolved so far
and churched ourselves so well
Cast civil rights aside and opt
to be the very instruments of hell
Just like diseases which were wiped out
by vaccines we have made
So atrocities are laid to rest
until our memory of them fades
But when we cease to use the vaccine
diseases torment us again
So it is with human hatred
and within the hearts of men
Just when we think we've snuffed out
what was evil and so wrong
It seems to rear its ugly head again
revitalized and just as strong
But it must not be swept beneath the rug
or white washed in any way
And our crimes committed in the past
must be revealed still today
We must remember, we must understand
the potential of our hate
If we're to overcome our tendencies
before it is too late
In this modern world, where we pride
ourselves on civil liberties
We still allow someone, somewhere
to perpetrate atrocities
By Frank Carpenter ©