Jingoism, part two

[jan_andrea]

Oooohkay. Where are these people coming from? This week's contribution comes from "Rochelle", who once again mistakes her visit to my site as supporting it:

"I liked the site until I scrolled to the bottom and saw the counter for war dollars. It indicates to readers that you think the war is a waste. It's easy to criticize a war effort because that was the course of action the government took. What we forget to ponder is what COULD happen if we were not spending these dollars. It tells the world we are cowards and will not defend ourselves. That warrents future attacks. Then everyone would fuss because Bush did not attack. Like the site...I will not support it's political views. You may want to leave that part off."

My reply:

Remember this: Iraq had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks. 19/20 of the terrorists on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia, and the other was from somewhere else (not Iraq). Bin Ladin personally criticized Saddam Hussein as being a bad Muslim -- they had nothing to do with each other. And while Hussein was a bad, bad man, that does not justify the US's preemtive strike on him. That action should have gone through the world body of the UN.

I felt that the actions against the Taliban in Afghanistan were justified -- the Taliban, in addition to being bad, bad men, were also involved in 9/11 in allowing Al Qaida to set up training camps. However, the same was never true of Iraq, whose country the US had been bombing since the end of the first gulf war anyway. "We" went in on false pretenses. That war is not justified, and it's not a war we're ever going to win, without the rest of the world behind us. So, you're right. I do think the war in Iraq is a tremendous waste -- of human lives (ours and theirs) and, of less importance, of resources that could be far, far better used elsewhere.

This is my website. It's where I share my views. I am happy to share ideas for crafts, but I am also free to express my personal beliefs. No, I will not leave that part off. It's an important part of my life, and if you choose not to visit because of it, that's your issue, not mine.

Clearly, I need to add some kind of mission statement to the front page. I know it's hard for people who have been brainwashed since 9/11 to remember that Afghanistan != Iraq, but dammit, it's my website! If I want to be political, I'll bloody well be political! I mean, I've visited babywearing sites that are overtly (and to me, obnoxiously) Christian, but never in a million years would I suggest to them that they should feel free to share their FREE STUFF, but leave their religion off because I didn't personally agree with it. I might bitch about it to myself, but it's *their site* and *their ideas*. I'm also really weirded out at the thought that people think that by visiting my webpage and getting free patterns, they're somehow supporting me. Like I get money somehow when they click, from my *no advertisements* and *no fees*. Puhleeze. If they want to use my ideas, great -- more power to them. But to suggest that I should keep my politics to myself on *my website* goes beyond the pale. Idiots.

Comments

[joy-disaster.livejournal.com]

This really aggravates me. She feels entitled to request you leave off your views because hers, she feels, are the "default" - just as the many heavily xtian sites also feel their views are so natural and so default/the "norm" thaty of course it should be all in our faces. It is, as usual all about the status quo - the same people who support the 10 commandments in public courthouses, and who support sunday/xmas/easter as a day off etc. flip out at the idea that a muslim or jewish holiday should be observed. (The idea of atheist rights is pretty much foreign enough to not even be on the radar, I fear). Pretty much anyone who believes that the emperor is beautifully clothed is going to assume their beliefs are the natural default, and all others are offensive.

[kris1225.livejournal.com]

you're awesome, and keep their heads ringing. i have always admired your candid website (especially when it was the 'rev jan's happy atheist page'). a lot of people will give you points for honesty and not selling out.

[rudbekia.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you need to put more political stuff in your site!

[tahoebean.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I posted a link to your free patterns in breastfeeding today, I wonder if it's my fault! Eeek!

[turlog.livejournal.com]

I've always thought the number of Saudis you mentioned was true, but I decided to look it up and found the following:

Saudis 15
UAE 2
Lebanon 1
Egypt 1

for a total of 19.

Zacarias Moussaoui was the so called 20th hijacker.

[00goddess.livejournal.com]

Aside from the Taliban being involved with 9/11, I agree with you :)

Someone once wrote that I should not write about my relationship compatibility preferences in my journal, because it might "scare off" potential partners who didn't share those preferences. I pointed out that since the issue was specifically related to compatibility, I didn't want to encourage people who didn't share those preferences. He got really angry and resorted to namecalling.

I think some people just want to have control of other people.