'Towelhead,' 'Retard,' and Talking Sense in a Global Society

Getting (slightly) caught up on correspondence and comments this morning, I found this remarkable observation:

"People are to [!] worried about the damn economy then our own security. I don't get how health care or taxes are more pressing then Iraq, Afgainistan, [!] Pakistan, Iran or any of those damn towelheads. But they don't appreciate everything the US military has given them. One of these days they will"

Being half-Mick, with relatives who are German, Filipino, Sioux, and Scandinavian, I probably can't understand how distressing it is to live in a world filled with non-WASPs.

White Anglo Saxon Protestants Don't Have a Monopoly on Goofiness

Then, there were the comments from someone who probably isn't WASP, including:

"...Your immediate surrounding must consist of people who are full of s***, but have you seen anyone at MASH making an unsubstantiated claim? I'm sorry I called your daughter a retard, but it doesn't give you the reason to start acting like one...."

My daughter, by the way, is "another ignorant Westerner" in this person's eyes: because she agreed with the person's views, but didn't express her agreement the right way.

Primate-House Manners and Public Discussion Don't Mix Well

Most people who comment on this blog's posts are sensible and level-headed. And are comfortable with the idea that not everyone in the world is exactly like the people in their social circle.

Others, not so much.

I'm grateful for this level of civility. It's not all that common online.

Public discourse on matters of intercultural relations and national security occasionally remind me of lively afternoons in the primate house, where it's prudent to be aware of arguments flying between cages.¹ Among human beings, online, the projectiles are words, of course. But the principle seems to be the same.

As dramatic and expressive as flying fewmets are, however, I don't think that they help in the promotion of the flinger's views.

"Towelheads" - No Wonder 'Patriots' have a Tattered Reputation

Louisiana's Representative, John Cooksey, did no favors for Louisiana, Republicans, or ophthalmologist, when he said " 'If I see someone come in and he's got a diaper on his head and a fan belt around that diaper on his head, that guy needs to be pulled over and checked,' " after the 9/11 attack. (The New York Times op ed (June 27, 2006))

The more recent "towelheads" comment reminded me that people from the more 'sophisticated' subcultures in America may have reason to hold 'conservatives' and 'patriots' in contempt.

Someone whose world is limited to places like Berkeley, Amherst, Manhattan, San Francisco, and the connecting airspace, may never be in direct contact with outsiders. Understandably, it's the noisy minority that gets attention: and leaves the impression that people with a high regard for America also make ludicrous statements about diapers and non-western headgear.

I'm one of those people who, on the whole, think that America's a pretty good place.

Perfect, no. But, on the whole, over the decades, I think the world's better off for having an alternative to Stalin's Soviet Union, the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, and other more-or-less well-meaning efforts to impose order on the masses.

These days, it's outfits like Al Qaeda that have a vision for the world that doesn't include the sort of elbow-room that I think is necessary in a healthy society.

But I realize that, if people in the Middle East have the freedom to practice Islam - or another faith, or no faith at all - instead of toeing the Taliban line, they'll still be more likely to wear turbans, than baseball caps or fedoras.

It's one thing, when Islamic fanatics kill a man because he wore trousers. Outfits like Al Qaeda are expected to enforce a rigid set of rules: including a dress code.

But when a Red, White, and Blue Patriot - who presumably has a passion for Freedom, Democracy, and other American Ideals - talks about "towelheads" - - - That's just weird. Unless "freedom" means "everybody doing things my way."

An American Patriot Who's Okay With Turbans, NASCAR, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum

I looked up "patriot." It means "one who loves and defends his or her country" (Princeton Wordnet). Love of country isn't at the very top of my priority list, and I'm well aware of America's imperfections: but yes, I love America.

As for defending the country, this blog may serve as a reality check now and again - which is a sort of defense.

So, I suppose I could be called an American patriot.

It's not much of a choice, actually. As a practicing Catholic, I'm required to be a good citizen.

So, as an American patriot, do I expect everybody to wear baseball caps and watch NASCAR?

No.

I think it's great that we're allowed to, and that quite a few of us do, wear 'duckbill caps' and watch car races. But I also think it's great that some Americans would rather spend time going to a museum, go rock climbing, or collect trash along a highway.

America didn't get to where it is by insisting on lockstep conformity.

• I didn't like being told what I had to think and say back in college, in the heyday of political correctness.
• I don't like seeing Congressmen comparing turbans to diapers
• I don't think baseball caps are superior to turbans

Actually, that last point isn't quite true. I don't think there's any moral or cultural superiority connected to either. But, there are practical considerations that make one a better choice while playing baseball, and the other superior if you're planning to spend hours under a desert sun.

Want People to Take You Seriously? Drop the Attitude

Whatever a person's view on "Afgainistan," the Taliban, and whether the CIA or Al Qaeda represent a greater threat to American citizens, I think it's a good idea to remember a few things:

• People aren't all alike: We don't all
  • Dress alike
  • Look alike
  • Prefer the same foods

Deal with it.

Since anything online that's written in English may be read by people in over a hundred countries, I think it's a good idea to leave terms like "towelhead" or "ignorant westerner" at home.²

Flinging angry epithets may get affirmation from those with similar views. But the blogosphere is a big place, where you're read by people from all over the world.

"Enlightened self interest" has been used to describe quite a few approaches to dealing with the real world. Tocqueville wrote about "self-interest rightly understood:" "...Each American knows when to sacrifice some of his private interests to save the rest...."

Giving up a distaste for turbans is, I think, a small sacrifice. That's assuming that the goal is to convince someone that American interference with the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and others in the 'Stans will, in the long run, benefit people living there.

Related posts:

• "Retard! Or, How Not to Make Your Point"
  (January 20, 2009)
  • The comments include the "immediate surrounding" excerpt
• Comment from "Iran Launched Satellite, Probably: and North Korea's Preparing for Launch"
  (February 3, 2009)
• "United States of America: 232 Years in the Freedom Business"
  (July 3, 2008)
• "Fanatics: Not an Islamic Monopoly"
  (November 23, 2007)

Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred.

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¹ I know: many zoos now have transparent barriers, not steel bars. But you get the idea.
² I think it would be a good idea to consider doing some mental and spiritual housecleaning, too. But that's beyond the scope of this blog.