Terrorism in North Carolina at UNC?
Not likley. But some call it that to get attention
The other day, a young Muslim man drove a rented jeep through a crowded area of the UNC Campus here in Chapel Hill. He said he had done it to “avenge the deaths of Muslims abroad.”
Like trout taking the bait, campus “conservatives” took a reactionary response of putting together a “Unity Rally” to condemn the media and authorities for refraining from labeling this act “terrorism” immediately. And because of this, which was probably the goal, the incident got international attention.
I live in Chapel Hill. I go to school here as a 39-year old returning student. It wasn’t terrorism.
OK, sure, it might be terrorism, but not very likely. So let’s call it a tragedy, a crime--and if you really need to get some reactionary mileage out of it, “possible terrorism”--until the facts are clear. What a radical thought.
I’m proud to say that I didn’t go to the Monday so-called “Unity Rally” rally on campus because I both had to work, and study, both of which I found more important than spreading hatred and hyperbole.
I’m sad Jillian Bandes and the other organizers of the rally didn’t have the same priorities. But it seems true to form that she and those similarly-minded would put together a divisive rally that was primarily histrionic, reactionary, and attention-getting, just like her avowed role model Ann Coulter would. And have the chutzpah to call it a “Unity Rally.” And call those who ask for moderation, “apologists,” as if everyone else is some sort of pitiful Neville Chamberlain wannabe. Charmingly Orwellian. (For those who don’t know Jillian Bandes, she recently got national attention for writing an article in the UNC paper calling for body cavity searches for Arabs at airports).
What’s needed here is a little pause. We just do not know yet what caused Taheri-azar to drive a rented Jeep into the pit and injure fellow students—regardless of what he says to the authorities. But what we do know is that things almost always become more clear with facts and time. (That’s a truly conservative response, by the way… find out the facts before opening your mouth).
Many seemingly political acts of violence are primarily the acting-out of disturbed individuals using political or religious rationalizations—or delusions. That doesn’t make them terrorists, just twisted and dangerous. Think of John Hinckley, Jr., who shot Ronald Reagan and James Brady in order to impress Jodie Foster. Or the Columbine killers who were painted by some as anti-Christian because they killed a girl after asking if she believed in God. Or the David Edward Attias who, in 2001, drove his Saab through a crowded UC Santa Barbara quad, killing four people, shouting “I am the Angel of Death.” Taheri-azar may believe he was doing this to avenge Muslim deaths, and Attias may have believed he was the Angel of Death. We found out pretty quickly that Attias’ motives weren’t what he stated them to be. We haven’t had any time yet to figure out whether Taheri-azar’s were or not. Opportunists are everywhere, and they’re often the loudest, angriest, first responders to a crisis, sowing blame, hatred, and fear, in an attempt to use a tragedy to forward their political or religious agendas. Or perhaps just to feel important by thinking of oneself as a terrorist target, rather than a witness to a sad crime of a sad and disturbed person.
Think of Jillian Bandes and Ann Coulter, and all the rest who would take a local tragedy like this, jump to convenient conclusions before the facts are in, and use it to get attention.
Send this article to a friend Printer-Friendly Version
More articles by this author, J Klein
J Klein is the creator of DemocracyMeansYou and occasionally writes and pens cartoons for the site. He lives in an undisclosed location in North Carolina with Dick Cheney.
DemocracyMeansYou was started as both an artistic response to the ubiquitous flag stickers after 9/11 (the THINK sticker was the impetus for the whole shebang), and a forum for liberal and progressive opinion, humor (always important), and inspiring / urging / demanding participation in the democratic process.
He has written for various publications and websites over the years, has worked as a licensed Psychiatric Technician with both the mentally ill and the developmentally disabled; worked as a mechanic for several years; worked for local government promoting ridesharing and alternative transportation in California; quantifying school accountability for California schools; and marketing writing and web design.
