I will not cower under my bed in fear of the godless cowards of ISIS
To the Expositor:
Once more Mr. Brad Middleton has done us a service by alerting us to the reality of worldwide terrorism, giving us brief respite from having to hear that particular news each day from the odious Donald Trump and his followers in The American Nutsi Party. You expressed a great deal of trepidation in your letter of December 9, 2015, Mr. Middleton, but alas, not a single, viable solution.
Can we, just for a brief time, eschew the uninformed rhetoric, vitriol, and hatred against our own government, and against anyone who might be suspected of being out to kill us, and at least attempt to engage in rational dialogue? It does nobody any good to try to scare the beejesus out of everyone by constantly telling them that there’s terrorists poised to run amok in the streets, or hiding under every bed, and that we’re all in imminent danger of being murdered in our sleep. It’s unhelpful to threaten us with non-existent suitcase nukes (they really don’t exist; check Wikipedia), or airliners falling from our skies.
I think anyone with a modicum of knowledge and common sense knows that the world is a much more dangerous place these days, yet the world has been dangerous before and we’ve managed to embrace hope and conquer fear, and ultimately triumph. I know that there are some people who choose to live in constant dread, thus giving the terrorists precisely the victory they seek. If I’m to die due to the godless cowards of ISIS, I prefer to enjoy my last days standing on my feet instead of cowering on my knees. As strange as it might seem to some, I enjoy my country even more when it’s ‘rainbows and unicorns’, group hugs, and ‘sunny ways’, thank you very much, Mr. Middleton.
At last we can take comfort that we are being ably governed with enlightened policies, with civility, equity, integrity, humanity, and mutual respect, instead of divisiveness, enmity, snitch lines and vitriolic attacks on our fellow citizens of various ethnic or religious persuasions. Our new government is sending troops to the Middle East to train local troops on the ground, and funding humanitarian aid for refugees. That’s more like the Canada we once knew and loved.
Finally, I’ve never been more proud of my fellow Canadians as I am right now, as they embrace those in need of succor, and especially proud of those dedicated volunteers here on our beloved Island who are welcoming those less fortunate, and sharing with them the blessings of our great and generous nation.
Yours truly,
Barry Epstein
Kagawong
