The Patriots had been down for pretty much the entirety of the Super Bowl XLIX. The Seahawks, as I had heard from some were favored to win, but isn't there always a favored to win? And then the play...the last 2 minutes of the game and then the last few moments: sealed the win for the Patriots. Winning...28-21. I didn't watch it.
But, I didn't have to. I have heard and read countless accounts from people all over the country tweeting, posting, and talking about the game and all the highlights. Did I remember all of them? No. I know who won, but I don't and won't remember all of the details. I even heard about the appearance of Missy Elliot at the "awesome" half-time show. I didn't watch it.
His head was bowed, but you could tell he had been hurt. I think that he was wearing orange to make a statement to others around the world. I doubt he had a choice on colour or statement. He was led to a cage of sorts, the kind you put animals in for public viewing or for feeding. The jumpsuit was wet like maybe he just took a dip in the pool to cool off from the desert heat. A flame was lit...it crawled toward him, the human--caged animal-- it engulfed him. He gripped his head and screamed something unimaginable. I didn't watch it.
But, I didn't have to. I have heard and read countless accounts from people on the news posting and talking about the execution of Moaz al-Kasasbeh and all the details. I even heard about the retaliation of the Jordanians executing two hostages. I didn't watch it.
Driving home yesterday, I was listening to talk radio, and the idea of escapism came up. The argument was this: "If you ask the majority of mainstream Americans who won the Super Bowl they could easily tell you. If you ask what just recently happened with ISIS and Jordan, they will say, "What is ISIS?'" It isn't that we are escaping from reality when we focus on the Super Bowl, it is that we don't know what we are escaping from.
If we constantly decide to disengage ourselves from the things of the world, we are bound to not understand why the world is as broken as it is. How sad that the thing we turn to first is a video of a cat playing with a ball of yarn thinking that all that matters in the world is our little niche and that damn cat. People are being burned alive, beheaded, and massacred for the sake of some misinterpretation of religion.
But, we must be careful. We must because then we follow mainstream media only to believe that the sensationalized Islam that we see is the Islam of everyone. Would it make a difference if we knew that the Jordanian who was burned knew the Q'uran by heart? Would it make a difference if we knew that ISIS rarely if ever carries or follows what is in the Q'uran?
This post isn't about whether all Moslems are terrorists. Because if you still believe that nonsense you deserve a grandiose wake-up call. This is about learning to escape for the sake of escapism. It isn't about condemning a nation that watches the Super Bowl and cat videos to escape. It is about condemning a nation that refuses to open her eyes and see that there is something worth escaping from, but not forever, and certainly not out of ignorance.
To the men, women, and children, around the world, who are being lied to for the sake of believing in some distortion of faith...peace. To the men, women, and children, around the world, who are being murdered for the sake of just existing inappropriately according to some heinous terror group...peace. To the men, women, and children, around the world...peace.
But, I didn't have to. I have heard and read countless accounts from people all over the country tweeting, posting, and talking about the game and all the highlights. Did I remember all of them? No. I know who won, but I don't and won't remember all of the details. I even heard about the appearance of Missy Elliot at the "awesome" half-time show. I didn't watch it.
His head was bowed, but you could tell he had been hurt. I think that he was wearing orange to make a statement to others around the world. I doubt he had a choice on colour or statement. He was led to a cage of sorts, the kind you put animals in for public viewing or for feeding. The jumpsuit was wet like maybe he just took a dip in the pool to cool off from the desert heat. A flame was lit...it crawled toward him, the human--caged animal-- it engulfed him. He gripped his head and screamed something unimaginable. I didn't watch it.
But, I didn't have to. I have heard and read countless accounts from people on the news posting and talking about the execution of Moaz al-Kasasbeh and all the details. I even heard about the retaliation of the Jordanians executing two hostages. I didn't watch it.
Driving home yesterday, I was listening to talk radio, and the idea of escapism came up. The argument was this: "If you ask the majority of mainstream Americans who won the Super Bowl they could easily tell you. If you ask what just recently happened with ISIS and Jordan, they will say, "What is ISIS?'" It isn't that we are escaping from reality when we focus on the Super Bowl, it is that we don't know what we are escaping from.
If we constantly decide to disengage ourselves from the things of the world, we are bound to not understand why the world is as broken as it is. How sad that the thing we turn to first is a video of a cat playing with a ball of yarn thinking that all that matters in the world is our little niche and that damn cat. People are being burned alive, beheaded, and massacred for the sake of some misinterpretation of religion.
But, we must be careful. We must because then we follow mainstream media only to believe that the sensationalized Islam that we see is the Islam of everyone. Would it make a difference if we knew that the Jordanian who was burned knew the Q'uran by heart? Would it make a difference if we knew that ISIS rarely if ever carries or follows what is in the Q'uran?
This post isn't about whether all Moslems are terrorists. Because if you still believe that nonsense you deserve a grandiose wake-up call. This is about learning to escape for the sake of escapism. It isn't about condemning a nation that watches the Super Bowl and cat videos to escape. It is about condemning a nation that refuses to open her eyes and see that there is something worth escaping from, but not forever, and certainly not out of ignorance.
To the men, women, and children, around the world, who are being lied to for the sake of believing in some distortion of faith...peace. To the men, women, and children, around the world, who are being murdered for the sake of just existing inappropriately according to some heinous terror group...peace. To the men, women, and children, around the world...peace.
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