I Hate Thieves…
Saturday, February 11, 2006
As fate would have it. No wait, that’s a load of crap. It’s not fate, it’s theft. Some people are simply driven to steal. Whether it’s a wallet, a car, an election or the civility of a religion, people take things that they did not earn. Happens all the time. This week being no exception. At the global level, a furor over comic strips originally published in some Danish newspapers has resulted in death and destruction. Why? Because they portrayed Mohammed in a farcical or (depending on your perspective) blasphemous manner. What was that portrayal? Various interpretations of what has become the stereotype of the Muslim fanatic; references to bombs and the virgin paradise awaiting suicide bombers. Offensive? Provocative? Sure. That’s the point. Art and commentary are intended to spark debate. Debate, not chaos. The irony is that reacting with violence simply reinforces the very stereotype that millions of peaceful Muslims strive to change. The moderate position had their voice stolen by a violent minority. What could have been an exchange of cultural perspective is instead a deeper chasm of mistrust and hate. A moment stolen.
Speaking of stolen…some slimebag absconded with my beloved work PowerBook this week. I guess I’m glad I’m still shocked by theft as I never want to be accustomed to the sense of invasion that losing part of your life brings. It’s just so jarring to come outside (like I did in 2004) and find an empty space where my motorcycle had been just hours before – or to get a call from by boss asking if, by any chance, I had my laptop with me. I was lucky – my work data was backed up and I quickly reset all my passwords. Life gets back to normal. But that’s not it. I can’t reset the trust that was lost. The assumption that your colleagues and associates may be willing to take something from you takes away a part of that cohesion, the esprit d’ corps that makes work enjoyable. It wasn’t just a thingthat was stolen after all and I hate it.