Sleeper Cell

Just a few blocks away from my house there is a billboard touting a new series on Showtime called "Sleeper Cell". Presumably, the show is meant to play on our fears of terrorists living among us, ready and willing to destroy us. Now, that may be so. I won't, necessarily, argue that point as I know there are many frustrated people out there who would like to see this arrogant, imperialistic power dealt another humiliating and crushing blow. I won't deny that. Even so, there are some serious things that bother me about what this billboard promises.

First, there are several men's faces on the billboard. None of which are remotely Arab looking. Let's face it, if someone has a beef with this nation at the moment, it isn't a bonny faced Irish lad. Sure, there are lots of different types of terrorists. Our home grown type have all read The Turner Diaries and have memories of Waco and Ruby Ridge. Just about every culture has nurtured some type of terrorist movement, be they environmental terrorists, political terrorists, religious extremists, or just bored and plain old angry. But this particular billboard promises to scare the pants off of us by suggesting that our neighbors, employers/ employees, or people on the bus are out to kill us. Yes, that is productive. Just as productive as the "all men are rapists" mode of thought. (You can see that I am being sarcastic, right?)

Now I am not suggesting that all Arabs are potential terrorists. Just like I would not dream of suggesting that all Italians are in the mob. It just isn't true. By and large, however, the political environment in the world would suggest that an Arab would be more likely to blow up an American building than an Italian. That doesn't mean the reverse can't be true, but if we don't use common sense we end up being afraid of absolutlely everyone and everything. This is not productive either.

What I AM suggesting is that if you are going to make a television program suggesting that terrorists are in our midst, don't pussy out and go the PC route. Figure it out. Dig deep and use this as a platform to understand why Arabs are so angry. Give us an opportunity to see them as humans with beliefs and weaknesses like the rest of us, and make it as authentic as possible. Though I am certain the odds are good there is an angry and disenfranchised white boy sitting in a shanty somewhere in Michigan plotting a violent revolution against the United States government, he is not the one we need to concern ourselves with just now. When he gets organized, then we'll talk. Until then, we should understand what the fuck went wrong and how a group of people could be so angry with us that they aspire to indiscriminately destroy us.

Here's the problem as I see it. This kind of "entertainment" is masquerading as "information" and it encourages us to fear everything that surrounds us. A wise leader would stand up and deliver a strong and clear message to the American people that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Hmmmm, sounds familiar. It is sage advice. It is fear that sends us into isolation. It is fear that takes away reason, common sense, and compassion. It is fear that devours our sense of right and wrong and ultimately leads us into a stinking spiral of self-destruction. What is the first thing that they teach you to do in any emergency situation? DON'T PANIC. Fear clouds your judgement, dulls your senses, and those who freak out die untimely deaths.

Don't panic. Keep a clear head. Breathe. Assess the situation and move forward.