Damn the Torpedoes...

As an original Southerner of a "certain age," I know plenty about reasonless prejudice (or is that redundant?). Being prejudiced was part of the very air we breathed.

Being ignorant may have had something to do with all that prejudice.

I have learned that ignorance can be forgiven, but deliberate ignorance is unforgivable. I have long since forgiven myself for my ignorance, and I have endeavored to enlighten myself to the fact that there were other "real" Americans besides Baptists and Methodists, etc.

Real Americans can even (hoo-boy!) be Catholic. Real Americans can even (Oh, Lord!) be Jewish. Or, (ah, what am I saying?!), black! Hispanic!

As an adult I delved into the type of history that had not been taught in my public schools.

This is to be continued. Time has a habit of slipping away almost unnoticed, especially for anyone of a "certain age"; therefore we must make the most of it while it is still within our grasp (however weak).

Sometime back (10/28/06) I wrote a blog relating to prejudice called "BE POLITICALLY CORRECT -- OR ELSE!" This covers some of the same territory as my most recent (12/17/06), "I REFUSE TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT."

The blog I wrote that most closely relates to your "Damn the Torpedoes ..." was one on 9/2/06 titled "Pre-Emptive Warfare." Quoting from Mark Alexander's 9/1/06 column "American Hiroshima," Iran's president appears to be unswerving in his determination to "experience a world without the United States and Zionism."

It was interesting to note that the Iranian president claimed (again quoting Mr. Alexander)that "The Holocaust was a hoax dreamed up by the Allies and their Zionist cohorts...." Apparently in the next breath the Iranian president stated that "The peoples of the Middle East have also borne the brunt of the Holocaust. By raising the necessity of settling the survivors of the Holocaust in the land of Palestine, they have created a permanent threat in the Middle East in order to rob the people of the region of the opportunities to achieve progress...."

Here I noted that there was some type of disconnect. On one hand, the Iranian president apparently denied the Holocaust occurred; on the other hand, he seemingly blames the survivors of the Holocaust for the failures of others in the region to grasp opportunities to improve their lot. He can't have it both ways.

One cannot help noting, however, that he has found a convenient scapegoat to cover for the failures and inadequacies of his own people in their alleged quest for progress.

My last paragraph in the 9/2/06 blog was "The United States cannot sit on its hands and wait for Iran or any other country or group to dictate the terms of our existence or that of our ally Israel."

Suffice it to say that I have forgiven myself for my ignorant prejudice. I understand its roots. I have had a long time to observe and to watch history unfold, learning, continually learning something new.

What has struck me about today's history in the making is how close history is to becoming extinct. This is what will happen if we allow madmen to dictate the terms of our existence.

This would not be the America I know and love.