Are Muslims in America Second Class Citizens?

You find yourself standing in a crowded area (downtown at rush hour, the airport during the holiday season to see your loved ones, the subway) with people routinely bumping each other shoulder to shoulder without any sense of personal space.  This is my bubble and you stay out of it!  There doesn't seem to be any real order here or malicious intent; only controlled chaos like a colony of bees swarming in and around its hive. (No offense to bees but I've never heard one say, "Excuse me".)


Through the bustle you see Him.  Anxiety strikes you, yet you try to appear calm.  You look around to see if anyone else can see Him and if so, do they seem to be as nervous as you are.  Is it getting warm in here?  You seem to have begun perspiring a bit.  Please, not today.  I just wanted to...fill in your action here.  He seems to look a bit nervous as well.  You can see it in His eyes.  This can't be good.  Perhaps this exact spot isn't where you need to be standing right now.  You struggle to turn in the crowd.  "Excuse me. Ex-excuse me, please."  That's a good child, polite until death.  You don't take your eyes off him.  He begins to gaze over the crowd.  His lips move methodically as if he were saying the same thing over and over again.  Though it isn't English, you recognize it.  His facial expression is no longer nervous; perhaps he has found some sort of resolution.  He cracks the slightest grin as he looks over the crowd; the chant continues.  Suddenly the smile fades as his teeth begin to snarl his brow falls and his eyes gleam as that of an Islamic Warrior.  He grabs for the zipper of his worn leather jacket.  The jacket is unzipped and falls to the floor.  You realize that you do recognize what he is saying; it is now audible. 


"ALLAH AKBAR!" he is now yelling.  Wait a second. You mean they really say that stuff in real life?  Cool!  Time stops as this Middle Eastern man stands amongst the crowd in his galabiyya and suicide vest ensemble.  Where's the Fashion Police when you really need them?  You push with all of your strength now against the hustle.  Turn damn it!  Turn now or die!  The first thing that comes to your mind slips out of your mouth.  Well there goes the, "Polite until death," compliment I just gave you.  Now if you live through this, remind me to wash your mouth out with soap!"  The sound of the explosion is deafening; you feel the sound penetrate through your very being.   Still alive! As you regain your wits, screams are all that can be heard.  The hearing in your left ear has obviously been tinkered with. 


Your spirits begin fall as you surrender to the reality of the current tragedy.  Your legs (it seems like everyone else's) are pumping like pistons involuntarily.  To your right you see a well built man running alongside you with a little boy in his arms.  "Daddy, why did the man blow up?"
So when you hear someone saying, "My name is... (insert popular Arabic/ Middle Eastern name here)," what do lots of Americans think?


"But when I get on a plane - I gotta tell you - if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think - you know - they are identifying them self first and foremost as Muslims.  I get worried.  I get nervous." - Juan Williams


"Muslims Killed Us On 9/11!" - Bill O'Reilly



Still not convinced?  No, my good boy.  What exactly is your point?  There was even a story on Fox News speaking of a poll conducted that stated 1 in 5 Americans believe President Barrack Obama is Muslim (as if such a finding lowers his potential to be a credible American President). 
My point is quite simple.  American society through its experience and fear of terrorist attacks has painted a picture that all Muslims and people with Middle Eastern features are suspects. 


But wait - I'm Hindu!


Sorry buddy, how 'bout for now you go stand over there with the rest of the Middle Easterners.


Perhaps we should take the time to notice the path of our country's mind set when we have an American Preacher declaring observances such as "International 'Burn a Quran' Day".  Terry Jones at one point stated that, "The message," (of burning Qurans as a national observance to the ninth anniversary of 9/11), "we are trying to send is much more important than people being offended."  Was his controversial fifteen minutes of fame a bunch of farfetched bull?  Or was he simply the only one with enough courage to express a concept that so many Americans had already internalized?


So I guess the question would be, "Do good Muslims feel uncomfortable in our society at all?"
Of course not; this is America for God's sake, the Land of Opportunity. Right?


This is the part in Escaping the Box where your opinion matters.  Let's see what it is you have to say about it.  Have Muslims in America become second class citizens?  I dare you to send this post to a friend and make this conversation a worldwide event.  Wait!  Better yet, I take that back.  I Triple Dog Dare Ya.

Latest Poem Entry by T.S. Wilkins

This is another one for my poetry lovers.  This poet I luckily ran into on Twitter.  I  was immediately intrigued by her profile and asked personally for her to submit a piece of work.  So with no further delay I would like to introduce T. S. Wilkins to the stage of Escaping The Box.  Enjoy.

I am a 26 year old inspirational poet (poetess, really) who lives in South Carolina. My journey as a poet started at the age of five, and has become a very enlightening experience. I am the author of two books. My latest book is entitled He is Noah which is a personal dedication to those suffering from any mental disability. My interest in poetry is primarily focused on offering inspiration to those who struggle in any form in life.


The Hope Within the Light
Beyond the flattering glimpses of hope,
Dwells the trembling reality of a fragile soul
Entangled in the chains of wishes gone astray,
Trapped in the deceitful realm of an unorganized dream
Too stubborn to come true,
Captured by the gloom of a lonely day
The whispers within their soul will say….
I understand you, Willow Tree—
How your roots are grounded in the soil of pain
As your soul drags on and tears remain
That constant burden and heavy weight
Upon the branches of your faith—
But still you must endure the rain,
The pulling of the wind’s disdain…
Pulling you away from the hope worth keeping,
Yes!
Yes!
I understand your weeping.
I know your sorrow, Silent Shadow;
Your happiness hanging on the gallows
Mimicking who you wish to be
But who can know,
And who will see
The tears that flow in darkness there
There beyond what you can bear….
Beyond the screams of misery,
Hidden in darkness silently?
Misfortune’s out to steal your life,
And rob you of your wishful light!
It keeps you in the darkness crying.
No one sees your soul is dying.
No one knows what sorrow’s taking!
No one knows how bad it’s aching
To shout the name of destiny!
I hear your haunted symphony!
I hear that dreadful tune within
The strings of woeful violins!
I feel your failure, Fallen Leaf—
How you fell down to
The ground of grief…
Fell down there
To be stepped on still.
I know how that failure feels.

For beyond my flattering glimpses of hope,
Dwells the trembling reality of my fragile soul
Entangled in the chains of wishes gone astray,
I’m trapped in the deceitful realm
Of an unorganized dream
Too stubborn to come true,
Captured by the chance of another day
The whispers within my soul will say….
Please understand my troubled soul
And the music it seems
That sorrow composed,
But know I want to live my life…
Know I still believe the light—
I understand the willow tree—
The silent shadow, the fallen leaf….
Though sorrow tells such constant lies
And the wind will witness my lonely cries

Know that life is in my eyes.
For I have to be the midnight moon,
I have to shine amidst the gloom.
I have to shine throughout the night,
For hope shall dwell within the light.
~T.S. Wilkins~
tswilkins@abstract-soul.com

Check out "The Community Begins Now" to find out how you and your friends can submit your poems to Escaping The Box.

Pick a Side: Whoopi or O’Reilly

I watched the surreal clip from The View repeatedly. The conversation between Goldberg, Behar, and O'Reilly unfolded in my head like some cheesy pop culture 80's movie: right before your eyes you see the young blonde bombshell with her layers and bangs. You can't help but notice her thin waist and oversized breasts (definitely fake). Men, women, and children can't help but stare in disbelief as she stands on the diving board over the pool in her inappropriately flimsy red bikini. She gracefully drops into the water and within seconds brings her head to the surface whisking her long hair back and forth (better yet she does it in slow mo…Everything back then was better in slow mo and you know it!). The camera pans out and the cheesy 80's pop song begins (George Michael, of course). The camera focuses on an eight year old boy. His mouth hangs open and his eyes become as large as basketballs before his mother's hand swiftly covers them. Back to the blonde; the camera view continues to widen as you come to the realization that perhaps you were right from the beginning. They were definitely fake.

Bill O'Reilly said what! "Muslims Killed Us On 9/11!"

Cover your ears and go to your room honey. You shouldn't hear this until you're fifty. Some of us just stood with our mouths open like the little eight year old in the cheesy 80's movie.

"Oh my God, that is such ****. Extremists – excuse me – extremists did that," Whoopi fires back so quickly she stumbles over her words. Ironically, it seemed as if an explosion had just taken place on that very stage.

Others at the same time, stood there with mischievous grins, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Finally, someone says what we've all been dying to hear. The grin explodes into hysterical laughter and clapping. Encore my good boy, Bill! Encore!

Within those few moments so much had been said by both words and body language. The truth for so many had finally been said and she stood there topless and exposed for all to see.

So go ahead folks. Step up to the plate. What's the truth for you? The Box is back and better than ever!

Grade School Bullies: The New Terrorists

    As you send your children to school it's comparable to sending them off to a pack of snarling, hungry wolves. These wolves are searching and sniffing our schools and neighborhoods for the slightest sign of weakness, the faintest scent of blood. Once your child has been identified as prey, the pack uses physical and psychological attacks to toy with your child before devouring his or her self esteem and sense of self worth. So many of your children's minds spasm with fear; is there truly any chance that he or she can develop healthily and focus on education.

     In the news, right beside reports about Al Qaeda, terrorist attacks and the latest war casualties we find bullies – nameless, faceless adolescents who are harassing and menacing our children. This young adult outsmarts the school staff, security, and local authorities as they continuously violate and terrorize our children without punishment. As parents we are paralyzed with a feeling of helplessness; the solution to the bully problem evades us. We are all victims – children, parents, and teachers. Is there truly any resolution to this social glitch?

    We could only hope that the government could better assist this situation. My personal faith in the government does not exactly carry over into this matter. Isn't bullying a rite of passage in so many political campaigns? Notice how often our city, state, and federal political figures and candidates slander and speak lowly of the opposing party and its representatives. To them bullying is a game with psychological, financial, and other substantial rewards. Isn't asking these people to assist us in stopping bullying an oxymoron? To many corporations, bullying is a necessary in order to be successful in a capitalist society; in order to be called the greatest country in the world there must be some bullying, right? The irony of it all is that the bully harassing our family is a capitalist. The economist Milton Friedman once said, "History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom." What does it truly mean to capitalize? It doesn't (necessarily) mean bullying.

    So where does that leave us? How can we better protect our families from being victimized by bullies? If there were some way for the government to better police our schools, would this really get at the source of the problem? Would this prevent our children from being bullied and demeaned later on in their lives by society or their colleagues and bosses within the workplace? As we grow older we still run into situations that can lower our sense of self worth if we allow them to. Though we are all adults the results can still be the same – dwindled self esteem, anxiety issues, and depression.

    We must not allow our children to be so easily victimized. Being bullied is perhaps not as much a 'problem' as the result of a sense of worthlessness or depression. I believe Americans are generally privileged; we take for granted things that others are not as fortunate to have like clean drinking water, large amounts of food, and toilets. I believe that as a result, our concept of survival and resilience has been greatly distorted. We must begin creating within our children a mental resilience, a high sense of self-worth, and a long forgotten concept that the underdog wins
(i.e. the tortoise and the hare). Review with your children all of the concepts that worked for us in our youth but we no longer embrace as a society; kill them with kindness, turn the other cheek, love conquers all, everyone is special in their own way, everything happens for a reason. Though in today's society these concepts seem obsolete, they build resilience and a strong sense of self worth.

    Let's fight against bullying in every sense of the word by strengthening our minds and the minds of our children. Let's build a community strong enough to with stand the attacks of those that wish to capitalize at our expense. We have always had the chance to make a difference; stop being helpless and step up to the plate.

America And Its “Bad Blood”

I remember after the 9/11 attacks Americans were in awe. We all mourned at the loss of nearly 3,000 lives of innocent people. We all scratched our heads in disbelief as to how it could be possible that our country, a country so wonderful, could ever be disliked by others. We are the "land of the free" and "the land of
opportunity"; in United States of America, the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. Right? Well doesn't it?

Yesterday morning I was watching CNN (a normal rite of passage in my home). I was so excited about the turnout of my last post titled, "What to do about the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy", and I was on edge trying to decide what would be my next post. What would be a post that would give my readers a further glimpse of the boxes that surround us? When the story came on it hit like a ton of bricks; I was dumbfounded at how this is so much like one of those things you see in some cliché conspiracy theory movie.
On the morning of October 1, 2010 Hilary Clinton, secretary of state, apologized on behalf of America for something called the Guatemala STD Study. In this study conducted in 1946-48, the Pan-American Sanitary Health Bureau and the Guatemalan government exposed hundreds of Guatemalan prisoners and mental health patients without consent to serious illnesses, including gonorrhea and syphilis before treating them with penicillin. To say that at the time penicillin was new and experimental would be a gross understatement. I suppose some of the methods to exposing these people to these diseases will bring more color to the story. Although not all of the details have been released yet, one of the methods is apparent – prostitution.

"I suppose it's ok as long as it doesn't happen on American soil," some unsavory characters might say. Well what if it did? Perhaps we should look into a similar experiment conducted between 1932 and 1972. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was conducted by the US Public Health Service. In the study it recruited nearly 400 poor African Americans with syphilis to see how the disease would naturally progress without treatment. None of the subjects were told they had syphilis exactly; they were just told they had "bad blood".
Well, comments anyone?