anyoldsite

It’s so fucking simple:

Courage.

It’s right there in the name, “terrorism.” The goal is to create fear. So if we refuse to be afraid, we win.

The killings aren’t the point; they’re just gravy. What are they really after? Exactly what we’re giving them. When we allow fear to take over, we unmake our society. If you believe they hate us, or “hate our freedom,” then how can you possibly think the way to defeat them is to change our way of life, to dismantle our liberties? In fear, we do the terrorists’ work for them. They don’t have to destroy the things we stand for, because we’re apparently delighted to take care of that ourselves.

This is the most telling trait of the Almighty W., if you think about it. He could have reminded us that this is the home of the brave, and that we’ve faced greater threats before, again and again, and triumphed. Instead, he feeds the fear.

He had a choice, every day from September 11 on. And he chose fear.

So I guess we know whose side he’s on.

Someone I know died today. It doesn’t make any sense. He wasn’t even 40. He felt ill, and then died – that fast.

His name was Mach Arom.

In his work he tried to make beautiful things. Outside of work he tried to fix ugly ones.

When the tsunami hit, he founded a relief organization that made multiple trips to rebuild in Phuket. It was only days after the disaster that he started organizing, and he ultimately rounded up hundreds of people. Teams of volunteers drawn from unlikely worlds like the cynical provinces of advertisingland who put their lives on hold and used their precious vacation days to travel to Thailand and help. And they did help. They rebuilt a school. They mended boats and hospitals and playgrounds. They taught art.

And today, the day he died, Mach was in Rwanda, doing work for the International Rescue Committee.

Mach was funny. Mach loved technology. Mach kept a bowl of Japanese candy in his office, but never ate it himself. Mach had a dog.

The world is uglier without him in it. I hope we can pick up the slack.

Tonight is the night.

In these dark days, who will protect us when we fly? Why, Samuel L., of course. I have totally been needing this. I think my favorite part is that he’s going to shoot them. That’s how badass he is. Bite this, motherfuckers.

Thank you, Mr. Jackson. Thank you.