It seems as though we have danced this dance before, haven’t we?
I was going to write this week’s column about how silly I thought Mayor Curtatone’s comments on a recent radio show were with respect to the Syrian refugees, but decided to dial back my zeal a bit. I though that someone might get the impression that I don’t like Mayor Joe, or that he might not be the best Mayor this city has had in decades. Neither is true – I do like him, personally and politically and he really has done more for the future of Somerville than any other single person in the last 50 plus years. That’s just plain old truth right there.
Sure, his comments fell on a lot of deaf ears – because shortly after the attack on Paris, a lot of people appeared to become more well informed via the internet with respect to refugees. Whether you’re pro-refugee or anti-refugee – if you thought about it and then searched online for a half a minute, you could find all the information you never cared to know, as fast.
From what I have observed, these same people who took the time to do some research online also found out a lot about the Muslim religion. These same people might not understand the history and the nuances of this religion versus other religions and how radical Islamists are able to twist their faith into something much more sinister, a little bit of some knowledge is better than none.
It’s not my place or my desire to try and explain any of it to you – you need to find your own comfort zone and learn more about all of it from an unbiased and informed source. In this particular case, I am actually both unbiased and informed, but, I have neither the motivation to explain it all, nor the desire to paint a bulls-eye on my back.
My suggestion to you is to learn what you can, do not believe everything you read or hear – and keep an open mind. Sure there are really bad, violent and ignorant Muslims, but you will probably never meet one. To be honest, if you want to find an arrogant/ignorant asshole, you don’t have to go very far in this city. Like the infamous and elusive Pod People – just keep an eye out. Try the Ball Square area – City Hall can’t hold a candle to the number of Asshats right there in plain sight. #GMK