For Norway

I wanted to begin my blog today by first extending my condolences to the people Norway. For those who are unaware, the people of Norway were subjected to a period of terror brought about by a militant extremist. While details are still emerging, readers can find what disturbing details that have emerged through simple news search.

However, as this tragedy unfolded, I have been shocked by the reactions many people have had. They have ranged from the disrespectful- people using the tragedy as a platform to forward their political beliefs in regards to carrying arms- to the outright disgusting with people asserting that the attack is a false flag designed to insight UN martial law (I'm not joking). These speculations and assertions do a tremendous amount of disrespect to the memory of those who fell in the rampage.

To those who speak up about this proving that people should more widely be allowed to carry guns I can only point out that this happened in a foreign country and that their laws are their own. I also want to point out that such arguments come at the expense of those whose memories are now placed in the uneasy light of what has happened. To those who assert these outrageous conspiracy theories I can only hope that you never have to experience the pain and heartache of losing someone you love to the kind of violence that transpired in Oslo and Utoya.

What has also come from this tragedy is a deadly reminder that over the past few years, right-wing extremism has pushed its way into European politics. This has ranged from a German author asserting that Muslim Turks are "dumbing down the German population" to anti-immigrant parties gaining support in various political bodies. And we must not forget that several countries have declared a "failure of multi-culturalism." Ideas of cultural purity and national identity are not new to this period in history, but there is a raging undercurrent of xenophobia that is taking too strong a hold.

And this is not a European problem. No one can deny that here, in the United States, there has been a perpetual problem with the extremes of both sides of the political spectrum. Domestic terror does not simply appear when there is an attack- it festers in the minds and hearts of the hateful. When public discourse continues on and allows the levels of wide-spread vitriol to rise we expose ourselves, constantly, to the kind of threats these people pose.

There is something more contemporaneous that bears mentioning. There are indications that the assailant was an ardent anti-islamic extremist. His hopes were to insight a grand revolution with Islam representing his central enemy. Islamaphobia, a particular xenophobic hate that has only gained momentum since 9/11 and recent waves of immigration in the EU, is not only a disturbing but dangerous. There must be no mistake, anti-Islamic sentiments represent racism and erroneous thinking at its worst, and it has revealed itself to have horrendous consequences.

Islamaphobia has been one of the most terrifying aspects of modern political discourse in my eyes. And to see someone, so convinced by this hatred take to armed force only solidifies my anxieties. Innocent youths were gunned down in cold blood because one man was allowed to fester his hatred. People going about their day were taken from this world simply because of their political positions. And while Norway was where these hatreds came to a head, the danger exists everywhere that these prejudices are allowed to grow.

In the wake of this tragedy, there is one thing I think I am obliged to do. It is not to strike out with hatred and support crackdowns, but to speak out against hatred everywhere. We, in the United States, are not immune to the troubles of extremism at home and we have an obligation, if we cherish peace and prosperity, not to strike out against enemies everywhere but to speak out and be aware of the troubles in our own homes. To the people in Norway, the most I can offer is my promise to do my part in cutting through the lies and hatreds that breed this kind of violence.