... and though the news was rather sad,

Someone joking the other day, told me I looked like a Terrorist. With a white twin sheet wrapped around my cabasa, they were right. But this of course got me thinking, what is a Terrorist? Wikipedia defines terrorism as; the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. 

So how can someone “look like a terrorist?”

It appears nationalism has once again morphed into the wonderfully naive & ignorant form of stereotyping. For the only Terrorists I can think of live in caves, dawning robes and turbans, shouting Arabic threats into a camera while violently rattling an AK.

This charming image is the enemy of my generation. The group of people that hate me for having freedom. This generic portrait of any Middle Eastern resident. Are they all Terrorist? Is every Muslim planning my individual demise? I believe they have the right to hate me with every cell in their body, because for the absolute most part, they don’t directly affect my daily life…

Yet indirectly we are fighting a war, spending billions of dollars and suffering increasing casualties. Many coming back from conflict are suffering extreme mental anguish. Our side is driven by Economy and “Freedom.” Their side is driven my Religion and “Freedom.” As in every conflict, both side see themselves as justified. But both side use “terror” as means of coercion. An IED place on a road does just as much terror as a stray Incendiary Bomb? I am not justified to make a conclusion. 

At the end of the day the “Terror” level is determinate by the recipient. And the recipient is ALWAYS bias when it comes to  ”Terror”….

FRONTLINE: behind taliban lines: watch the full program online | PBS