So, first there was Aurora. A small mountain town in the middle of Colorado. 12 people dead. The killer apprehended and under trial. A Phd student in Neuroscience who secured a National Institutes of Health grant-- a very prestigious opportunity. A lonely man, distraught about being alone in an isolating environment, heralded by the media as a " poor boy who lost his way". There is much more to this story than simply a boy who lost his way back to sanity and reality. The truth of the matter is that we track all Arab-Americans and South Asians in this country due to a xenophobic fear, but we cease to regulate those who seem harmless: i.e. white males. Our inability to seek them out as a threat, married with their penchant for feeling privilege and ownership over public spaces causes an epidemic of sad white male trigger-happy enemies. In Aurora, his personal become most political. The theatrics of his modes operandi only further isolated this incident. People began to think: well, the movie theater may not be safe, but my public gardens and squares, my religious temples, my home-- those are. Then came Oak Creek.
In Oak Creek, Wisconsin, on a blazing summer afternoon, 7 Sikhs were shot and killed by a US veteran soldier who mistook them for Al Quaeda type Arabs. Sikh Americans have been part of the fabric of this country since its birth--they tilled the earth of the south and married with Mexican Americans due to their abilities to pass. They were the first South Asians on the continent. The Sikh faith is very peaceful and built upon peace and oneness with God. They express that through songs called kirtan and on their Sunday service, like every day at a Sikh gurdwara, one is fed, cared for, and prayed alongside. These older Sikh Americans were the leaders of this gurdwara. Even in their last moments, they were committed to serving their fellow men. When the police finally came on the scene, Sikhs made cha (herbed and spiced tea) for them to ease the stress of the situation. These misunderstandings have become second nature for these Sikh Americans. Many stopped wearing their traditional sardar pagh (turban) for fear, convenience, and just simply trying to keep a low-profile in a post-9/11 America.
After Oak Creek, the fallout was imminent. Muslim Americans' masjids (mosques or houses of worship) were ransacked, graffitied or set on fire. Sikh-Americans were yet again made to defend themselves. The South Asian community all across the US had to band together for fear of what would and could happen next. We are still conducting action, but going into this eleventh year post-9/11, it'd be nice to not be going it alone. Yes, the Japanese Americans show solidarity, but for once I'd love seeing Chinese Americans rallying with us to end these hate crimes and prejudice. I'd love seeing all parts of the Asian American experience support us South Asians because sometimes we really feel like the "forever alone" meme--not American yet not accepted entirely amongst the Asian American political framework either.
This shooting stayed pretty quiet in the press, and I have a few theories as to why. Our dear Paul Ryan, economist guru, is actually the representative of the Oak Creek district. And he also is the sole person to receive a 0% rating by the Human Rights Watch for his positions on nearly all LGBT issues (he is of the ridiculous opinion that gay couples not only cannot marry, but also cannot parent children. He wants any children currently adopted with gay parents to be reintroduced to the foster care system.) He also, for whatever reason, voted NO on the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. And remind me, WHAT happened in his district? 7 people. Dead. He's keeping that as quiet as possible so that he can woo America on his economy-saving scheme. Smart plan because if word got out, it's absolutely over for Romney/Ryan. No matter how broke we Americans are, we kind of prefer to get married, have children, retain our civil liberties, and not be murdered on our way to visit God on Sunday.
Then, yesterday, the unthinkable happened. Chaos, confusion, and utter massacre at the Empire State Building in New York City. 2 people shot by a disgruntled employee who just decided that it is permissible to shoot people with a pistol. 9 people shot in collateral damage by police trying to get a handle on this situation. I haven't read much about this one yet, but rest assured I will be more than able to as this is getting astronomical coverage. This brings up the question of gun control: for or against? I say no assault weapons, but pistols and hand guns are alright after a very thorough vetting of the buyer by the government. If the person does not have good reason to need a weapon, they should not be given the privilege of one. It should be like the scary Customs officers at the airport who can take your foreign fruit away (goodbye, custard apples! You were yummy on the plane and will be missed) if you do not declare it. Those Customs people scare me to death with their questions and distrustful gaze. Gun-owners should undergo such careful scrutiny as well.
As for candidates positions, I'm sure the republican ticket neeeeeeeds the National Rifle Association, and thus needs to be lenient. However, the most surprising name to be lax on gun control is Mr. Barack Hussein Obama himself. He has the most chill gun control laws that enabled all three suspects and serial killers to get a hold of these weapons. And that one fact could have killed him except for the current debate regarding abortion and the women's right to choose legislation. Todd Akin's stupidity may have saved Obama/Biden for the interim but are we simply going to wait to act because there's an election going on? Is it going to take another Aurora, Columbine, or Oak Creek to shake up and wake up our politicians to serve their COUNTRY rather than themselves? I understand that moderates call all the shots, and they like their 2nd amendment, but sitting idle doesn't win you votes. Do SOMETHING! Otherwise your mutual enemies, that dislike all of us, and this American institution we call democracy and civil society will wreck havoc and it will be too late.
Xoxo,
Maithreyi
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