A Friendly Discourse Over Margaritas at Happy Hour Will Not Placate ISIS
I recently went to dinner with a friend of mine who is a very well-educated and well-respected professional in her field. The conversation turned to me, my homeland security master’s progression and the courses I’ve been taking. Inevitably, the subject of ISIS came up and she stated, in all seriousness, “I mean, Obama just needs to sit down with the leaders of ISIS over a few margs and happy hour this thing out.”
Not even touching on who she thinks the leaders of ISIS are, or what is included in “this thing,” the conversation got me thinking about the way in which we as Americans approach or try to understand global issues or, rather, our failure to do so.
I don’t entirely blame us as individuals and I don’t believe we lack the intellectual capacity to have an understanding of the world around us. Rather, it’s a combination of 1) the mass media’s sensationalism of the overwhelming ill-considered or, more specifically, foolish comments that run rampant on the internet, social media, in the workplace and anywhere else in our daily lives, and 2) the frenzied lives each of us leads which leaves many with almost no mental bandwidth for independent research to understand these issues at the end of the day.
This combination is deadly and our conscious failure to have a minimum understanding of the current state of global, or even domestic, affairs is a threat to our security as a nation. Look, if you’re just trying to get a laugh by claiming that President Obama needs to just sit down with “ISIS” over “margs” and all of “this” will be resolved, have at it. I’ll most likely genuinely giggle. But if, when questioned, that same person has no semblance of an understanding as to why ISIS exists or the basis of its claims against the West, and vice versa, then that person is doing a disservice to his or her own capabilities and to our country as a whole. The information is out there.
But, understandably, there is a sense of public mistrust in the credibility of the available information and fear is easier to spread. I will admit, I fall victim to fear too, and I have to deal with my own biases as a result of my emotions, values, morals and beliefs. I have to consciously take myself out of those narratives when I approach issues.
But, we have a duty as American citizens to research, to learn, to form independent and substantiated thoughts and opinions, to question and to disagree. It’s not acceptable to remain intentionally ill-informed. We all lead frenzied and busy lives, but we have to make some effort, however small. Our country was founded on the desire to create something better, and it is our duty as citizens to follow suit. Listen. Absorb. Read. Question. Don’t just rely on the opinions or statements of others. Do independent research to confirm, repudiate or modify what you hear to form your own opinions. We will be stronger and more secure as a country as a result.
The author is an attorney working in a major metropolitan American city who focuses on public safety-related law. The author is part of The White Hat Syndicate, a Medium account launched on October 26 that publishes thought-provoking articles about cutting-edge homeland security topics. The six authors come from a diverse array of professional and personal backgrounds: legal, fire, environmental health, federal transportation security, and law enforcement.
The Syndicate invites you to engage us in conversation, either here on Medium or via Twitter. We look forward to the discussion.
Opinions expressed in this essay are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official policy of their employer, professional associations, the United States Naval Postgraduate School, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.
