Things are bad when ordinary people view terrorists as heroes

History is jam-packed with very evil people who committed unspeakable acts of inhumanity. Just in the past century alone, we’ve seen our share of monsters, including Hitler and his devotee, Dr. Josef Mengele, dubbed the “Angel of Death,” responsible for conducting heinous medical experiments on humans with no anesthesia. Then there was Idi Amin, nicknamed the “Butcher of Uganda,” who fed live people to crocodiles and stored decapitated heads in his freezer. Saddam Hussein can also take his place among these savages for terrorizing his people and employing mustard and nerve gas to subdue the Kurds.

But the one thing that can be said about all of these dictators/evil men or whatever preferred descriptive term used to define them is that they united all of humanity on one simple thing. No one was ever willing to defend them, align with them or hail them as virtuous, because their despicable deeds were so clear and unequivocal, only deserving of scorn.

Somehow, that awareness became a bit foggy, in the year 2023, just days after known atrocities had been filmed in live time, followed by witnesses who came forward to testify as to what they personally saw right before their eyes. The acts were so barbaric and so gruesome that no one would ever believe that any right-thinking person could justify or whitewash such shocking displays of inhumanity – even if they had been perpetrated on those whom they considered to be their enemies. 

Let’s face it. It is not in the nature of normal people to obfuscate evil by finding a way to make it an acceptable behavior. Nonetheless, we have seen an entire generation, many political leaders and even renowned people go to the dark side and make an excuse for terrorists, hailing them as heroes and classifying them as victims who are merely employing whatever means possible to obtain their freedom. 

But can anyone make the argument that the burning of babies or the kidnapping of the elderly, infirm or defenseless women advances the hope and aspiration of securing liberty and a better life? 

The real question to ask here is, “What kind of blindness or delusion has prevented otherwise sane people from understanding that the kind of terror which was employed on October 7th, has nothing to do with gaining freedom but everything to do with brutalizing the helpless, who when pitted before an army of strong, young, armed men fueled with hatred and barbaric tendencies, are unable to fight back or have any chance of survival?”

There really can be no other conclusion, short of delusion, because the very same young people, whom we see on the nightly news, protesting against Israel, wreaking havoc and vandalizing everything within reach, would likely not be able to stand silent, as many working photojournalists did, while watching a brutal massacre take place, witnessing torture, mutilations and all the rest. These same kids would shriek in horror, run for the nearest safe haven and spend the rest of their lives in therapy over the grisly images that would be forever seared in their brains.

Yet, those same individuals whose communities are many thousands of miles away from the site where more than 1,200 suffered the worst possible fate, are able to advocate for and champion the group who committed such atrocities, rebranding them as being worthy of admiration and completely justified in their ghoulish actions.

How did they sink to such a level of depravity after having lived their entire lives in a democratic, freedom-loving environment, with almost no restrictions when it comes to expressing one’s thoughts, feelings and beliefs?

There are a number of factors that have contributed to the deranged deception which has taken hold of their minds, and they are worth exploring, because, if for no other reason, they must be completely rejected and carefully avoided in future generations.

The first, and most obvious, is the lack of proper upbringing, because no parent, who has taken pains to instill morals, values and good character would ever produce a child who is unable to identify the profound evil inside the hearts of terrorists. So, it’s pretty safe to say that a great deal was lacking in the homelife of these young people who failed to receive the most basic teachings of ethics and standards.

One could also make the assumption that a spiritual connection was missing, one which should have offered wise counsel, good direction and the knowledge that, due to our fallen nature, we are in desperate need of redemption in order to be useful to ourselves and others. It is that critical awareness which keeps us humble, accountable and able to clearly discern right from wrong. They apparently missed that bit as well.

Another likely contributing factor might be having the courage to be true to your own perceptions and beliefs, which may differ from the herd, but for those who possess a healthy self-confidence, the need to follow the crowd is simply not a consideration. Peer pressure will not stand a chance in the face of real strength and resolve.

The ability to call out irrational, insane and inhuman behavior begins by learning how to identify it, and, sadly, a significant number of youth are apparently either unprepared for that, too afraid to buck their companions’ warped positions or have been easily influenced and controlled by those who are able to manipulate and exploit the uneducated, ignorant and pliable.

Either way, there must be a course correction to offset the immoral and reprobate thinking which has invaded the minds of anyone who believes that a massacre is worth their support and adoration, because if that kind of deviate evaluation is able to take root and become mainstream – something which is happening more and more, then society will cease to be a place where reason, logic and sanity rule. No one will be safe and everything will become subject to the norms placed by unprincipled mobs who will have taken over.

It is up to those of us, who have been taught the valuable things that matter in life, to loudly speak out and defend the ideals of mercy, compassion, godliness, kindness, thoughtfulness, tolerance, acceptance, patience, personal responsibility, accountability, self-control, goodness and morality, all without which, none of us has a chance to survive the ferocious storms of life.

Yes, the challenges are great, at this moment of time in our history, but with God’s help and His direction, we are able to win in the war of good vs. evil, because leading others to the light is not optional. It is the charge we have been given in a world which is growing a little darker each day.