The True American

[Perknose]

An interesting and nuanced article about a Muslim immigrant and the guy who tried to kill him, and the surprising aftermath.

Well worth your time to read, imho.

 

[inf1nity]

It takes quite a big heart to forgive someone who shot you in the head.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Ten days after 9/11, self-professed “Texas loud, Texas proud” Mark Stroman walked into a Dallas mini-mart, pulled out a gun and asked the brown man working behind the counter where he was from.

Texas loves NYC - when it's tradegy can be used as an excuse to murder someone.

Also, even after the victim was dumped out of the hospital, he still found it in himself to forgive and work to prevent his attacker from being executed.

Which, I hope he frankly fails.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

"reveals the costs of a nation beholden to ruthless competition and relentless individualism"

I disagree. It reveals the cost of a nation beholden to sensationalization and relentless fear-mongering. Had we media that perpetuated a more humanistic sense of the world prior to 9/11 the probability of such behavior have been mitigated.

 

[momeNt]

Bhuiyan, Stroman. Extremes along the continuum of American identity, each an example with much to tell us about who we are. The one, an immigrant who, by dint of pluck and abilities, comes to embody some of the best of our nation’s values, as well as a trace of that unseemly, self-*promoting daemon so central to the American self. The other, born and raised in Texas, defined by the narrow creed of his love for motorcycles and guns and naked women, reveals the costs of a nation beholden to ruthless competition and relentless individualism, a society that winnows out the less capable, the more damaged, and where festering rage seeks a violent discharge. Which of these men is the “true American” of the title? That there is no simple answer to that question is Giridharadas’s finest accomplishment.

That last paragraph is extremely incendiary.

Competition and individualism have nothing to do with the hate in that persons heart and the inability to differentiate between Muslims and terrorists.

Individualism would have somebody not identify with a group, and not identify others by groups. That texan probably thinks like a big government conservative, far from an individual who prefers individual freedom over collective goals. Big wars and big spending require large amounts of collective resources, all of which are collected involuntarily.

Competition, I have no idea why that is put in there. Because liberal?

Maybe the author is using those terms because they have been co-opted by conservatives and their meanings have been abandoned? I dunno. I'm at a loss.

 

[bononos]

That last paragraph is extremely incendiary.

Competition and individualism have nothing to do with the hate in that persons heart and the inability to differentiate between Muslims and terrorists.

Individualism would have somebody not identify with a group, and not identify others by groups. That texan probably thinks like a big government conservative, far from an individual who prefers individual freedom over collective goals. Big wars and big spending require large amounts of collective resources, all of which are collected involuntarily.

Competition, I have no idea why that is put in there. Because liberal?

Maybe the author is using those terms because they have been co-opted by conservatives and their meanings have been abandoned? I dunno. I'm at a loss.

What I understood from it is that Americans love a winner and has no time for losers and both guys in the shooting probably believed in that creed. The down and out guy took out his frustration ('violent discharge') on the newcomer on route to the American dream. The immigrant who got shot then got dumped on his ass because he wasn't sufficiently insured and now lives as a damaged and less capable member of society.

 

[momeNt]

Texas loves NYC - when it's tradegy can be used as an excuse to murder someone.

Also, even after the victim was dumped out of the hospital, he still found it in himself to forgive and work to prevent his attacker from being executed.

Which, I hope he frankly fails.

He's already fucked in the head apparently. He pulled out his own eye and ate it.

At this point not sure if saving him is taking him off of death row or euthanasia.

 

[Madwand1]

Well worth your time to read, imho.

Thanks for bringing this up.

Here's a great article on the topic:

http://www.esquire.com/features/americans-2011/rais-bhuiyan-1211

There's a movie planned, and it might be interesting to see how the play on "True American" works in that, as a diversion.

But asking whether or not Stroman is a 'true American' or Bhuiyan is instead, is simply stoking the flames of national and racial identity and exclusivity, which is what got Stroman and his victims into that mess. Bhuiyan rightly sees himself as a living, present counter-example to that argument and wished that Stroman might have been given a greater chance to make one of himself as well.

 

[OverVolt]

That last paragraph is extremely incendiary.

Competition and individualism have nothing to do with the hate in that persons heart and the inability to differentiate between Muslims and terrorists.

Individualism would have somebody not identify with a group, and not identify others by groups. That texan probably thinks like a big government conservative, far from an individual who prefers individual freedom over collective goals. Big wars and big spending require large amounts of collective resources, all of which are collected involuntarily.

Competition, I have no idea why that is put in there. Because liberal?

Maybe the author is using those terms because they have been co-opted by conservatives and their meanings have been abandoned? I dunno. I'm at a loss.

To be fair if your mom told you that you were only born because she was $50 short for an abortion and you had the equivalent upbringing I doubt you'd necessarily be a beacon of sanguine opinions.

I'm surprised peopled missed the root cause... ignorance... its always ignorance, we're adults, its pretty surprising. The guy grew up a broke Texan, thats why he thinks the way he thinks and to some small degree did what he did (except the part where millions like him knew better than to kill someone, that falls solely on his shoulders)

 

[OverVolt]

He's already fucked in the head apparently. He pulled out his own eye and ate it.

At this point not sure if saving him is taking him off of death row or euthanasia.

I didn't think it was the same guy but an example of how bad deathrow is to be on?

Just as Bhuiyan finds in his faith a transformative and inspirational power, Stroman’s confrontation with inevitable death effects a similar change. Moved by Bhuiyan’s work on his behalf, tormented by his years on death row — days so lacking in human contact, a fellow prisoner went insane, pulled his own eye out and ate it

Reading comprehension blargh, a FELLOW prisoner.