The Hefty Price of "Psychological Terrorism"

A story that has been gaining a lot of public attention lately is Vincent Forras' lawsuit against the developers of the Ground Zero Mosque. Forras, a firefighter who was injured while responding to the 9/11 attacks, claims that the possibility of a ground zero mosque has caused him "psychological terrorism." In order to compensate for his high levels of mental stress, Forras is suing the developers for $350 million. Yes, 350 million dollars. In response, the developers of the Ground Zero Mosque are counter suing Vincent Forras for $50,000. Imam Rauf has referred to Forras' lawsuit as "Blind Bigotry" and is working to dismiss his case against him and the rest of the developers.

Something doesn't seem right here. This guy responded to attacks on 9/11, a time when a nation had no idea what to expect and what was to come. He braved everything to help victims, and he was injured as a result. I respect his willingness to help in such troubled and fearful times. Why didn't he sue for the physical and psychological terrorism he sustained during his response to these attacks? I understand that people can be traumatized psychologically, and Forras' suing of the mosque developers is such an insult to everyone else affected by 9/11 and to those who really want to strengthen our relationship with Muslims and Muslim Americans. Whether or not people agree with the development of the mosque is not the issue, claiming that the proposal of this center as "psychological terrorism" and suing for this much money is unjustified. True "psychological terrorism" cannot be cured with a multi-million dollar paycheck.

I googled "Vincent Forras," and the first listing was http://www.vincentforras.com. When I visited the site, I was directed to a site that was under maintenance and was supposed to be done on September 17 of this year. The site was sure to list a number that people could call for "media and bookings information," and was sure to state that the purpose of the new site was for the Vincent Forras Legal Defense Fund. It sounds like Mr. Forras is trying to raise money for his legal fees and for support for his case while gaining media attention at the same time.

I suspected that Mr. Forras had a Facebook page since he seems to be asking for attention on his website. I found his page, and, on there, I learned some interesting things about Vincent. One thing I learned is that he is running for Senator of Connecticut. I'm sure that $350 million would come in handy here. The following is a status update he wrote:

 

Vincent Forras If I am considered a "blind bigot" by the Imam promoting the Ground Zero Mosque does that make me a "FAIR" bigot? Since JUSTICE is BLIND, then this guy is giving me a "left-handed" compliment? We the people will NOT be intimidated by name calling and resorting to petty personal attacks. Let discovery begin and lets follow the money!!!!

If that doesn't explain what Mr. Forras is after, I don't know what does. Blatantly saying "let's follow the money" doesn't seem to  help his case. Plus, this lawsuit is all about his "psychological terrorism." Why does he feel the need to involve the people? I'm sure it's because this is all a part of his political platform. 

Vincent also started the "Gear Up Foundation." Here is the banner on his website:

Notice how Vinny doesn't say where this money is going. When, I clicked the "Donate" box, I was directed to a PayPal account. It just seems like another way Vinny is trying to get money for his campaign. I can't see how people would want to donate without knowing where this money is going.

Vinny's story goes back to what I have said about  Andy Sullivan's story. Yes, they are working class individuals. I respect those who work hard to make a living, but Andy and Vinny seem to be out for their own interest and they exploit patriotism for their own personal gain. Isn't this "psychological terrorism" in itself? These people are exploiting one's love for this country to make money, and they're also defaming a religion and a cultural center as a result. If these people who donate to and support these campaigns find out that their money is for personal gain and not for the good of the country, aren't they "psychologically terrorized?".  It's funny that some see race and religion as a such a barricade between people, but psychological terrorism has no boundaries.

911 Hard Hat Pledge creator Andy Sullivan

$100,000,000 worth of Ground Zero mosque work could possibly be refused by members of the Hard Hat Pledge. With the economy in the shape that it is, do you think that the Hard Hat Pledge is a viable stand for working class people?

The Mosque Debate: The Numbers that Incite the Ignorance We See

I found a blog post online by Kay  Steiger called Young People Support Construction of 'Ground Zero' Mosque, and the article analyzed some studies conducted by Pew Research. As the title states, one study found that 62% of people ages 18-29 support the construction of the Ground Zero mosque. Sixty-three percent of those over age 65, however, oppose the construction of the Ground Zero mosque. Steiger also said,

"The poll reports that groups least supportive of the construction of the facility are Republicans, the older demographic, and the less educated."

I'm not surprised one bit that these groups are the least supportive of a Ground Zero mosque, but I wonder what factors influence the way they feel the most. Most devout Christians tend to vote with the Republican party, as the party has a dominant pro-life view on abortion. Some Christians also tend to to think that every other religion out there is full of falsities about God. I remember going to church functions with some of my friends as a teenager, and I was always told how their religion is the only religion that has it right. Why would they support something that goes against what they've always been told?  They've never gone beyond what's familiar to them to even try to learn.

The older demographic I'm sure remembers the Civil Rights Movement, and maybe even Jewish anti-semitism. While we have made great strides in combating these problems, some people never shed their racist ways of thinking. These problems exist today, and racist ways of thinking can always be shifted to other groups of people. Is Islamophobia the new form of racism? Even though Victor Ghalib Begg's Article, The Only Acceptable Racism Today: Islamophobia, is nearly three years old, Begg does a great job at describing Islamophobia and drawing similarities from past forms of racism. His article is especially relevant in light of the mosque debate. He states,

"Islamophobes are similar to anti-Semites and racists – their resentment is deliberate, designed to create fear, capitalizing on ‘ignorance of the other’."

The keyword here is ignorance. As people tend to fear what they do not know, they fear a religion based on what they saw on September 11. Little do they know that this religion itself was not behind these attacks, but extremist views were. Those who spread Islamophobia, I think, are fearful themselves, and they, too, are undereducated. If they took the time to learn about this religion or interact with Muslim Americans, they would realize that Islam is a peaceful religion at its core, and that Muslim Americans are indeed Americans. They like the same things we like, they go to the same places we go, and they feel the same things we feel. Were they too affected by the events on September 11? Absolutely. I understand how not being educated leads to a racist way of thinking, but it is no excuse anymore.

Take my 18 year old cousin, for instance. Even though she's in college now, she has a friend from high school who is a Muslim American. When I asked her if her friend's religion affected their friendship at all, she replied,

"Did these factors ever cross my mind when we were friends? Not at all. The fact was that we got along, and that was enough for me."

My cousin has it right. If we never look past the things we don't fully understand, how can we ever learn and grow as people? Isn't getting along with somebody enough for friendship when it comes down to it? It doesn't matter what we don't know initially; it's the common ground we establish based on similar interests. It's something so simple, but it's amazing how "simple" can become so cloudy with racist sentiments and ignorance.