Assn 7: Leighanne Guettler-James

November 20, 200

On this date George W. Bush, in an address to a joint session of congress and the American people, declared a "war on terrorism". In my opinion, this was bad. This created a major barrier between the U.S. and the Muslim countries because this "war on terrorism" was effectively a war on Muslim extremists. In the U.S. it created an anti-Islam culture that is increasingly real and prevalent. The biggest effect this had on a city was probably in New York because this happened directly after the attack of 9/11. People in the city were scared and shocked and creating this "war on terrorism" gave them something to fight against. During my few years here on Earth, I haven't directly witnessed much Muslim hatred but it has been heavily televised and has always been a topic I was aware of. For example, when I was younger, one of my favorite comedy skits to watch was "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" a Jeff Dunham skit about a Muslim suicide bomber. This goes to show the Anti-Muslim culture that even influenced me as a child. I do not appreciate Bush's actions on this day seeing as they created/justified this hateful culture in the U.S. and in the end have not been effective or helpful in any way. I would say loathe is a good word to describe my feelings for this event and what it caused.