why Giuliani blows

I have a lot of problems with the Republican party.
I could write a dissertation on it.
But I wont.

I was watching the RNC - otherwise known as the Red Neck Convention - last night and though many things inspired a gag reflex, Rudy Giuliani's speech was particularly disgusting, again, for many reasons. But this stood out to me. At one point he actually said:

For four days in Denver, the Democrats were afraid to use the words “Islamic terrorism.”
I imagine they believe it is politically incorrect to say it. I think they believe it will insult someone. Please tell me, who are they insulting if they say “Islamic terrorism”? They are insulting terrorists.

Here is my problem with this, and I think it sums up why I think the Republican party's way of thinking, at least the Republican party in present history, is in no way in touch with or appropriate for the world we live in any longer.

This man governed a state. A huge state with lots of people. At any given point in his day he had more power than anyone in that state to do things that could profoundly affect the lives of all those people. And at the same time with this statement we get a glimpse into how his mind, and sadly the mind of many of the people running our country, works. And it's a scary vision.

The fact that he is appalled (or feigning that he is appalled) by what he perceives to be a deliberate attempt by political figures to stop using the term "Islamic terrorism" and doesn't get what could be offensive by that statement blows my mind.

What is offensive about that statement is that when it comes out of the mouth of the leaders of our country we are sending the message to our country and the rest of the world that Islam and terrorism are synonymous in our eyes. And who it is offending is not the terrorists. It is offending the hundreds of thousands of Muslims who are American citizens and the millions of Muslims who are in the world and are NOT terrorists. Giuliani doesn't make this distinction because he does not believe there is a distinction.

Just like when Bush kept using the term "ideology of hate." The word "ideology" connotates religion and so what he is saying is "Religion of hate, Islam is a religion of hate. These people believe in, worship, and pray to hate. They aren't like us. They are different. They are not to be given the same human consideration as us. Don't be too upset if a million of them get blown up, they were hateful people anyways."

Are we okay with that? Are we giving them permission to define for the rest of us what any religion or ideology or group of people are all about? Would we be okay with it if he referred to inner city culture as a "culture of violence"? Wouldn't we all jump on that and say that he is a racist and implying that all African Americans are innately violent?

And so what's so wrong with offending the entire Muslim world? The complete lack of cultural competence on the part of our political leaders, sadly, is what has landed us in the position in the world that we now have = Mistrusted. And when the world mistrusts you, well we only have to look at the last 8 years of American history to see what kind of crap that lands you in.

And why should anyone care? The rest of the American public may think, well ya that sucks to imply that all Muslims are terrorists, but I don't know any Muslims so whatever. Sucks for them! But the reality is that when the leaders of your country are closed minded enough to believe that it is acceptable to talk this way about any one group then guess what? You're next. It's not about Muslims, or Arabs, or those short brown people from the desert. It's about ANYONE that is not THEM.

As a psychologist in the year 2008 and you are EXPECTED at this point to have what we call "cultural competency." That means a basic understanding about people's differences and how those differences translate into the way they see the world, the way the world sees them, what meanings they make out of the things in their lives, how they experience things, and how the way you interact with them can impact both you and them especially in a field that is coming from a Western white male dominated perspective. You are EXPECTED to have a general working knowledge of these issues as a PSYCHOLOGIST. We are "just" psychologists people and this expected of us! These people are running the government and no one ever along the way told them YOU HAVE TO RESPECT AND VALUE CULTURE.

Giuliani's implication that the Democrats are purposely staying away from the term "Islamic terrorists" and then spinning that into some sort of attack on their ability to be good leaders baffles me. If this is even something they did consciously, then FINA-FUCKING-LY! I want leaders who understand that for most of the country one of the most tangible impacts you have as government on the lives of people on a day to day basis are your WORDS.

For whatever reason, and I am not a politcal science major so I don't know the history of it, the Republican party has become the dumping ground for the rigid, simple minded, racist, privileged, fearful, and audacious. Don't call yourself a Democrat if you don't want to, but when you vote on November 4th keep in mind that if you cast your vote for John McCain you are saying yes to the group of people who stood up and cheered when Rudy Giuliani said one of the most bigotted and racist statements of the entire campaign. "Hooray for Racism!"