I'm the webmaster of Dallas alt.country station KHYI, and our message board (like others around the country) has been busy with messages about the unspeakable tragedies in New York and Washington. But a darker element has emerged. Here is the text of a note I sent to the KHYI-fans discussion list, a fan list not affiliated with the station.
To: khyi-fans@yahoogroups.com
From: Robert Brooks <robertb@dixie-chicks.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 11:13:45 -0500
Subject: [khyi] Almost too much to bear
When it comes down to it, I can bear the thought that 5,000 Americans (and several friends from other countries) have died. We are a strong and proud nation; we will overcome this great loss.
What I can not bear is the evil within us that is being revealed by these horrible acts. I did not expect to be having to moderate messages like this on the KHYI.com message board:
You people make me sick, go ahead and ban me, big deal! Who's side will you be on when the finale battle goes down, and who's gonna cause this battle? This is not Christianity verses islam? What world are you living in deep thinkers, muslims will say one thing in public but let them get together on Fridays and see what they say to each other about this country. MUSLIMS GO HOME!!!
We will see you at Armageddon. And go ahead and criticize me for spelling who cares, at least I didn't kill 5000 or more Americans.
Last night, when I started moving messages of hate out of the board, I was angry. Now, I don't know how to feel. The tolerance of others embodied in our Constitution and Bill of Rights is being destroyed -- not by outside invaders, but by the hate within ourselves.
How many times did Hitler's propagandists say things like "those Jews will say one thing in public but let them get together on Saturdays..."? How many of us rushed to blame Arabs for the Murrah Building bombing, when it was a white American and supposed Christian who drove that Ryder van?
And it's not just this one misguided poster on the board. On the bus to work, people talk about getting rid of "Them" -- always the faceless "Them", not the 5-year-old third-generation American boy of Arabic decent who doesn't know why there are burn marks on the wall of his school. It's ok to hate "Them"... it's ok to kill "Them"... "Them" are not human, "Them" are animals that should all be hunted down and destroyed.
That's what I hear, and it sickens me.
I can bear the loss of 5,000 Americans. But the loss of everything this country stands for... that, I can not bear.
--
Robert Brooks / robertb@dixie-chicks.com
http://www.dixie-chicks.com/ -- the complete unauthorized history
Nashville's days are numbered: listen to http://www.khyi.com/
"I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness,
but you are already doing that..." - 2 Cor 11:1
Just a little page thrown together by Robert Brooks, robertb@dixie-chicks.com.
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Last Update: 09/14/2001