I'll answer my own question, at least partially. They hate us that much because they have been taught to feel that way. They have been shown things which are bad and told "Americans did that." They have just as many illusions about what our country is like as we do about theirs. Perhaps more. But we don't hate them. At least we didn't before Tuesday, and hopefully we can get back to not hating them as quickly as possible. We should make an effort to discover what it is that they focus on, as justification for hating us, but even if we discover all the reasons we may not change our ways at all. Not out of a stubborn refusal to compromise, but out of a fundamental disagreement about the nature of morality. We believe in certain things because of rational arguments which support them. We believe in other things because of irrational fears and prejudices. Some of us believe in other things because they have been drilled into our heads so much that we have no choice. Nonetheless, we can distinguish between these things. We can strive to believe in more rational things and fewer irrational ones. I think a person should have the right to believe in a religion or not, based on their own judgement. I believe that a person should have the right to wear the clothing they feel is appropriate, but only if it is within the bounds of decency of the area they are in or the event they are attending. You could call this a meta-moral code, since it makes no prescription of particular standards, yet it sets out a rational basis for determining which ethical standards are acceptable.


A killer who claims that his morality demands slaughter is still a killer, and should still be dealt with as one.