I keep meaning to post this, but somehow I always forget. A letter to The Christian Science Monitor on 9/27 contained another point of view on President Bush’s use of the term “Crusade” in his first anti-terrorism speech post 9/11.
It read as follows: “You report that President Bush’s use of the word “crusade” may anger moderate Muslims. It is appropriate for Americans to consider the nuances of our language; but other cultures should try to understand our phrases too. The American use of this word is less derived from medieval crusades pitting European Christians against Arabic Muslims, than from our own reformers who led crusades against corruption in local politics. The president did not intend to offend Muslims, but to energize Americans.” Lawrence Winans, Minneapolis, MN That point of view honestly hadn’t occurred to me, but it’s a valid one. Better late than never, I guess. Jon
