Daily Times

In 1846 Sir Austen Henry Layard
was digging around the ruins of ancient Nimrud (known as Calah) when he discovered a black limestone obelisk. This amazing discovery is known today as the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III. It is an archeological treasure. The hand-carved relief panels are accompanied by cuneiform inscriptions, which give homage to the Assyrian king, his war campaigns and the tribute paid by conquered kings. One inscription reads: “The tribute of Jehu, son of Omri: I received from him silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king (and) spears.”

Shalmaneser III ruled Assyria around 850 BC. With the average ego of a conquering king, he left a record etched in stone for future generations to read. The ancient civilisations functioned with simple to moderately complex geopolitical structures, which recognised that the decline of one power allowed for the rise of the other. Power vacuums also allowed for nations to begin to enforce their will upon weaker political entities. Shifting alliances and recognition of proximate enemies were the order of the day.

In the 21st century, a drastic change in security considerations became apparent after 9/11. The doctrine of proximate enemies and guarding one’s back and flank beyond national borders was no longer sufficient. The challenges of an asymmetrical battle space required a reconfiguration of the domestic security apparatus. President George W Bush determined that whilst the Black Obelisk of his administration would contain a few dark panels depicting a terror attack of unprecedented proportions, all remaining panels would be free of a mention of terror. He had remarkable success.

So what is pictured on the Black Obelisk of President Obama? Thus far we have the Fort Hood tragedy. It was preventable. Lives were lost due to political correctness and an inability to connect the dots. One panel will show the Christmas Day bomber. Another will depict the Time Square bomber. Both of these attempts were thwarted by citizens.

Yesterday, Americans had to stomach some very bad news. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was interviewed by the FBI in 2011 at the behest of another nation who had a concern about his activities. The FBI deemed him safe. He walked out of the net.

Here is the Swofford Doctrine. Watch lists are for port of entries. Foreign nationals who escape the net at a port of entry and later present as uneasy and even potential threat should not be ‘watched’. They should be deported. Better we hurt a few feelings than to suck up body parts and blood in a giant wet-vac.

Move to the current relief panels on President Obama’s obelisk. The Boston Marathon bombing attack is worthy of several distinct panels. Perhaps the first panel should show the image of a runner. It is the man who lost his eight-year-old son. It is the same man who now has a wife with a traumatic brain injury and a young daughter with an amputation. The second panel should show the image of a man with a dismembered lower leg. You get the idea. And what of a modern cuneiform inscription? What words can adequately describe the images coming out of this attack? My search for words cannot match the emotional depth of my pain. I stand before you today in a place of mourning. Stripped for all to see. Barren of words. Destitute of the most simple of thoughts.

We welcomed death to America. This death came at the hands of Muslim immigrants. Fool me once…you know the remainder of the adage.

Complex truths can present as deception for those lacking discernment. But simple truths can be the hardest ones to digest. The example of a simple truth is the one from a well known parable of fools and their folly. In The Emperor’s New Clothes a child blurts out, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!” The mighty potentate was strutting around completely naked.

Here is a simple truth. We welcome death to our shores when we allow immigrants from cultures that promote hatred against us. We take a high risk gamble when we open the door to immigrants from cultures that feed on anti-west hatred. Perhaps we need a moratorium. Take a generation to clean up your dysfunction. Then we just might consider allowing you to be a part of this ongoing and great experiment known as America.

Here is a second simple truth. Many Muslims have made vibrant contributions to our nation. Your talent and intellect are needed to make us complete. The fact that you choose migration shows an ability to take risk. We need more risk-takers.

But here is a third simple truth. How do we know which of you hate us? The terrorists who have attacked us lived among us and shared our lives. The concept of serenity that accompanies jihad can be hard to detect. Did Tamerlan Tsarnaev appear serene to the FBI? Go figure.

This morning, with one suspect dead and one on the run, I was seated in my vehicle in front of a Starbucks. A Muslim man and his hijab-clad wife walked by with coffee in hand. I felt such a strong urge to roll the window down and yell “Muslim terrorists!” But then I realised that perhaps I had a temporary case of Tourette’s syndrome because of sleep deprivation. I calmed the bark in my throat and asked for God’s forgiveness. This is not the normal Tammy.

But there can be no forgiveness, no mercy, for those who killed, maimed and dismembered so many at the Boston Marathon. Reflect on the words of Ruslan Tsarni, the uncle of the Tsarnaev brothers.

“I love this country, which gives chance to everybody else to be treated as a human being.”

Living in America is a privilege. This gift of citizenship is freely given. But then it must be earned. It is earned by assimilation into a society that embraces basic tenets of human freedom.

The writer is a freelance journalist and author of the novel Arsenal. She can be reached at tammyswof@msn.com