The Serpent and his MePhone - weekly column, 16 January 2022

 

Lawrence Hall, HSG

Mhall46184@aol.com

 

The Serpent and his MePhone

 

“Truth? What is that?”

-Pontius Pilate

 

The tactical response to the hostage situation in Colleyville, Texas last week was brave and brilliant.  All other questions remain open.

 

The terrorist’s family assures us that the terrorist was not a terrorist, that he instead suffered mental issues [British synagogue terrorist's family apologise to hostages and reveal they spoke with him during siege (telegraph.co.uk)]. If this is so:

 

1. How did a man purportedly suffering mental issues acquire a passport?

2. Who funded his international and local travel?

3. How did a British subject acquire a firearm in this country?

4. If the man carried explosives (as of this writing this has not been confirmed),  how and where did he acquire them?

5. Why did he identify and target a small synagogue in Texas?

 

These are all complex skills requiring a purpose and a plan in following sequenced steps. Someone with diminished capacity could not carry them out.

 

According to CBS [FBI Dallas Identifies Colleyville Synagogue Hostage Taker As Malik Faisal Akram – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth (cbslocal.com)], “FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno…said the hostage-taker was specifically focused on an issue not directly connected to the Jewish community…”

 

If this is accurate, why did the man target a synagogue instead of a cinema or a coffee shop or a church? Does the F.B.I. expect us to believe that a terrorist attacking Jews at prayer in a synagogue wasn’t really meaning to attack Jews at prayer in a synagogue?

 

One thing we can know, even if it is only by inference, is that somebody taught poor Mr. Akram to hate. He was unable to still the echoing voices in his head even for an hour and listen to Rabbi Cytron-Walker, by all accounts a reconciler honored by all who know him.

 

Unfortunately, hate is a valuable commodity among us now, attracting advertising revenue by appealing to the evil that, like the serpent in Eden, still slithers in us. To consider the reader responses on popular news sites on the InterGossip is to realize that the psychology of the lynch mob and the witch-burners is perhaps stronger among us than ever. The responses to a news report of some alleged crime are frequently demands for the immediate death, usually by grotesque tortures, of someone unknown to the reader.

 

There is no evidence beyond the tiny images on the MePhone, but they are enough for anger and indignation and profitable advertising points. It is an essential of what is known as the cancel culture.

 

And if telescreened gossip results in anger and indignation and even violence turned against you or me, well, the advertisers will like that just fine.

 

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