American Apologies |
A site dedicated to apologizing for all of the embarrassments, failures, and injustices done by the United States, as well as the Americans who have betrayed the ideals of one of the greatest countries in the world. Send questions or comments here or there. Full List | Twitter | Facebook | Contact | RSS |
How exactly does one go from teenage American to Taliban fighter in Afghanistan? When John Walker Lindh was found in Afghanistan during the 2001 invasion, the U.S. citizen was captured during a violent Taliban prison uprising where American CIA officer Johnny “Mike” Spann was killed. The skinny and disheveled Lindh that appeared all over the media as a traitor didn’t resemble the fresh-faced American boy you’d expect him to be. Instead, he looked like a young George Harrison who hadn’t bathed in weeks. Lindh had a pretty normal California life, other than the fact that he had an intestinal disorder and his parents were separated because his father was gay. As a teen, Lindh took to the internet with his love for hip hop and after seeing the film Malcolm X, he became infatuated with Islam. Unfortunately, he took that “revolutionary” phase every white kid goes through a little too seriously, and decided to head to the Middle East to fight for the Taliban. Way to get back at your parents John! Sure, Lindh is a traitor and deserves his 20 year prison sentence, but the lesson to be learned here is that extremism isn’t tied to any specific people, but simply the individuals responsible.
