Edward Stapleton
Recent Activity
Edward Stapleton commented on What do you believe? on January 17, 2008, 3:09 PM
Ms. Ali, you are among the great heroes of our time. Thank you for your courage, your perseverance, and the inspiration you give us all.
I believe Ayaan Hirsi Ali is one of the most brave and intelligent voices in the world today. I believe, however, that war should be the very last option in fighting fundamentalism More valuable than this video is a response Ali gave earlier this year to a question about how we can convince a zealous person to turn away from fundamentalism. Her scratched the surface of an even greater tool for fighting extremism: cognitive dissonance. One of the most urgent needs of our society is a factory of ideas--poignant and beautiful ideas that are irreconcilable with fundamentalism. It takes an ocean of such things to stir turmoil within the extremists mind....to chip away at those beliefs from within. We need such a battle in our own country as well as in the Muslim world. However, in nations where ideas are often met with violence, riots, and murder. how can we create this dissonance? How can America, a land where too many people believe the planet is 10,000 years old, grow to become an exporter of reason? … Read More
January 17, 2008 |
I am a 27-year-old Flight Paramedic with a degree in English Literature from Stony Brook University. I have aspirations of being a writer and teaching English to the bibliophobes that swarm around us.
Edward Stapleton commented on What do you believe? on January 17, 2008, 8:09 PM
Ms. Ali, you are among the great heroes of our time. Thank you for your courage, your perseverance, and the inspiration you give us all.