Another blast has echoed through the Middle East, catapulting debris, belongings and people into the sky. On Jan. 29, what is believed to be an Iranian-backed drone struck an American base named Tower 22 in Jordan near the Syrian border. Tragically, three American soldiers were killed and over 40 injured. In typical American fashion, Biden launched strikes on 85 targets in Iraq and Syria that have reportedly wounded and killed an unknown number of people. While we mourn for the American families and friends who have lost loved ones, we should not have used this incident as an opportunity for American aggression and retaliation. Doing so does not avenge the dead or injured; it only enables and encourages violence in a region that is all far too familiar with death and destruction.
"We shall respond,” said President Joe Biden after the strike — and he did so in an unproductive and violent manner. I fear what this response will look like and how it will hurt people who have already been harmed by self-indulgent nations like the United States, which evidently considers the lives of its people to be more valuable than others across the world. The United States could have responded with grace and compassion. Instead of responding with bombing or inhumane economic sanctions, governments should send in non-governmental organizations or nonprofits into regions where extremism runs rampant. Give people of other nationalities the gift of order and sanctuary by meeting people’s basic needs for food, shelter and water before losing all sympathy and devastating the land surrounding their homes and livelihoods.
I do not feel pity for us as Americans. Yes, a drone attacked our military base, but we should not want to put our neighbors across the world through the same terrors. Despite my condemnation of their violence, I do feel empathy for the attackers. They have been reportedly outraged by the U.S. response to Israel’s genocide of Palestinian citizens. While their aggressive response is paradoxical to the peace I advocate for, they still deserve a world existing in nonviolence. I yearn for the day that Americans can lead the world by examples of peace and progress.
America has the opportunity to lead the free world by example, putting grace and peace above all else. We should be the first. Let us be the authentic leader of the free world and not a bullying older sibling. An inner reflection and a harmonic response are the only moral choices here. I am deeply disappointed at the Biden administration’s response to the Jordan base attacks. I wish instead we would have been courageous and responded peacefully by building up community and addressing extremism at the root. We should have been proactive rather than reactive.
We need to face reality. The United States has a deep history of violent aggression towards its opposers, whether they are states or not. This history can be traced to the ignorance of the American population. In general, American students have difficulty grasping U.S. history and civics, so they likely do not know about the deep-seated pattern of aggression in our history. As of May 2023, just 13% of eighth graders are proficient in history, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress. Of course, as school districts emphasize the histories of white people and politicians like former President Donald Trump declare schools curriculum a “web of lies,” we cannot expect the education of students to improve.
American citizens are complacent with our leaders responding in aggressive natures because as a collective, we are unaware of the history of both our home and the world. Without knowledge of history, American youth do not know why Mexican immigrants are treated as inferior in the United States, why there are such deep-rooted conflicts between Israel and Palestine or whether the Black Panthers were aggressive extremists or true defenders of freedom.
Our ignorance is a breeding ground for apathy, which we cultivate in our complacency. We must show our leaders that we will no longer stand idly beside them as they destroy hope and prosperity in another land. The drone strike on the American base in Jordan was an opportunity for us to show grace. If we respond in any other way, I fear the instability in the region will run rampant. I also worry for the innocent people whose lives will be affected by a violent response.
Malala Yousafzai, a 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and female education activist, was shot and nearly killed by a member of the Taliban in Pakistan’s Swat Valley in 2012. While addressing the United Nations in 2013, she emulated her inspirations Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Mother Teresa by imploring the world to look to peace, not violence. I, too, implore us all to be like her by drawing on her forgiveness and compassion.
“I do not even hate the Talib who shot me,” Yousafzai told the U.N. “Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him … be peaceful and love everyone.”
At Emory University, students have the opportunity to explore classes in history. We must commit these lessons from class to memory and utilize the lessons learned from our past. Let us apply the stories of our past into tangible action in our everyday lives. Let us act on the side of the little guy. Peace is the only way to come to equitable solutions in our everyday lives and the greater world. The base in Jordan can be the first step — let it happen.
Lola McGuire (26C) is from Nashville, Tenn.
