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I have been writing professionally for more than 50 years.
I have written pieces on everything from cartoon characters to business topics in which I have some expertise – like software, procurement, operations, turn-arounds and profitability. I have written some fun pieces describing my experiences with my favorite pastime – fishing – and my favorite place on earth – in the far north of Canada. .
I have also written some heavier pieces. Pieces about race relations, our need to be compassionate and empathetic toward others, celebrating our differences, supporting education for our children, caring for others – you know, about being a Christian, Jew or Muslim in more ways than just talk.
A lot of my stuff has been published. In fact over 150 trade journals, periodicals, newspapers and other outlets have published my pieces. I do not say this to brag but to prepare you for what I am going to say next.
Not too long ago I wrote a column about Muslims. I spent a lot of time researching the data that I presented, as it is important for me to be accurate. In fact I looked at the data available from the FBI on mass killings in the United States. These mass killings were considered to be murders where there are 4 or more victims.
The information had also been reported by USA Today in its article, “Behind the Bloodshed”. The data covers 312 mass killings in the United States that were committed during a 10 year period.
I examined each of the 312 mass killings in the United States to ascertain how many were committed by radical Muslims and Muslim terrorists. I only counted the people killed and not the numbers of people injured.
I broke the terrorist acts into two categories – those committed by Muslims and those committed by non-Muslims including Christians. The results stand in sharp contrast to what some would have us believe.
Only 6 of the 312 terrorist acts in the United States were committed by Muslims. In blunt contrast, 306 of the 312 terrorist acts were committed by Christians and other non-Muslims.
As a result of these 312 terrorist acts, 90 people were killed by Muslims… while 16 times that amount – or 1,482 people – were killed by Christians and other non-Muslims.
I thought that the results spoke for themselves. I was wrong.
In fact I hit a nerve. My email account showed it.
I was called a Muslim lover.
I guess that’s true, because I love my out-of-town cardiologist (who saved my life), and a variety of other Muslim doctors who have kept me healthy over the years. I love those Muslim people in my life who brighten the days and who I trust with everything from my shopping experience to the professional services that I require. I love the Muslim people who have taught my children and who now teach my grandchildren. And I love my friends who are Muslim.
I do admit that I would not particularly love anyone of any faith who would purposely put the lives of others in danger, like those who committed the 312 atrocities on which I reported.
I was told my facts and figures had to be wrong.
After all, my hate mail writers heard differently from a series of radio and television personalities who told them that the Muslims should all be locked up and sent back to Mexico or wherever they came from in the first place.
Well that would be hard to do, because a lot of Muslims call America their home and were born on our shores. So, I guess they are already at home – the place from where they came.
I received veiled threats, incongruent arguments and assurance that I would be changing my story once I had a run in with a terrorist. I guess in the supermarket.
To be honest, if I had to be hiding out in a supermarket, I’d rather be there with people I can trust regardless of their faith rather than with someone who is an alarmist and who does not want to deal with facts and reality.
It seems to me that we should turn our attention to the perpetrators. We should not blame a whole group of people who have a similar religion or nationality or color or sex or who wear glasses or not.
Throughout history there have always been anarchists, nationalists, those who hate government, those who want to belittle and do harm to minorities and those who want to take freedom away from those who have it.
Most of us are better than that. And to those who sent me hate mail, I can only say that I will keep you in my prayers.
Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, former Shippensburg University Trustee, awarded numerous patents, as well as Founder and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. eLynxx provides cloud-software for automated sourcing and managing of mail marketing, swag, packaging, and all things print. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com.
