For whatever reason, this article has a quotation that really struck me, more so than anything else in a long time:

We Americans, whether Muslim or Christian, whether Jew or Hindu, whether of faith or no faith, were all attacked on 9/11 by terrorists who can only be described as criminals. We oppose the exploitation of the pain and suffering of 9/11 by political opportunists. They only divide our country and undermine the principles of pluralism, religious freedom, and security by fostering hate based on fear.

Perhaps one reason this statement resonates for me is because I never realized that tapping into people’s pain and fear could be the outright goal of a political strategy, or rather the strategy itself. I know that’s naive of me, but somehow I’m still startled by the thought that the public, including me, can be manipulated so insidiously.

California interfaith leaders to back ground zero Islamic center – CNN.com.