Day 18: Manifesto [Tristen Chau]

George Saunders is trying to make the point that people of a certain ethnicity are being categorized as terrorists when in reality they are just ordinary citizens. He successfully uses sarcasm throughout his piece to talk about the destruction that certain people have caused. For example, Saunders says, “At precisely 9 in the morning, working with focus and stealth, our entire membership succeeded in beheading no one…In the late afternoon (Phase V), our membership focused on using zero (0) trained dogs to bite/terrorize naked prisoners. In addition, no stun guns, rubber batons, rubber bullets, tear gas, or bullets were used, by our membership, on any individual, anywhere in the world.” Here, Saunders challenges the stereotype of Muslim people being barbaric and violent. Even the name of the organization, People Reluctant to Kill for an Abstraction, pokes fun at the negative stereotypes that media have often portrayed them as. Saunders is urging readers not to generalize a specific ethnicity. He states, “We rise in the morning with no plans to convert anyone via beating, humiliation, or invasion.”