I feel pretty safe in saying that most Americans can't tell you

Hear, O seekers of truth and clarity, the words of Sharyl Attkisson, who declared: “I feel pretty safe in saying that most Americans can’t tell you off the top of their head who the Kurds are or what the U.S. relationship with them is—let alone how that factors into Iran, Russia, China, Turkey, and Syria.” In these words there is both lament and warning, for she points to the gap between the reality of the world and the knowledge of the people. She names a great danger: when nations act without their people understanding the actors upon the stage, ignorance becomes a silent accomplice to chaos.

The meaning of her words is plain and yet profound. The Kurds are a people without a nation, scattered across the Middle East, often betrayed, often abandoned, yet always vital to the balance of power. To speak of them is to speak of centuries of struggle for recognition. Yet Attkisson laments that in the heart of America, a land whose choices often shape the fate of distant nations, many cannot name who the Kurds are, nor what bond America holds with them. And beyond that, she warns that few can see how this thread of history is woven into the greater tapestry of Iran, Russia, China, Turkey, and Syria. She is not merely describing ignorance; she is showing how ignorance leaves people unmoored, blind to the forces shaping their own destiny.

The origin of this truth lies in the long and troubled story of American involvement in the Middle East. Time and again, the Kurds have fought alongside American soldiers—against Saddam Hussein, against ISIS—believing promises of protection and alliance. Yet just as often, they have found themselves abandoned when larger geopolitical bargains demanded it. Their story is not one of strangers, but of allies who have shed blood in common battles. Yet in the silence of American streets and the forgetfulness of public discourse, their name is scarcely known. Thus Attkisson’s words are born from a journalist’s grief: the gulf between sacrifice abroad and awareness at home.

History bears witness to the danger of this forgetting. Recall the fall of Saigon, when countless South Vietnamese who had trusted American promises were left behind, many to perish. Or remember the Bay of Pigs, where Cubans who fought with American backing were abandoned to their fate. In both cases, the people at home often did not fully understand the depth of commitment made in their name. And so it is with the Kurds: without knowledge, citizens cannot hold leaders accountable, and the cycle of betrayal continues.

The lesson is clear and urgent: ignorance is not innocence—it is weakness. To live in a great nation is to bear the burden of its choices, for those choices ripple across the globe. If the people remain unaware of who the Kurds are, of why alliances matter, of how conflicts entangle Turkey, Iran, Russia, and beyond, then they risk being complicit in injustices carried out in their name. Knowledge is not only power—it is responsibility.

Practical wisdom follows. If you live in comfort while wars rage far away, do not turn your face from the names and stories of those who fight alongside your nation. Learn who the Kurds are, learn why their fate matters, and learn how your country’s actions shape their future. Read, listen, and seek voices outside your borders. And if you are a leader or teacher, do not allow silence to cover these truths—educate, for the strength of democracy rests not only in the ballot but in the understanding of those who cast it.

So let Attkisson’s words echo as a call to wakefulness: the world is vast, the alliances fragile, the costs of ignorance heavy. It is not enough to cheer victories or mourn defeats from afar; one must know who fights, who suffers, and why.

Thus, O children of tomorrow, remember: the threads of America, the Kurds, and the nations of the East are woven together. To ignore this tapestry is to risk tearing it. Let knowledge be your shield, let awareness be your weapon, and let justice guide your memory, so that the forgotten may finally be seen, and the betrayed may at last find steadfast friends.