I love this article. King's words still ring true after all these years. Wish I could write more, but I'm tired. Suffice it to say that I'm finding it hard to limit myself to this blog to talk about politics.
The more I read/hear about the GOP, the more I want to volunteer for Elaine Marshall and David Price. It'll happen, eventually - and sooner rather than later. You know, it's kinda like how I felt toward the Gulf Coast after Katrina: Yearning describes it well. I just knew I had to get down there and help. It took me two years, but I finally made it. Now I have the same feeling about politics; I've just got to get to campaign headquarters and pitch in! I can sit here and harp on the all my major issues, but until I actually spend time affiliated with a campaign it'll be idle chatter (unless I persuade some stray visitor from the internet).
And that brings me to something I've been thinking about recently: How can I bring people to my line of thought? Most folks I know have already made up their minds, as far as I can gather. There's shouting from street corners... but then who listens to that? Talking to strangers is just weird and off-putting for both me and the stranger... so what's left? Ranting on this blog? I want to engage people, to have meaningful discussions and, with some luck, persuade others to join me.
Ladies and gents, I have an announcement. In an effort to separate my political and non-political internet activities, I will attempt to keep my musings, urgings and protests on this blog, while jokes, chatter and harmless fun will remain on facebook. Lately, I've been mulling over how much time I spend spouting my politics on facebook, and I think that perhaps a change is in order. Now, that's not to say I'll be shying away from political discourse when it comes up, but I'll try not to initiate it. Plus, I'll still pass along forwards/causes that in my mind merit support from all political stripes (like Darfur).
On a related note, I will begin to explore this "blogosphere" that everyone keeps talking about and try to generate internet conversations both here at home and at other sites. I'm a little hesitant to talk to strangers, but perhaps I can find reasonable folks for intelligent, respectful debate (hey, the internet is a big place). If anyone has any suggestions on where to look, I'm all ears.
We'll see how this thing goes. See you in the future!
"Good morning, news! What do you have to tell me?"
"Well, here's a piece from FOX complaining about the President's comments on the "Ground Zero Mosque."
"Okay, let me take a look... seems to imply that Obama inserted himself in the debate; victims are angry; Peter King claims the President "caved to political correctness;" here are references to the unpopularity of the mosque (70%); oooh, this is nice: Rick Santorum says Islam is not just a religion but a political doctrine, and he goes on to say the imam behind the GZM (Faisal Abdul Rauf) has said the USA was "an accomplice" and "brought about the events of 9/11."
Folks, this really dismays me. Lemme break this down...
First of all, Obama is not jumping into this debate on a whim. He was speaking at the White House iftar celebrating the beginning of Ramadan. If there were ever an appropriate time for the President to talk about a Muslim-American controversy, this was it. In fact, if Obama had kept mum over the affair, it would have been extremely conspicuous.
Next, when a victims' spokesperson claims that the president "has abandoned Americaat the place where America's heart was broken nine years ago, and where her true values were on display for all to see," not only is she wrong, she's speaking the exact opposite of the truth. America IS religious freedom. If we allow our misgivings about our fellow citizens to overrule our principles and deny innocent people the very rights we hoard for ourselves, we are acting unequivocally un-American. Therefore, madam, you are the one abandoning America.
Let me be clear: I'll never forget where I was and what I was doing on that fateful Tuesday morning. I shared in the national shock as I turned on the news just after the third plane struck the Pentagon, and I looked on in horror as one tower fell, and then the other.
Mr. Santorum, if Islam is a political doctrine, then so is Christianity, Judaism and every other religion under the sun. You refer in your interview to Sharia law; what about Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy? Don't they set up a theocracy, too? And even if Islam is a political doctrine (which it isn't), not all Muslims believe the same things or act the same way. Even within Sharia, there are four major branches of thought with varying degrees of tolerance (see here). As far as I know, Faisel Abdul Rauf is not even advocating instituting Sharia, so it shouldn't be a concern in the first place.
Furthermore, the foulest things that FOX can dredge up against this imam are his quotes saying the USA was "an accomplice" and "brought about the events of 9/11," plus he refused to be pigeon-holed into calling Hamas a terrorist organization. It's a tough pill to swallow, but Bin Laden's trigger against the USA was our presence in the Gulf War (read hereand here), so in that sense, the imam is right. As for the Hamas quote, try to put yourself in Rauf's shoes. If he calls Hamas an out-and-out terrorist organization, he alienates many Muslims who sympathize with the cause and ignores Hamas' contributions like social services (noted here). If he demonstrates any tolerance at all for Hamas, then he immediately receives the label of "radical." I'll say this, though: Rauf ought to have repudiated the violence of Hamas; instead, he dodged the question and thus allowed Hannity et al. to paint him as untrustworthy.
Now, do I think that this mosque/cultural center is in good taste? No. But just like freedom of speech or freedom of the press, freedom of worship is guaranteed regardless of taste. As long as you don't incite violence or promote destruction of life or property or do anything else against the law, you get a green light. You know what else is in poor taste? Politicizing this issue. If the law says you can build a church or synagogue or grocery store, then that should be the end of it. Let us be gracious enough to let our neighbors worship in peace.
Finally, perhaps the most upsetting facet of this whole issue is that President Obama gave a wonderful speech (which is even better than this post, if you can believe it), and all anybody talks about is the GZM. Take a look:
Well, I think that's it, for now. As always, if I've messed up my facts or logic, please correct me; and if I've overlooked something, please let me know. I crave conversation!
