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Opening Arguments

Loose talk

President Obama says the intended Quran burning by that freak and his nutjob followers in Florida would be a recruitment bonanza for al-Qaida:

"This could increase the recruitment of individuals who'd be willing to blow themselves up in American cities or European cities."

And the imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, meanwhile, says if plans are withdrawn for the "Ground Zero Mosque," that would emolden radicals:

“If we move from that location, the story will be that the radicals have taken over the discourse,” he said. “The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack. And I'm less concerned about the radicals in America than I am about the radicals in the Muslim world.”

Geez, just no pleasing those guys, is there?

But, seriously. Aren't these kinds of arguments getting close to the "9/11 was America's fault" mentality, the notion that we did something wrong that the Islamist extremists didn't like so shame on us? Come on: Terrorists are terrorists. They don't need a reason. As an aside, I notice that even many conservatives who don't usually buy in to such arguments (they bristle, for example, when told that Rush Limbaugh's bombast might have been responsible for, say, the Oklahoma City bombing) are spouting the same "enabling the radicals" rhetoric instead of the usual "he has the right to burn the Quran, but he should be sensitive enough not to do it" line.

Oh, and please, please, please, don't anybody do a cartoon about any of this that might suggest in any way, shape or form that the extremists might be someone than can be made even a little fun of occasionally. And now that I think about it, I take back this whole post. I was just kidding, but I don't know what got into me. Really. Build the mosque/cultural center thingy. Build thousands of them and put them on every corner of every city. And let's all burn Bibles and American flags instead of that holy, untouchable Quran.

Yes, I know, I had the right to say all of this, but I should have been sensitive enough not to do it.

Comments

Bob G.
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 9:34am

Leo:
I think you said it BECAUSE of your sensitivity...and the fact that you are definitely MUCH more CIVILIZED than those you speak of.

Maybe instead of "lowering the bar" for diversity or tolerance sake, we should RAISE THE BAR and hold everyone to the same level of accountability.
(Didn't we USED to do that in America???)

I'm just sayin'...

littlejohn
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 9:43am

If I were a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, I would hate to see the inevitable photographs of an American burning Quran. It would be pointless to try to explain to a foreign Muslim that the book-burning represents a tiny church with a congregation, apparently, consisting entirely of mentally impaired people. A foreign Muslim will react with the same hatred of all Americans that we tend to feel toward nations where some fringe group burns an American flag.
I suppose it would be too much to ask the media not to videotape or even photograph the firebug nutbag in action.

Lewis Allen
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 6:30pm

We've got to continue to encourage and support moderate Muslims around the world, and especially in America. What the Florida 'pastor' had been proposing, while fully within his constitutional rights, is not in our best interest. The people behind the proposed 'mosque/community center thingy', are the ones we should want on our side (despite the misinformation from people like Newt Gingerich). We should acknowledge that there are moderate Muslims in the world, and we should do everything we can to encourage them.

Robert The Cheese
Fri, 09/10/2010 - 7:50am

Encouraging any kind of religion that espouses the destruction of a people -"Because they exist" is not smart politically and from a humane point of view. These folks are okay with stoning women and beheading folks that commit crimes - you ok with that? If so continue to support "Moderate Muslims" and see where it takes us as a country. If not - stand up, fight for what is right and remember that they struck and killed 3,000 folks in a peaceful country without provocation.

Lewis Allen
Fri, 09/10/2010 - 11:07am

R The Cheese, who are the 'they' in your last sentence? Muslim terrorists or moderate muslims (and yes, they do exist). My problem with views like yours is that they ignore a lot about this fairly complex, many-faceted issue. There is no more one type of muslim than there are one type of christian. Look at the green revolution in Iran, to cite one recent example. I'm not for coddling any terrorist, but I AM for cultivating good relationships with and showing support for those muslims who also see the extremists and terrorists as the enemy. You're right, though, to condemn nations that punish crimes by murder. Too bad we live one ourselves.

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