I wonder, though, a little bit about the tone of "the Muslim"
Wonder til your hearts content. I wonder if you would wonder had it been a Christian and I said, "The Christian." I only said the Muslim because I don't remember his name.
Though I agree that Goode has the right to speak his mind, his comments about immigration are patently dishonest, since they are irrelevant, and his remarks about how past swearing-in ceremonies have been conducted are patently dishonest because they lead folks to believe that Goode is planning something unprecedented and radical.
Bringing up immigration in this instance is completely irrelevant. And citing how ceremonies have usually been conducted is pointless. I would feel like I was doing a disservice to everyone by obligating them to place an oath on something they don't believe in. Lets think about that for a moment. The whole point of placing your hand over the Bible was to convict you to take your oath seriously. If someone does not take the Bible seriously, then what purpose does it serve? Obviously this would be vice versa for non-Muslims asked to place their hand over a tome they don't feel convicted about.
To the extent that his xenophobia confirms the strongest doubts about America's intentions among the world's Muslims, he has betrayed not just the ideals but also the best interests of his own nation.
Most Americans are stuck between a rock and a hard place for two central reasons. First, we are taught that we are the great melting pot where Lady Justice says, "
Give me your tired, give me your poor huddled masses yearning to be free." There was a time when that act of kindness was met with respect and gratitude. In today's time, there has been a bastardization of that philosophy because its no longer a virtue to be esteemed. Now its looked upon as a birth right to be trodden, abused, and disrespected. And the Lady who stands sentinel in New York harbor grows more and more weary with cynicism everyday. She wants to do the right thing but sure wished that those huddled masses would show an ounce of respect for her borders.
The reasonable middle ground is not the mid-point between right and wrong: Goode is wrong. He is pandering to the worst of human impulses, the hatred and fear of difference.
I agree that he is operating on possibly all of those notions and that its not only a stupid move politically, but its just distasteful as a human being. I agree that he probably has allowed hatred to fester in his heart, and he may have a fear of anything different; perhaps he grew up with such a Good 'Ole Boy mentality. But if he is anything like your average American, his fear is that his country is going to hell in a handbasket. He might be looking across the pond and watching how Europe's Politically Correct mentality does not coincide with radical Islam who entrenches itself more every day. Maybe he's just a stupid bigot or maybe he doesn't really want to live in Virginiastan. I can't say for sure. All I can say is that his move is politically unintelligent and socially taboo.
No one has the right to stop "the Muslim" from taking his private oath as he pleases; no one has the right to stop Goode from speaking his mind. But everyone has the right to label Goode's un-American bigotry for what it is, and his constituents have the right to exact a price in the voting booth. I hope they do.
It looks like if Goode could have his way he'd seal up the United States and force the nation to become more of an isolationist nation than North Korea.
Edited by nemesis_juggernaut, : typos
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." -C.S. Lewis
Well, at least the comedians do.
™ Version 4.2
