The upcoming burning of the Koran (Qua ran) has been called a First Amendment right, as has the building of the mosque two blocks from Ground Zero. Something is me says they are not "parallel" enough to justify the comparison. Yes, they're both First Amendment issues. However, the reasons for both actions are different. Muslims want/need a community center and a mosque. The Koran burning is not related to a need but a fear of Islam spreading throughout the world.
The reaction to the mosque is one of sensitivity to the memory of the thousands who died Sept. 11, 2001. The perpetrators were extremist Muslims who also died that day, but who belonged to terrorist organizations that continue to exist and plan suicide bombings in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Fear of those groups and generalizing their beliefs to ALL Muslims fuels the debate against the mosque, despite the First Amendment right to build there.
Unfortunately, the burning of the Koran will result in the unknown. We don't know how the extremists Muslims will react. It may play into their propaganda about the U.S. and Christians. Our soldiers may experience increased danger in Afghanistan and Iraq if the unstable terrorists react to the burning in "unstable" ways. Could it be a matter of National Security????
Instead of insisting on fairness of "first actions," we should look at consequences. What have been the result of mosques being built in the U.S.? What have been the results of anti-Muhammed actions (cartoons)? Do we have knowledge of how Muslims, both moderate and extreme, will react to the burning of their most sacred book, the Koran?
Being reasonable, weighing ALL issues, including consequences, should be the goal.
The rambling musings of a thinker and observer who attempts to find meaning in EVERYTHING!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Who am I?
I am a Democrat in Wyoming. I feel very lonely and misunderstood. I try not to react to the emotional arguments that permeate the airwaves. Patience, tolerance, and analysis. Those are my goals. I wish they were everyone's goals. Money and election appear to be goals that need quick response; thus, emotional appeals abound.
That's all for now.
That's all for now.
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