BCT Editorial – 12/26/06

This page was last updated on January 3, 2007.

Selling fear; Editorial; Beaver County Times; December 26, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Congressman’s anti-Muslim remarks reflect a lack of faith in America

“We have nothing to fear but ourselves.

“In the depths of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt counseled Americans that they had nothing to fear but fear itself.”

[RWC] Then FDR promptly put over 100,000 U.S. citizens of Japanese and other ancestries into internment camps during World War II. Oops, were we not supposed to remember that?

“Today, some Americans are letting their fears get the better of them when it comes to Muslims, especially those living in the United States.

“In a jaw-dropping letter to constituents, U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va., played to the worst of some people’s fears. The Associated Press reported that Goode wrote that unless immigration is tightened, ‘many more Muslims’ will be elected and follow the lead of a recently elected lawmaker who plans to use the Quran at his ceremonial swearing-in.”

[RWC] I believe Mr. Goode is one of those guys who did a poor job communicating. I have to admit I cringed when I heard excerpts of the letter.

“He was referring to Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat and the first Muslim elected to Congress.

“In the letter, Goode wrote, ‘The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.’

“Goode said the U.S. needs to stop illegal immigration ‘totally’ and reduce legal immigration.

“Goode added: ‘I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.’

“In addition to its insult of Muslims, what is stunning here is Goode’s lack of faith in America. One reason the United States is a great country is because it has changed and evolved since its founding. The United States is not the same nation it was in 1776, 1787, 1861, 1945, 1965 and 1995, and thank heaven for that.”

[RWC] Why should we “thank heaven” the “United States is not the same nation it was …?” Don’t get me wrong; I don’t believe we should be stagnant. I’d just like to know the specifics behind the statement. It’s also important to note not all change and evolution is good.

“Through the centuries, the United States has seen waves of immigrants come here seeking a new way of life.

“The Roman Catholic Irish came first, in the period between 1800 and 1850. Next up were the immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe - Jews, Roman Catholics and Orthodox - who flocked here from 1890 to 1920. The next big wave (and most recent) is coming from Mexico and other Central American countries. On the West Coast, Chinese and Japanese immigrants came to California.”

[RWC] The previous paragraph is a key point that needs more discussion. The comment about “seeking a new way of life” is mostly correct. If illegal immigrants from Central America were honestly “seeking a new way of life,” they wouldn’t violate our laws from the second they cross our border and we wouldn’t have bilingual announcements and signs in our stores.

It’s also important to look at what’s going on with the Muslim immigrants in Europe. Remember who bombed the trains in Madrid and the buses and subway in London? Though Theo van Gogh was equally critical of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, who was it that murdered him?

Rather than “seeking a new way of life,” Muslims in London are trying to establish Sharia law in place of current English law.

Let’s also remember the widespread rioting in France during late 2005. Does anyone care to guess who that was?

The lesson of Muslims in Europe is they don’t want to “blend in;” they want to push their ideology on their new countries.

“Almost without exception, they were greeted by fear-mongering nativists like Goode who claimed they were destroying American values because of their faith, their ethnicity and their color.”

[RWC] Refresh my memory. How many of these other groups took our diplomats in Tehran hostage for 444 days, killed 250+ diplomats and Marines in Beirut, blew up Pan Am 103 killing 270, bombed the World Trade Center in 1993 killing six, killed 18 U.S. peacekeepers in Somalia, bombed the Khobar Towers killing 19 U.S. soldiers, bombed the USS Cole killing 17 sailors, and attacked us on 9/11/01 killing nearly 3,000 Americans?

Who killed a nun simply because he didn’t like it when Pope Benedict quoted a 14^th century Byzantine emperor?

“Guess what? The nativists were wrong - and they will always be wrong. At some basic level, they are the ones who are afraid of the American dream. They fear change. They are frightened by anyone who is not like them. They want to maintain the status quo in an ever-changing world.”

[RWC] Here’s a good question for the editorial author regarding the “They fear change” comment. How many countries can you name that Islam changed for the better?

“Don’t listen to them. Our nation is better than that. Have faith in the future. Have faith in America.”

[RWC] Having “faith in America” also means having faith we can identify and confront threats.

In theory, I have no problem with people of any legitimate faith.

Whether it speaks ill of me or not, I’m losing my open mindedness about Islam and here’s why.

First, while obviously only a very small number of Muslims are terrorists, it’s equally obvious Muslims are the vast majority of today’s terrorists and Western Civilization is the chief target.

Second, most of what we hear from Muslims comes from the violent Muslims.

Third, I’m tired of the so-called silent majority of Muslims that allegedly oppose terrorism. When the “silent majority” does speak, it’s usually to tell us Islam is a “religion of peace.”

Fourth, when the “silent majority” isn’t telling us Islam is a religion of peace, it’s to express anger at being profiled based on the actions of violent Muslims.

When the “silent majority” starts directing their speech and actions at the Islamofascists, I’ll consider changing my mind.