This page was last updated on April 8, 2011.
Florida pastor ignited incident; Oren M. Spiegler; Beaver County Times; April 7, 2011.
Mr. Spiegler is such a prolific letter writer the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review gave him a little tribute back in 2003. Google “Oren M. Spiegler” and you’ll get more hits than you know what to do with. Unfortunately, prolific is not a synonym for competent. Mr. Spiegler claims to be a Republican. In my critique of “Breathing more freely,” I cited reasons why I was “beginning to believe Mr. Spiegler is simply another Republican impersonator,” but he sealed the deal with “Greatest foreign policy debacle.” Subsequent letters have been more confirmation, including this one. The group of local Republican impersonators also includes Messrs. William A. Alexander, Arthur Brown, William G. Horter, Edward J. Hum, and George Reese, all claiming to be disgruntled Republicans.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“I hope that Florida’s irrepressible ‘pastor’ Paul Jones is proud of his handiwork.”
[RWC] The name is Terry Jones, not Paul Jones.
“His hateful efforts to throw a match onto the tinderbox of radical Muslims have worked like a charm.
“By burning the holy book of another faith, Jones predictably incited unstable, violent individuals to murder and maim innocent people serving at a United Nations installation in Afghanistan.
“Jones has misused the freedom of speech that we cherish in this country. He is an accessory to murder and a menace to civilized society, the latest example of a miscreant who embraces contempt and stereotyping that masquerades as the actions of a religious man.
“I know of no legitimate religion that endorses provoking others to embark upon a murderous rampage.”
[RWC] Does Mr. Spiegler know of a “legitimate religion that endorses … a murderous rampage” over the burning of a book, holy or otherwise? For example, where was the “murderous rampage” when in 2009 the U.S. military burned Bibles confiscated in Afghanistan?
You can find the rest of my comments in the critique of “Prayer vigil.”
© 2004-2011 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.