Sadly, a much needed reminder
August 29, 2010
Ethan Siegel has a highly topical observation up over at his blog, Starts with a Bang. It is as simple as this:
But we do not let fear dictate what we are free to do. Syed, Atiyah, Freida, and all the other Muslims I grew up with are no more or less American than any of us, and it is the right of every Muslim-American to expect the exact same freedoms that we have.
Glenn Beck’s little #Whitestock rally for racist #teabaggers at the Lincoln Memorial may have fizzled in terms of numbers but it really should be a wake up call for RealAmericans. You know, the ones who actually believe in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the ensuing body of Constitutional jurisprudence. The ones who actually believe in what has always made the United States special, democratic and progressive, rather than longing for the worst of our past.
The theme of the idiots from Glennbeckistan was “Restoring Honor”. What, you might wonder, in the hell is that supposed to mean?
There’s a nice explanation over here at Balloon Juice.
DrugMonkey 
August 30, 2010 at 1:04 am
Yep — It’s a good thing you’re so tolerant and open-minded, unlike those nasty, violent teabaggers! It was just awful when they stoned those homosexuals and cut the nose and ears off that poor girl!
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August 30, 2010 at 8:52 am
It’s a shame what has taken place regarding the bill of rights. I’m a firm believe in the rights and encourage others to get more involved on a day to day basis to protect all we’ve fought for over the years.
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August 30, 2010 at 11:25 am
Interestingly N-c it is the teabagging types (and conservatives generally) that oppose any special punishment for those dumbasses who tied that poor gay kid to a fence in Wyoming. Me, I’m against the stoning *and* the gaybashing.
Oh and how about that arson in TN? The attack on the Muslim cabdriver? Thing is, dude, you conservative/teabaggers have stuff to answer for right here, right now. Stop trying to associate progressive tolerance for nonviolent religious expression with the conservative/fundamentalist expressions. Those are the ones people of your mindset would be backing save for a tiny accident of birth…
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August 30, 2010 at 11:36 am
Thanks for speaking up and standing up with me for equal rights for everyone, DM.
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August 30, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Neuro-conservative, even beyond what El Picador had to say (and there’s a phrase you won’t hear often), your concern with your own petty political reputation has a hell of a lot to answer for in the violence that’s already happened. People have been telling you where this was headed for a long time and that only conservatives had a chance of stopping it. Not wanting to hear that message doesn’t absolve you of any responsibility for what’s happening. In fact, “everybody does it” is pretty much precisely the sort of message that enables violence.
Isn’t it about time for you to speak out? And no, I don’t mean to us. We already know better.
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August 30, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Yep, you’d think those folk consistently demanding that Muslims speak out against -ahem, refudiate – their own violent compatriots would be eager to lead by example.
“But… but… these are just isolated incidents that are not representative of, or supported by, the Tea Party!! So we shouldn’t have to apologise for them.”
This is kettle calling black, do you read me, over?
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August 30, 2010 at 8:59 pm
It is fascinating to observe the contortions that someone who claims to be rational and living in the reality-based community has to go through to remain a “conservative”.
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August 31, 2010 at 11:39 am
Thanks for reminder. Nice post to read and think.
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August 31, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Neuro-conservative,
You’ll always be more tolerant and open-minded than Ahmadinijad as long as you base your tolerance and open-mindedness on his standards.
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September 16, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Is this ‘honor’ in the sense of ‘honor killings’?
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September 16, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Also, Neuro-conservative, where did it get in your head that the 1400-year-old Islam = the 50-year-old Wahhabism?
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September 17, 2010 at 8:17 am
where did it get in your head that the 1400-year-old Islam = the 50-year-old Wahhabism?
Fox “News”.
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