In every school yard is a bully and, likewise, in every school yard is an oversensitive child perpetually ready to have a freak out (i.e. a spaz, please don't be offended, the word just seems appropriate). With the news of Koran burnings, riots, and Islamic cultural centers near the WTC, it seems we're bombarded with bullies and spazzes (no offense meant). Some radical preacher from inland Florida with a tiny congregation of 50 threatens to burn a Koran and Afghanistan goes nuts and threatens to kill NATO soldiers, Pakistan goes wild, and the Islamic world is in uproar. Really? Is that proportional? Does that serve the interests of your religion and god? Is it really worth letting the bully turn you into a spaz?
The crazy pastor then says that he'll think about calling off the burning if he meets with the imam who wants to build Cordoba near Ground Zero. The financier behind the GZ mosque says he'll sell the property if he gets a better offer. Donald Trump offers to buy it but is rejected.
The whole thing is a comedy of errors and a circus of buffoonery. It's not unreasonable to understand why people would cringe at the idea of a mosque going up beside Ground Zero. And it's easy to understand why Muslims would be offended by an organized Koran burning.
So what would wise people do? They might consider the words of Jesus: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". But there I go injecting faith into politics and we need separation of church and state far more than Biblical wisdom in the eyes of the NY Times, Obama, and every left-wing pundit who suddenly becomes a staunch defender of the right to practice your religion (wait isn't that what I just did?).
But I digress, the crazy pastor has right to freedom of expression which includes Koran burnings and flag burnings and George W. Bush effigy burnings. But the problem remains. So really, what the crazy pastor and the GZ imams should be asking is: should we do it, despite the fact that the Constitution permits it?
There's a massive lack of respect on all sides and no consideration for the feelings of others, but such is the norm in the post-Cold War/MTV/YouTube/Obama world. Just because something is legal and you CAN do it doesn't mean you SHOULD do it. Likewise, just because you can eat 50 hot dogs in 5 minutes doesn't mean you should. Just because you can get away with a crime without anyone knowing doesn't mean you should (it doesn't at all, it's still a crime for those who believe in moral relativity).
In all this mess, no one has asked: what is the right thing to do? Our world could sure use a lot more of people stopping to consider what the right thing to do is before they do it. We could do with fewer bullies and spazzes as well.
3 comments:
You can't talk sense to them. So why bother? My very existance bothers them. Do you think I'm going to alleviate the suffering my being causes to their sick little hearts?
No. I don't care if they get angry. I'm inclined to make them angrier still. Nazi dirtbags.
It seems that, sadly, no matter what Terry Jones does tomorrow, someone is going to have a Koran burning.
I read somewhere (don't remember where) that the Westboro Baptist Church is planning a solidarity-in-hate Koran burning, and that a church in Tennessee will burn a Koran if Jones doesn't.
In other words, Jones put the idea in the heads of some people who don't really care much about their actions.
Dana's friend Laurel here...I like reading your blog now and then, when I get a chance! You'd like the Jon Steward clip about that Pastor...the part about the OT and NT is hilarious. Good to get some comic relief in the midst of craziness.
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