Gilda advised me when I woke up Thursday morning that Syracuse, NY, was under two feet of snow. I checked the weather forecast—over the next few days more dandruff from the sky is expected in the city I love to hate.
For those not familiar with my disdain for Syracuse, here’s a link to a blog I wrote last December: http://nosocksneededanymore.blogspot.com/2009/12/let-it-snow.html
Name That Feud: Baby Boy Forseter, our grandnephew, has an official name—Jacob Peyton Forseter, to be commonly called Jake.
I won’t weigh you down with the lineage from whom Jake derived his first and second names, but I would like to dwell a moment on Peyton. Though his father, Eric, hopes Jake will find a good playmate in our one-year-old grandson, Finley, I’m not sure he is aware of the challenge he has placed before them.
According to thinkbabynames.com, Peyton is of Old English origin; the meaning of Peyton is "fighting-man's estate". Finley, the Web site says, is of Irish and Gaelic origin; the meaning of Finley is "fair-haired, courageous one". I surely hope these English- and Irish-named Jewish kids get along.
The next Forseter grandchild is due in March. Eric’s sister, Karen, and her husband, David, live in London (he's a real English Jew). I can hardly wait to hear what name they’ll pick for their progeny, the sex of which we have yet to be told.
Dead as a Doornail: The mulcher is officially dead.
The mulcher my brother Bernie gave me last weekend lasted less than a day. It did not help matters that some of the leaves I mulched were slightly damp. Who knew that was a no-no? Nowhere in the instruction booklet—which I thoroughly read before using the mulcher—did it say anything about avoiding wet leaves. But that was the first thing the Black & Decker repairman asked me when I called for help. And it was the first thing Gilda asked about when I told her the mulcher died.
(Since Bernie does not read this blog on a regular basis, perhaps I’ll be spared his commentary.)
Next time, I will hark back to my tried and true method of handling yard work—I’ll pay to have someone else do it!
Yankee Misfortunes: I’m happy Derek Jeter and the Yanks agreed to a new deal, but the big news in baseballdumb (“dumb” because of all the dollars being thrown at players of questionable quality for contracts of too many years) is the vast improvement, on paper at least, posed by the dreaded Boston Red Sox with the signing of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford.
With their solid starting pitching and the expected return of injured players from last year, the Beantown Boys are the team to beat in the American League, even if the Yankees sign Cliff Lee.
To qualify for the playoffs next year, New York will need rebound performances from A.J. Burnett and Jeter, more well-rounded results from Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Brett Gardner, Jorge Posada and Joba Chamberlain, and at least comparable statistics from Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Phil Hughes, Andy Pettitte (if he returns) and C.C. Sabathia.
Equal Opportunity Rant: It’s time to vent against Congressional Democrats for saying they won’t go along with the compromise President Obama stitched together with Republicans extending the Bush tax cuts and stimulating the economy, including renewing unemployment compensation for the long term jobless (including many of my former colleagues).
Before the November elections, House and Senate Democrats couldn’t get the job done despite their majorities. The time to push principles has passed. It’s now time to govern; governing often requires compromise. Rare is the person who likes compromise. It means you didn’t get all of what you wanted. But that’s the way it works in government, Democrats. Don’t allow the GOP to turn you into the “party of NO.”
Don’t let the electorate believe it was the Democrats who raised taxes on the lower and middle classes. That’s a sure way to creating even greater Republican victories in 2012.
For Shame: Yesterday, Senate Republicans again scuttled an attempt to fund medical care for 9/11 first responders and others who became ill breathing the toxic air around Ground Zero. To use a phrase made famous by Joseph N. Welch in rebuking Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1954, “Have you left no sense of decency?”
How shameful is it that the party that professes to be all about patriotism, law and order and American values cannot see the morality of supporting those who put their lives at risk for the sake of their country and fellow citizens? The GOP is balking at spending $7.4 billion in medical benefits but is happy to enthusiastically back tax breaks for the wealthy that would add $60 billion a year to the nation’s deficit.
For shame. For shame.
Showing posts with label ground zero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ground zero. Show all posts
Friday, December 10, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
A Time for Every Purpose
My birthday is March 6. It’s not too early for those who don’t have that date circled on their 2011 calendar to do so now, though that is not the reason I am giving you six months’ notice. Rather, I am reacting to a story in this morning’s NY Times, “This Life: A Day To Dance Or Weep?” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/fashion/05ThisLife.html?_r=1&hpw)
As a New Yorker, I reflect almost daily on the void in lower Manhattan where the Twin Towers stood. Now that I’m no longer commuting to an office, most days I’m listening to WCBS880 radio news as I putter around in the morning. With uncanny persistence, the announcers each day call out the time exactly at 9:11. They probably don’t realize they repeatedly are piercing the hearts of so many listeners. Perhaps no one who was not a New York area resident that fateful day nine years ago can fully appreciate the ongoing assault to our sensibilities.
The Times article raised an important point. When is it proper to return to normalcy, to celebrate happy occasions that by coincidence, or planning, fall on September 11? In a larger sense, in the context of the current debate on the building of a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero, when is it proper to just...move on?
If we wanted to always dwell on the past, there are ample reasons to live a cloistered and melancholy life. A few years ago, some enterprising(?) souls put together a daily calendar listing calamities that befell Jews throughout the millennia. How comforting to know I’m part of a people with so long and rich a daily history!
When I tell people I was born on March 6, I usually say I share the date with the fall of the Alamo. I don’t mention that Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, as well as a hundred or more other Alamo defenders, died that day. I was a big Davy Crockett fan as a child. I adored Fess Parker. Even had a ‘coon-skin hat for a while.
The Alamo wasn’t the only infamous event to happen on my birthday. Of far greater import was the Missouri Compromise that President Monroe signed into law in 1820, permitting the Show Me territory to enter the Union as a slave state. Thirty-seven years later to the day, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most egregious decisions. In the Dred Scott case, the court ruled, according to Wikipedia, “that people of African descent imported into the United States and held as slaves—whether or not they were slaves—were not protected by the Constitution and could never be citizens of the United States. It also held that the United States Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories. The Court also ruled that because slaves were not citizens, they could not sue in court. Lastly, the Court ruled that slaves—as chattel or private property—could not be taken away from their owners without due process.” How would you like that legacy as part of your birthday heritage?
Of course, some less traumatic occurrences happened on my birthday. In 1475, Michelangelo was born. Lou Costello (1906), Alan Greenspan (1926) and Shaquille O’Neal (1972) also took their first breaths on March 6. Life ended for Louisa May Alcott (1888), John Philip Sousa (1932), Pearl S. Buck (1973), Ayn Rand (1982), Georgia O’Keeffe (1986) and many more luminaries on March 6. In short, every day has its pluses and minuses.
September 11 is no exception. Did you know that in 1609 Henry Hudson discovered Manhattan on September 11? Or that the British Mandate of Palestine began in 1922 (the Mandate might have been detested when it ended in 1948, but it was the first concrete step toward Israeli statehood). One year earlier, the first moshav (cooperative farm) was settled in Palestine. In 1978, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat came together on September 11 to sign the Camp David Peace Accords between Israel and Egypt. In 1989, the first breach of the Iron Curtain between Austria and Hungary allowed thousands of East Germans to flee repression, hastening the fall of the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies. In 2005, Israel unilaterally completed disengagement from the Gaza Strip.
On September 11, 2001, a day of crispness and bright sunshine, 2,977 innocent people were killed in the terrorist attacks. We should never forget them. We should never forget, or forgive, the murderous band that rained death on our country. But it’s time to move on. As it says in Ecclesiastes, “A season is set for everything...A time for weeping and a time for laughing, a time for wailing and a time for dancing.” Every day has its history of tragedy. Our spirit demands we infuse September 11 with added meanings, new hopes, new reasons to celebrate, not just commemorate.
As a New Yorker, I reflect almost daily on the void in lower Manhattan where the Twin Towers stood. Now that I’m no longer commuting to an office, most days I’m listening to WCBS880 radio news as I putter around in the morning. With uncanny persistence, the announcers each day call out the time exactly at 9:11. They probably don’t realize they repeatedly are piercing the hearts of so many listeners. Perhaps no one who was not a New York area resident that fateful day nine years ago can fully appreciate the ongoing assault to our sensibilities.
The Times article raised an important point. When is it proper to return to normalcy, to celebrate happy occasions that by coincidence, or planning, fall on September 11? In a larger sense, in the context of the current debate on the building of a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero, when is it proper to just...move on?
If we wanted to always dwell on the past, there are ample reasons to live a cloistered and melancholy life. A few years ago, some enterprising(?) souls put together a daily calendar listing calamities that befell Jews throughout the millennia. How comforting to know I’m part of a people with so long and rich a daily history!
When I tell people I was born on March 6, I usually say I share the date with the fall of the Alamo. I don’t mention that Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, as well as a hundred or more other Alamo defenders, died that day. I was a big Davy Crockett fan as a child. I adored Fess Parker. Even had a ‘coon-skin hat for a while.
The Alamo wasn’t the only infamous event to happen on my birthday. Of far greater import was the Missouri Compromise that President Monroe signed into law in 1820, permitting the Show Me territory to enter the Union as a slave state. Thirty-seven years later to the day, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most egregious decisions. In the Dred Scott case, the court ruled, according to Wikipedia, “that people of African descent imported into the United States and held as slaves—whether or not they were slaves—were not protected by the Constitution and could never be citizens of the United States. It also held that the United States Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories. The Court also ruled that because slaves were not citizens, they could not sue in court. Lastly, the Court ruled that slaves—as chattel or private property—could not be taken away from their owners without due process.” How would you like that legacy as part of your birthday heritage?
Of course, some less traumatic occurrences happened on my birthday. In 1475, Michelangelo was born. Lou Costello (1906), Alan Greenspan (1926) and Shaquille O’Neal (1972) also took their first breaths on March 6. Life ended for Louisa May Alcott (1888), John Philip Sousa (1932), Pearl S. Buck (1973), Ayn Rand (1982), Georgia O’Keeffe (1986) and many more luminaries on March 6. In short, every day has its pluses and minuses.
September 11 is no exception. Did you know that in 1609 Henry Hudson discovered Manhattan on September 11? Or that the British Mandate of Palestine began in 1922 (the Mandate might have been detested when it ended in 1948, but it was the first concrete step toward Israeli statehood). One year earlier, the first moshav (cooperative farm) was settled in Palestine. In 1978, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat came together on September 11 to sign the Camp David Peace Accords between Israel and Egypt. In 1989, the first breach of the Iron Curtain between Austria and Hungary allowed thousands of East Germans to flee repression, hastening the fall of the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies. In 2005, Israel unilaterally completed disengagement from the Gaza Strip.
On September 11, 2001, a day of crispness and bright sunshine, 2,977 innocent people were killed in the terrorist attacks. We should never forget them. We should never forget, or forgive, the murderous band that rained death on our country. But it’s time to move on. As it says in Ecclesiastes, “A season is set for everything...A time for weeping and a time for laughing, a time for wailing and a time for dancing.” Every day has its history of tragedy. Our spirit demands we infuse September 11 with added meanings, new hopes, new reasons to celebrate, not just commemorate.
Monday, August 30, 2010
A Different Point of View
My Sunday post about Glenn Beck, Islamaphobia and demagoguery brought the following comment from one of my LinkedIn readers. Though she would like to remain anonymous, she has granted permission to reproduce her thoughts. I deeply respect her beliefs and greatly appreciate her contribution to a national dialogue that is so very much needed. Your thoughts and feedback are always welcome.
Hi Murray,
I followed the hyperlink on your LinkedIn posting and read your write- up regarding the Mosque and Glenn Beck. Since the issue involves both politics and religion, I considered not responding . . . then I reconsidered. I hope you don’t mind me sharing my thoughts with you.
My personal opinion doesn't matter, however I think it's important for you to realize that this is a highly sensitive issue for many people and it involves multiple layers and varied degrees of intensity. By your writing, it's clear that you are in favor of the mosque, however there are probably more people against it than for it and the argument on both sides is somewhat compelling.
As you know, we are currently at war. I'm not talking about the war with Iraq or Afghanistan; rather I am referring to the war against the global Islamic Muslim extremists who are fixed on destroying the USA and our way of life.
When at war, the enemy looks to find your weaknesses. Since we are a country with open and free borders that protects the religious freedom as well as the civil rights of our citizens—and even our non-citizens—we are left in an extremely vulnerable position. As a result, the enemy is free to use these rights and protections to move in, take up residence, recruit and train and plan their attacks. Whenever they are questioned, they simply cry racism and/or discrimination and they make demands for their rights and freedoms! The rest of us proceed to argue and debate among ourselves—which further breaks down our country. Unfortunately, even though the majority of Muslims in the USA are peaceful Americans, they have extremists among them and people of this country are scared.
Among the Muslim community in the U.S., you could say there are a few bad eggs that are ruining it for the rest. The larger problem is, people know about the Islamic Muslim extremist threat and when it comes to situations that may increase the risk, they would rather not take any chances.
Let's face it, if you knew that salmonella was found in some eggs but nobody is sure which eggs, where they came from or whether there are any more bad eggs out there, what would you do? Would you take your chances and order some sunny side up? Or would you pass on the eggs until the situation is cleared up? There are always some people who will take a chance, just as there are still people driving without seat belts and smoking cigarettes . . . but most people would give it a second thought . . . and many would pass on the eggs altogether. The idea of taking unnecessary risks is frightening to many people.
Unfortunately we are not dealing with bad eggs —we are dealing with bad human beings that are hiding among the good ones. The fact is that there is a very real threat, not a perceived one. Attacks have occurred in the past and continue to occur each week around the world. Several planned attacks in the U.S. have been averted and the threat continues. I would not call this "paranoia" since the thought process is not irrational. The unfortunate truth about this situation is, that the enemy is not only hiding among the innocent; he is taking root and growing his army there. To believe that is not the case would be irrational.
This is key to the mosque issue near ground zero. Other than respect for the thousands who perished at that site at the hands of the Islamic Muslim extremists, one of the biggest reasons people are against it is that mosques are used worldwide by the Islamic Muslim extremists to train and recruit terrorists.
Since 9/11 there have been tens of thousands of Islamic Muslim terrorist attacks worldwide resulting in six times as many deaths. Many people disclaim this issue and speak about the history of other religions and the number of people who have been killed in conflicts. We cannot even compare this to other religions in terms of who is more violent. The Islamic Muslim extremists are killing in the name of their God and training their children to do it as well. For example, in Lebanon, they are virtually repeating the process for teaching hatred toward Israel that was used by Hitler—spouting and distributing false propaganda, lies, manipulation, etc.. They are starting their teachings with small children who grow up being praised for their hatred. These anti-Semitic and anti-American teachings are so deeply rooted in some of these people that they know nothing else.
So, when people are concerned about a mosque opening near the location of the largest terrorist attack in history—I do not believe it should be discounted or ignored. We should question it thoroughly.
I would also caution against looking at Fox News like they are the evil empire protecting Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck is just a guy with an opinion that he is willing to share. He is very passionate about his opinions and his opinions are very conservative and very Christian. In his case, it just so happens that there are masses of people who can relate to what he is saying (approximately 750,000 attended his rally in Washington. As a matter of fact, Dr. Aveda King—the niece of the later Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—also spoke at his rally.
Additionally, I'm not sure that I have ever looked at The Daily Show or John Stewart as a reliable news source —the show is on Comedy Central. Al Sharpton was simply looking for another reason to complain, and while I am not a Glenn Beck follower . . . I do not see anything wrong with what he did.
I also think you have to be careful not to "cherry-pick" the "Freedoms" you support based on how closely they mold to what you agree with. I will admit that I was concerned by your comment regarding how Roosevelt dealt with Coughlin in the 30's and comparing it to Glenn Beck—I guess I am hoping that you were not suggesting that the government step in and try and limit his airtime simply because you do not like what he is saying.
I think this country is divided enough and we need to band together and fix what is wrong. Too many people drank the Kool-Aid during the last Presidential election . . . and we are in worse shape now than we were before. We went from the far right to the far left . . . it’s time to move to the center and away from extremists on all fronts.
Hi Murray,
I followed the hyperlink on your LinkedIn posting and read your write- up regarding the Mosque and Glenn Beck. Since the issue involves both politics and religion, I considered not responding . . . then I reconsidered. I hope you don’t mind me sharing my thoughts with you.
My personal opinion doesn't matter, however I think it's important for you to realize that this is a highly sensitive issue for many people and it involves multiple layers and varied degrees of intensity. By your writing, it's clear that you are in favor of the mosque, however there are probably more people against it than for it and the argument on both sides is somewhat compelling.
As you know, we are currently at war. I'm not talking about the war with Iraq or Afghanistan; rather I am referring to the war against the global Islamic Muslim extremists who are fixed on destroying the USA and our way of life.
When at war, the enemy looks to find your weaknesses. Since we are a country with open and free borders that protects the religious freedom as well as the civil rights of our citizens—and even our non-citizens—we are left in an extremely vulnerable position. As a result, the enemy is free to use these rights and protections to move in, take up residence, recruit and train and plan their attacks. Whenever they are questioned, they simply cry racism and/or discrimination and they make demands for their rights and freedoms! The rest of us proceed to argue and debate among ourselves—which further breaks down our country. Unfortunately, even though the majority of Muslims in the USA are peaceful Americans, they have extremists among them and people of this country are scared.
Among the Muslim community in the U.S., you could say there are a few bad eggs that are ruining it for the rest. The larger problem is, people know about the Islamic Muslim extremist threat and when it comes to situations that may increase the risk, they would rather not take any chances.
Let's face it, if you knew that salmonella was found in some eggs but nobody is sure which eggs, where they came from or whether there are any more bad eggs out there, what would you do? Would you take your chances and order some sunny side up? Or would you pass on the eggs until the situation is cleared up? There are always some people who will take a chance, just as there are still people driving without seat belts and smoking cigarettes . . . but most people would give it a second thought . . . and many would pass on the eggs altogether. The idea of taking unnecessary risks is frightening to many people.
Unfortunately we are not dealing with bad eggs —we are dealing with bad human beings that are hiding among the good ones. The fact is that there is a very real threat, not a perceived one. Attacks have occurred in the past and continue to occur each week around the world. Several planned attacks in the U.S. have been averted and the threat continues. I would not call this "paranoia" since the thought process is not irrational. The unfortunate truth about this situation is, that the enemy is not only hiding among the innocent; he is taking root and growing his army there. To believe that is not the case would be irrational.
This is key to the mosque issue near ground zero. Other than respect for the thousands who perished at that site at the hands of the Islamic Muslim extremists, one of the biggest reasons people are against it is that mosques are used worldwide by the Islamic Muslim extremists to train and recruit terrorists.
Since 9/11 there have been tens of thousands of Islamic Muslim terrorist attacks worldwide resulting in six times as many deaths. Many people disclaim this issue and speak about the history of other religions and the number of people who have been killed in conflicts. We cannot even compare this to other religions in terms of who is more violent. The Islamic Muslim extremists are killing in the name of their God and training their children to do it as well. For example, in Lebanon, they are virtually repeating the process for teaching hatred toward Israel that was used by Hitler—spouting and distributing false propaganda, lies, manipulation, etc.. They are starting their teachings with small children who grow up being praised for their hatred. These anti-Semitic and anti-American teachings are so deeply rooted in some of these people that they know nothing else.
So, when people are concerned about a mosque opening near the location of the largest terrorist attack in history—I do not believe it should be discounted or ignored. We should question it thoroughly.
I would also caution against looking at Fox News like they are the evil empire protecting Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck is just a guy with an opinion that he is willing to share. He is very passionate about his opinions and his opinions are very conservative and very Christian. In his case, it just so happens that there are masses of people who can relate to what he is saying (approximately 750,000 attended his rally in Washington. As a matter of fact, Dr. Aveda King—the niece of the later Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—also spoke at his rally.
Additionally, I'm not sure that I have ever looked at The Daily Show or John Stewart as a reliable news source —the show is on Comedy Central. Al Sharpton was simply looking for another reason to complain, and while I am not a Glenn Beck follower . . . I do not see anything wrong with what he did.
I also think you have to be careful not to "cherry-pick" the "Freedoms" you support based on how closely they mold to what you agree with. I will admit that I was concerned by your comment regarding how Roosevelt dealt with Coughlin in the 30's and comparing it to Glenn Beck—I guess I am hoping that you were not suggesting that the government step in and try and limit his airtime simply because you do not like what he is saying.
I think this country is divided enough and we need to band together and fix what is wrong. Too many people drank the Kool-Aid during the last Presidential election . . . and we are in worse shape now than we were before. We went from the far right to the far left . . . it’s time to move to the center and away from extremists on all fronts.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Our Latest Demagogue
Time to catch up on some rants:
How revolting is Glenn Beck?
He’s accomplished the near impossible. He’s managed to make Al Sharpton into a sympathetic figure.
Before leaving for Russia two weeks ago, I read an article on the proposed mosque inside a community center proponents want to build two blocks from ground zero in Manhattan. No doubt you’ve heard about it. Back in early August the controversy was just simmering; it had not yet percolated into a national boil. The article in question noted the Anti Defamation League had come out against the location of the mosque.
For sure many Jews are against it. But I was appalled the ADL took a public stance. I was incensed the ADL’s position had been construed as blanket Jewish opposition. On this issue, the ADL does not speak for me, or, I hope, for anyone who truly loves and cherishes the values upon which this country was founded.
Thousands perished on 9/11. They should be publicly memorialized, in a positive fashion, not in a discriminatory one.
After WWII, my father abstained whenever possible from buying German products. He never voiced his boycott to his children. But we got the message. To this day none of us have bought a German car. He refused to travel back to Europe to receive the reparations he was entitled to. If the families of the victims of the terrorists want to honor their loved ones by individually harboring anti-Muslim feelings, that’s their right. But let’s not allow them, or demagogic politicians, or ill-advised organizations, to hijack our national heritage of tolerance.
It’s been pointed out that a mosque already exists within four blocks of ground zero, that the proposed construction does not front on the hallowed ground, that in the immediate vicinity there are strip clubs and bars that bring a less than sanctified presence to the area.
Perhaps, if we truly want to exact retribution on those who attacked our way of life, how’s about barring financial services companies from ground zero and its environs? It could be argued that the economic tsunami of the last three years has hurt more families than Al Qaeda has.
To get a better understanding of just how disturbed and disturbing Islamaphobia has become, watch last Wednesday’s Daily Show interview by Assif Mandvi of Laurie Cardoza-Moore, the leader of a mosque opposition group in Murfreesboro, Tenn.!!! The interview appears about five minutes into the broadcast— http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/wed-august-25-2010-drew-barrymore (when this loads make sure you are viewing the show from August 25 with Drew Barrymore as the guest. If it says Michael Bloomberg, simply scroll down and click on the correct link).
There is a paranoia sweeping our country. Tolerance, religious freedom are under assault, in the guise of national and defense interests. Racial and religious physical attacks occur daily. Regrettably, our nation has a history of demagoguery. Back in the 1930s, Father Charles Edward Coughlin attracted 40 million listeners to his radio programs. That’s roughly one out of every four Americans. In the guise of combating communism, he spouted anti-semitic diatribes. He was the Glenn Beck of his time. The Roosevelt administration took steps to limit his access to the airwaves and the mail for his printed screeds.
But Glenn Beck is protected by Fox News. We have to rely on our good senses to counteract his venom, misinformation, disingenuity and bigotry. I hope we are up to the challenge.
How revolting is Glenn Beck?
He’s accomplished the near impossible. He’s managed to make Al Sharpton into a sympathetic figure.
Before leaving for Russia two weeks ago, I read an article on the proposed mosque inside a community center proponents want to build two blocks from ground zero in Manhattan. No doubt you’ve heard about it. Back in early August the controversy was just simmering; it had not yet percolated into a national boil. The article in question noted the Anti Defamation League had come out against the location of the mosque.
For sure many Jews are against it. But I was appalled the ADL took a public stance. I was incensed the ADL’s position had been construed as blanket Jewish opposition. On this issue, the ADL does not speak for me, or, I hope, for anyone who truly loves and cherishes the values upon which this country was founded.
Thousands perished on 9/11. They should be publicly memorialized, in a positive fashion, not in a discriminatory one.
After WWII, my father abstained whenever possible from buying German products. He never voiced his boycott to his children. But we got the message. To this day none of us have bought a German car. He refused to travel back to Europe to receive the reparations he was entitled to. If the families of the victims of the terrorists want to honor their loved ones by individually harboring anti-Muslim feelings, that’s their right. But let’s not allow them, or demagogic politicians, or ill-advised organizations, to hijack our national heritage of tolerance.
It’s been pointed out that a mosque already exists within four blocks of ground zero, that the proposed construction does not front on the hallowed ground, that in the immediate vicinity there are strip clubs and bars that bring a less than sanctified presence to the area.
Perhaps, if we truly want to exact retribution on those who attacked our way of life, how’s about barring financial services companies from ground zero and its environs? It could be argued that the economic tsunami of the last three years has hurt more families than Al Qaeda has.
To get a better understanding of just how disturbed and disturbing Islamaphobia has become, watch last Wednesday’s Daily Show interview by Assif Mandvi of Laurie Cardoza-Moore, the leader of a mosque opposition group in Murfreesboro, Tenn.!!! The interview appears about five minutes into the broadcast— http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/wed-august-25-2010-drew-barrymore (when this loads make sure you are viewing the show from August 25 with Drew Barrymore as the guest. If it says Michael Bloomberg, simply scroll down and click on the correct link).
There is a paranoia sweeping our country. Tolerance, religious freedom are under assault, in the guise of national and defense interests. Racial and religious physical attacks occur daily. Regrettably, our nation has a history of demagoguery. Back in the 1930s, Father Charles Edward Coughlin attracted 40 million listeners to his radio programs. That’s roughly one out of every four Americans. In the guise of combating communism, he spouted anti-semitic diatribes. He was the Glenn Beck of his time. The Roosevelt administration took steps to limit his access to the airwaves and the mail for his printed screeds.
But Glenn Beck is protected by Fox News. We have to rely on our good senses to counteract his venom, misinformation, disingenuity and bigotry. I hope we are up to the challenge.
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