Sunday March 14, 2010 Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago by Jerry Bader
This might be the most critical I will ever be of an editorial with which I largely agree. As I have argued on the air all week, those would block a Muslim group in Sheboygan County from establishing a mosque simply because they don't want a mosque there would be violating that group's 1st Amendment rights to practice their religion. The Sheboygan Press and I agree on that very large point. Here is where we differ:
While not all Muslims are terrorists, concerns about mosques being breeding grounds for terrorism are hardly irrational. There are ample examples of that, including in this country. That's not a reason for any governmental body to deny this group their mosque, but it's reality.
Muslims have done themselves no favors in failing to firmly repudiate the actions of the Islamo-terrorist fringe, especially Muslims in this country. Further, mosques are draped in secrecy. Most churches in this country (not all, but most) are open; pretty much anybody can go in and see what's going on inside. That's not the case with mosques. Secrecy almost always breeds suspicion.
Finally, the Press engages in a delicious little piece of hypocrisy here, all in one neat sentence:
For those who choose to think every Muslim is a terrorist, you should return to the history books and turn off the shock radio/TV people, who are in the business of spreading hate and anger
In the same breath that they chastise those who generalize the actions of a few to an entire population, they do exactly the same thing by saying all talk show hosts spread hate and anger. I assume that includes me, who spent all of last week chastising those who would deny this group their 1st Amendment rights. And those who would deny this group, consider this; there are liberals in this country who find Christianity every bit as dangerous as you might consider Islam to be. They have already tried to limit the expression of religion in this country. Do you REALLY want to set the precedent of limiting worship in the name of national security for THEM? Do you, really?
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