Tuesday, August 24, 2010

This Whole Sad Mosque Business

Here's just a little taste of Dick Cavett's latest occasional column in the Times. By all means, you should read the whole thing. He's talking about the Ground Zero mosque affair.
I’m genuinely ashamed of us. How sad this whole mosque business is. It doesn’t take much, it seems, to lift the lid and let our home-grown racism and bigotry overflow. We have collectively taken a pratfall on a moral whoopee cushion. . . .
I like to think I’m not easily shocked, but here I am, seeing the emotions of the masses running like a freight train over the right to freedom of religion — never mind the right of eminent domain and private property. . . .
I just can’t believe that so many are willing to ignore the simple fact that nearly all Muslims were adamantly opposed to the actions and events that took place on 9/11, and denounced them strongly, saying that the Islamic religion in no way condones it.

Our goal in at least one of our Middle East wars is to rebuild a government in our own image — with democracy for all. Instead, we are rebuilding ourselves in the image of those who detest us. I hate to see my country — and it’s a hell of a good one — endorse what we purport to hate, besmirching what distinguishes us from countries where persecution rules.

One reader wrote, "Thank you. It's about time someone stated the obvious." To which all I can add is Amen. 

2 comments:

Montag said...

Those Muslims are loony!

Imagine us trying to set up an intitiative for inter-faith understanding in Baghdad!

Montag said...

Wait a minute! We did. We called it the Church of Shock 'n' Awe.