Letters to the Editor
drichmond
Published Letters: 235 Editor's Choice: 18
-
ruminations
[Read the article: Fox isn't the only "fair and balanced" one]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I read the editorial link provided by Golden Boy at the Washington Times, a paper owned by the Reverend Moon and hence in my opinion as worthy of paper as Murdoch's "New York Post" or of validity and 'truthiness' as Fox News.
But not to be biased (best I could) I read it and did a search and read some more articles, blogs, etc.. It would appear given the sources that Ellison does have some potential issues that need discussion like any other politician regarding CAIR and/or their supporters.
That said though and drifting slightly off topic what differentiates CAIR and Ellison from other Democrats and Republicans from receiving monies from pro-Israel lobbies? Lobbies that to my mind hinder any discussion of the realities of Middle-East policy and particularly the Palestinian/Israel question(s), and further diminishing our potential to address the wrongs our country supports through military and domestic aid to Israel, et al because they, the lobbies, for lack of a better word "own" certain politicians (Hillary).
Not to gloss over the topic of Israel and Palestine but it deserves hard questioning, debate and discussion, which unfortunately does not happen here in the U.S. as it does in Europe.
I recently spent a week in the Netherlands and Belgium and the topic of Israel and Palestine along with growing Muslim immigrant populations not assimilating into the "cultural and political" fabric of their new countries was the norm of our political discussions.
Here we rarely speak of such matters lest one be labeled an anti-Semite, see Edward W. Said's, "From Oslo to Iraq and the Road Map" for an example of such.
Finally had Beck been speaking to someone, say Chuck Schumer and the questioning has been along these lines-
"OK. No offense, and I know Jews. I like Jews. I've been to synagogues. I really don't believe that Judaism is a religion of evil. I -- you know, I think it's being hijacked, quite frankly. With that being said, you are a Democrat. You are saying, 'Let's cut and run.' And I have to tell you, I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way."
-and it becomes apparent how absurd this line of questioning really is.
-
New Law
[Read the article: Reid vows legislation on robo-calls, phony sample ballot]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I propose a new law- any politician, corporation (CEO, CFO, etc read DIEBOLD), citizen or non-citizen found guilty of intentionally denying citizens the right to vote either through fraud, voter intimidation, intentional miscounting, skewing or any other imaginable or not yet imagined means regardless of poltical affiliation will serve a mandatory sentence of life without parole in a maximum security prison
-
Golden Boy
[Read the article: Fox isn't the only "fair and balanced" one]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I am not a knee jerk reactionary liberal, progressive yes. I am more than willing to look at all sources of information and then give it my best "educated" opinion about the topic. Sometimes, like everyone I shoot from the hip or lip as the case may be and then regret it and other times not.
However I have one major disagreement with a statement you made.
"Actually, I agree with them - they are mainstream Islam. The problem is that mainstream Islam is far more radical than most Americans realize."
On what basis do you make such a statement? My landlord's wife is Muslim, another friends wife is Muslim, both happen to come from Indonesia. I hired for a job an African American who had converted to Islam, we spent many lunch breaks talking about religion and he in turn said that in Allah's eyes I was a true Muslim. A friend of mines father is a former member of the Nation of Islam and has since made the trek to Mecca, coming back with the same awakening that Malcolm X had.
When they were filming "The Siege" here in NYC they shot many of the scenes in my neighborhood. When I went to a deli to pick up the paper one afternoon the streets were full, I mean literally 500+ extras dressed in full battle gear and weaponry as U.S. soldiers. It was strange and I made a comment to the man behind the counter who happened to have come from Yemen, as a majority of deli owners here in Brooklyn do. His reply was that it was like being back home.
Can you imagine being an Arab Muslim with his experience? Given the political turmoil, poverty and tribalism, not to mention the indignities heaped upon the Palestinian people and the attendant woe, is it any surprise that such fervent hate is so easily born?
Mainstream Islam is no more radical than mainstream Christianity and frankly since we have collectively been held hostage to the Christian Right agenda and hypocrisy, find them, the "evangelicals' to be a far more credible threat to our democracy and our Constitution than monies being given to Ellison or Islam as a whole.
I would posit to you to likewise find out more about the religion and the 1.4 billion adherents to the faith before you start lump summing them all into the category of 'radical.' Because when you do so and also then refer to someone as a dupe you only lessen the strength, quality and character of your opinion to the level of Rush, Hannity, and others.
For starters I highly recommend the book I mentioned in my post, Edward W. Said’s "From Oslo to Iraq and the Road Map"