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Gold9472
11-30-2005, 11:00 PM
Confounding patriotism and bigotry in post-9/11 America

http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2005/16-28feb05-Print-Edition/162802200572.htm

The Milli Gazette Online
By Louay M. Safi, Ph.D. <louaysafi@LSinsight.org>
12/1/2005

A patriot is "one who loves, supports, and defends one's country." A bigot, on the other hand, is "one who is strongly partial to one's own group religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ," says the American Heritage dictionary. The difference between the two is obvious and enormous: Patriotism is borne out of love and generosity towards the country to which a person belongs, while bigotry is borne out of hate and a mean-spirited attitude towards those who are different.

The clear difference can be easily obscured when defending one’s country includes fighting an enemy whose identity is broadly and loosely delineated, and when that identity is defined in religious and racial terms.

The 9/11 attacks presented America with a real threat that required an appropriate response to defend the homeland against a ruthless enemy. The identity of the attackers was pined down, and the whole world learned that the terrorists who carried out the brutal attacks were Arabs and Muslims.

Armed with these facts, bigots sprang to work, hiding their hateful and mean-spirited design against Islam and Muslims under the garment of patriotism. Rather than calling for inter-religious and inter-racial unity against religious fanaticism, the bigots advocated hate, religious and racial discrimination, and the violation of the civil liberties of American Muslims.

Never mind that none of the terrorists who carried 9/11 attacks were American, hate mongers insist on treating all Arab and Muslim Americans as potential terrorists. The bigots turned the war on terror into a war on Islam. Islam has to be fought on the pretense that it forms the ground of the terrorist impulse, and on the false claim that the Qur’an is the source of violence and hate.

The line between patriotism and bigotry has been crossed, in the last two years, too frequently and at all levels of the American society.

When Army Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, the deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence, tells church gatherings in reference to a Muslim militant leader in Somalia "I knew that my God was bigger than his; I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol," and is allowed to keep his job, the line between patriotism and bigotry is crossed, and we end up with Abu Ghuraib scandal.

When John Ashcroft, US attorney General, contends that "Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him," while "Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for you," the line between patriotism and bigotry is crossed, and we end up with massive detention and deportation of thousands of innocent Muslim immigrants.

When Washington Times, a leading newspaper, publishes an article by Sam Harris, entitled "Mired in a Religious War," that declares Islam the enemy, and openly advocates an all-out war on Islam and Muslims, the line between patriotism and bigotry is crossed, and bigotry and intolerance are elevated into an acceptable national discourse.

When reputed evangelist leaders such as Franklin Graham, Jerry Falwell, and John Vine describe Islam as "wicked, violent and not of the same god," and call the Prophet of Islam a "terrorist " and "Pedophile," and are allowed to get away with it, the line between patriotism and bigotry is crossed, and America is degraded.

When sweeping laws designed to undermine constitutional protections are enacted without congressional debate, given the title of "Patriot Act," and used to smear main stream American Muslim organizations and law-abiding Muslim individuals and leaders, the line between patriotism and bigotry is crossed, and we end up alienating a community crucial for the success of the war on terrorism.

When the military accuses Col. James Lee, a dedicated Muslim Chaplain and West Point graduate, of spying, and orders his incarceration in a maximum security facility, but fail to provide any evidence to back up these serious charges, the line between patriotism and bigotry is crossed, and the trust in the military’s commitment to diversity and due process is undermined.

Defending one’s country is not about protecting a piece of real estate, but protecting the values upon which the country is founded, and protecting the people who espouse and perpetuate those values. True and genuine patriotism requires that one defend the freedom and dignity of one’s fellow citizens regardless of their racial and religious affiliation. Those who limit their sense of patriotism to defending the freedom of specific religious and racial groups, while attacking the civil liberties and questioning the patriotism of those who do not share their religion, race, or political orientation are undoubtedly the real bigots.

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 04:24 PM
Aren't you the guy that said you'd never let a republican be a mod?

Gold9472
12-01-2005, 04:41 PM
Aren't you the guy that said you'd never let a republican be a mod?

Yep. One has nothing to do with the other. I'd never let someone who supports Bush (a Republican) be a mod on this site. And the reason is, there is A LOT of documented Bush corruption on this site. If a "Bush Supporter" somehow got the ability to delete some of that information, it could be lost forever.

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 04:43 PM
A bigot, on the other hand, is "one who is strongly partial to one's own group religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ," says the American Heritage dictionary.
Whether you have a good excuse or not.

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 04:43 PM
'Course, you own the site and can do whatever the hell you want with it.

Gold9472
12-01-2005, 04:44 PM
People who support Bush are one of three things:


Morons
Like-Minded
Rich

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 04:44 PM
Just thought I'd point out that little inconsistancy, though.

Gold9472
12-01-2005, 04:45 PM
It's the "Like-Minded" people that scare me.

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 04:45 PM
People who support Bush are one of three things:


Morons
Like-Minded
Rich

4. confused
5. unsure
6. Untrusting of liberals, even if the conservative option is bad

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 04:46 PM
There are plenty of conservatives that think that as bad as Bush is, things could always be worse.

Gold9472
12-01-2005, 04:47 PM
Just thought I'd point out that little inconsistancy, though.

I'm not being inconsistent. I'm ALL ABOUT everyone working together, and ALL ABOUT doing away with racism.

However, I don't trust people who support Bush. Because they either want to rule the world, buy the world, or don't know what world they live on.

Gold9472
12-01-2005, 04:49 PM
There are plenty of conservatives that think that as bad as Bush is, things could always be worse.

How could it be worse?

Partridge
12-01-2005, 04:53 PM
People like me could be in power!

Gold9472
12-01-2005, 04:57 PM
People like me could be in power!

The White House is occupied... doesn't get much worse than that.

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 04:57 PM
Like he said. :) America hasn't collapsed into anarchism yet. Despite how evil you display the bush team as, you can still freely do and say what you want here on your site. Political views aren't banned yet (though I wouldn't be surprised if this happened in the 2008-2012 presidency).America's still America, it's just less friendly. It's not more dangerous than it was, it's slightly less free than it was but still good compared to plenty of other countries. It's not all doom and gloom. Just gloom.

Gold9472
12-01-2005, 05:04 PM
Like he said. :) America hasn't collapsed into anarchism yet. Despite how evil you display the bush team as, you can still freely do and say what you want here on your site. Political views aren't banned yet (though I wouldn't be surprised if this happened in the 2008-2012 presidency).America's still America, it's just less friendly. It's not more dangerous than it was, it's slightly less free than it was but still good compared to plenty of other countries. It's not all doom and gloom. Just gloom.

an·ar·chy
P^Pronunciation Key^^(nr-k)
n. pl. an·ar·chies

1. Absence of any form of political authority.
2. Political disorder and confusion.
2. Absence of any cohesive principle, such as a common standard or purpose.

Some people refer to me as an "Anarchist" because I ask repeatedly for accountability for blatently treasonous acts. Because I go against the "Norm"....

The "Norm" being what got us to where we are today.

I want you to understand what's going on in Washington D.C. right now...

Over the last 50 years or so, our Government has slowly been "infiltrated" by individuals who's only purpose is to better themselves, their friends, and their families.

As a result of this, more policies have been made that benefit the 1%, or the "ruling class", rather than the rest of Americans.

Right now, we're feeling the effects of what happens when a Government stops serving the people, and starts serving themselves.

In the last 5 years alone, our Government has...

1. Committed Election Fraud in 2000/2004, destroying the very foundation for a "Democracy".
2. Turned back critical environmental safeguards that benefit ALL life on earth.
3. Lied to the American People on COUNTLESS occasions regarding The War, The Medicare Bill, 9/11, etc...
4. Committed Treason by releasing the identity of a CIA Operative, presumably causing the deaths of 70 CIA agents around the world. All for retaliation against Joseph Wilson.
5. Changed our policy from a defensive nature to a pre-emptive one.
6. Created policy that CONDONES the use of torture. Something that goes against morality, AND the "Geneva Conventions".
7. Created policy that goes against the very foundations of what makes America, America. The Patriot Act I, and the Patriot Act II.

Obviously more can be added to this list. My point is...

Our Government, with the absence of any form of political authority to hold those responsible for what I mentioned accountable, creates political disorder and confusion.

Essentially creating a state of "Anarchy".

If our Government is in a state of "Anarchy", then what does that say for the wellbeing of our Country?

WAKE UP AMERICA! ;)

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 05:11 PM
Your day to day life is still relatively unaffected. Has the government shut down ybbs for back talking? No. Have liberals been rounded up? No. It's not like we're too far gone, or even very far gone at all.

Gold9472
12-01-2005, 05:15 PM
Your day to day life is still relatively unaffected. Has the government shut down ybbs for back talking? No. Have liberals been rounded up? No. It's not like we're too far gone, or even very far gone at all.

Sooooooo, you would rather let it happen, than try to stop it from happening?

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 05:18 PM
Let the country collapse? Nope, not at all. I'm just saying its not as bad as you think. You were saying it couldn't get much worse. It could. Hopefully, due to the actions of the various truthers (there's plenty of hidden stuff in the government), it can be prevented. I'm more worried about whats going to happen with the next president than what Bush is going to do in the next three years.

Gold9472
12-01-2005, 05:20 PM
Let the country collapse? Nope, not at all. I'm just saying its not as bad as you think. You were saying it couldn't get much worse. It could. Hopefully, due to the actions of the various truthers (there's plenty of hidden stuff in the government), it can be prevented. I'm more worried about whats going to happen with the next president than what Bush is going to do in the next three years.

It's not as bad as I think? Well shit... why the hell do I have this site? Ok... if you say it's not so bad, then that's good enough for me.

jetsetlemming
12-01-2005, 05:23 PM
It's bad, and you've got the right idea. You're just being a little bit pessimistic about the state of the country. Bush:bad, but America:/lost, under the control of comspiracy of domination, etc.
And I'm still more worried about the future. The present doesn't look like it's going to get worse from Bush.