Ruminations

Political & social perspective from a "Heartless Libertarian".

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Location: Jackson, Michigan, United States

Married father of two. Card-carrying Libertarian

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

The "Peaceful" Religion

News

Nice. So, about the same time this religious group started protesting offenses against their beliefs, an extreme Christian religious group were protesting as well; let's see the difference...

The Christian "extremist" group asked their followers, and any in the general public, to protest an episode of Will & Grace by not watching it and not buying products from the sponsors. I'm sure some followed the direction but quite frankly, most of us simply went about our business.

The Islamic "extremists" didn't like cartoons drawn about their religious icon so they've decided to riot, burn and otherwise act like out of control animals. Classic.

Worse yet, the world seems to be caving in to this behavior; changing long-established policies, limiting freedom of expression and generally allowing the "religion of peace" to change policy through terror.

Let me ask you this; why do countries refuse to negotiate with terrorists when they kidnapp people, but they bend over backwards to supplicate to terrorists who destroy property (and people) in the streets? Another question; when are we going to quit believing the rhetoric that the Islamic faith is one fueled by peace? To watch events unfold, it seems fueled by kerosene...It lights buildings on fire better than peace does.

Last thought...I keep hearing that these extremists are a minority and not representative of the Islamic faith as a whole. When the "good Christian" Robertson goes on a right-wing rampage he's usually humiliated into retracting his crazy rants...Where is the "moral majority" of the Islamic faith putting these whack-jobs to shame and stopping their violent outbursts?

Shame on you Muhammad...You are either unwilling or unable to contain the violent side of your faithful; no wonder you've become a caricature in newspapers.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Shame On You President Bush

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/31/sheehan.arrest/index.html

Freedom of expression, either through speech, writing or symbolic gestures, is the single most important distinction between a free county and one run by despots. To be unable or afraid to publicly express our views without risk of arrest begins a very big first step away from the very core this great nation was founded on.

On January 31st, during a Presidential speech in our nation’s capitol, a mother whose son was killed in Iraq was arrested for wearing a t-shirt protesting the war! This woman threatened no one. This mother who lost her soldier son neither shouted obscenities nor displayed a threatening manner; yet she was handcuffed and escorted away from the capitol of the most democratic nation in the world.

The U.S.A. is trying to send a world-wide message of the benefits of democracy, yet we arrest a citizen for wearing a t-shirt that opposes our Present’s positions. As an American citizen that terrifies me.

What is your position regarding this incident? What amends can possibly be made to the American citizens and to foreign nationalists when the image of the arrest…For a t-shirt…is transmitted abroad?