Just like the perpetual penny, the Reverend Terry Jones is back in Dearborn. Yesterday he spoke and then tried to walk to the Arab Festival. His walk was interrupted by protesters who attacked him as he made his way down the public streets wearing a bullet proof vest.
Welcome to Dearbornistan. In this suburban Detroit suburb known for the headquarters of Ford Motor Company, the largest group of Arabs outside the Middle East live. Want to see what a burka looks like, go to Dearborn. Want to know what it is like to live in the Middle East, go to Dearborn. Want to see politicians falling all over themselves to appease Muslims, go to Dearborn.
Now, as I have said previously in these blogs, Reverend Jones is not my cup of tea and I definitely do not agree with him or his tactics. However, when one looks at the reception he has received in Dearborn, it scares me. Where has our ability to accept others gone? Is this any different than Europe where Muslims are catered to and allowed to do things that others are not?
One of the strengths of this country has been the ability of people of varying religions to get along. It is sort of "you have your religion, your native country, or your political beliefs and I have mine, just leave me alone and I will do the same." In this way Protestants and Catholics could live next door even though they would have been shooting each other in Ireland. Pakistanis and Indians can live next door to each other, work together and have none of the problems that exist in their native countries. This ability to accept the others in this country, has been unique in human history. Nowhere on earth does this occur but here.
So when I see the City of Dearborn prevent Reverend Jones from speaking--as he was last month (regardless of how anti Jones the populace might be) and see him physically attacked on the street--as he was yesterday. I am wondering if we are not losing something very special, that ability to accept others.
On the other hand, one has to look at the combatants in this issue. There is Christianity (which before the Reformation was very violent) and Islam which is now violent. Now, I am sure there will be some who read this blog who will disagree with the violent issue, however, one only has to look around the world to see where violence is occurring (including 9/11) to see that Muslims have been involved in most of these actions.
Islam definitely is on the rise and its leaders are not afraid of killing, maiming, silencing, or threatening its enemies. Just look at the Muhammad cartoons and the world wide reaction to them including the newspapers in this country who refused to publish them in fear of reprisal. This my friends is scary. When our freedom of speech is diminished, we all lose.
So I support Reverend Jones and his ability to speak, to tell the world what he thinks is going on and to freely walk the streets of Dearborn. I may disagree with him, his actions, or his words, but he has every right to peacefully express his opinions. If that right goes way for him, when will you or I no longer be able to express our thoughts?
Welcome to Dearbornistan. In this suburban Detroit suburb known for the headquarters of Ford Motor Company, the largest group of Arabs outside the Middle East live. Want to see what a burka looks like, go to Dearborn. Want to know what it is like to live in the Middle East, go to Dearborn. Want to see politicians falling all over themselves to appease Muslims, go to Dearborn.
Now, as I have said previously in these blogs, Reverend Jones is not my cup of tea and I definitely do not agree with him or his tactics. However, when one looks at the reception he has received in Dearborn, it scares me. Where has our ability to accept others gone? Is this any different than Europe where Muslims are catered to and allowed to do things that others are not?
One of the strengths of this country has been the ability of people of varying religions to get along. It is sort of "you have your religion, your native country, or your political beliefs and I have mine, just leave me alone and I will do the same." In this way Protestants and Catholics could live next door even though they would have been shooting each other in Ireland. Pakistanis and Indians can live next door to each other, work together and have none of the problems that exist in their native countries. This ability to accept the others in this country, has been unique in human history. Nowhere on earth does this occur but here.
So when I see the City of Dearborn prevent Reverend Jones from speaking--as he was last month (regardless of how anti Jones the populace might be) and see him physically attacked on the street--as he was yesterday. I am wondering if we are not losing something very special, that ability to accept others.
On the other hand, one has to look at the combatants in this issue. There is Christianity (which before the Reformation was very violent) and Islam which is now violent. Now, I am sure there will be some who read this blog who will disagree with the violent issue, however, one only has to look around the world to see where violence is occurring (including 9/11) to see that Muslims have been involved in most of these actions.
Islam definitely is on the rise and its leaders are not afraid of killing, maiming, silencing, or threatening its enemies. Just look at the Muhammad cartoons and the world wide reaction to them including the newspapers in this country who refused to publish them in fear of reprisal. This my friends is scary. When our freedom of speech is diminished, we all lose.
So I support Reverend Jones and his ability to speak, to tell the world what he thinks is going on and to freely walk the streets of Dearborn. I may disagree with him, his actions, or his words, but he has every right to peacefully express his opinions. If that right goes way for him, when will you or I no longer be able to express our thoughts?
Too right. Do you see politicians bowing and scraping to Christians? Quite the opposite. Christians are so timid and lazy these days. No wonder Dr Terry Jones methods and words are so shocking to many. But God help America if they do not wake up.
ReplyDeleteHe was deliberately trying to incite violence from the crowd, and a few idiots took the bait.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you have anything to say about the other 99.9% of the crowd?
--David
David, had all of the people ignored the Reverend a month ago, he would have not been back this weekend, however, the thousands that came out to protest, only increases the attraction to the Reverend.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, had the Arab activists demanded that Dearborn Police arrested Christians on the sidewalks last year, we probably would not have seen the Reverend Jones here this year. It is a unintended consequence of trying to control any anti-Muslim activity.
Jones went to Dearborn because that is where there is a large concentration of Muslims for him to annoy and incite. He knew there would be some hot-heads in the crowd who would create an uproar and attract media attention. He came back the second time, because it worked the first time.
ReplyDeleteThe other 99.9% of the crowd exercised their First Amendment free speech rights without resorting to violence.
The rest of the Muslims in the Dearborn community simply ignored him.
I agree that it would have been best if all of them had ignored him, although I can understand why some could not resist protesting when he comes right into their backyard with his bigotry.
--David
There is a long-standing history of cases, including U.S. Supreme Court cases, that upholds a community's right to restrict free speech in nonpublic forums.
ReplyDeleteAs you might know, it is called the Public Forum Doctrine….
http://www.freedomforum.org/packages/first/publicforumdoctrine/
So, this raises the question whether the sidewalk across the street at the Islamic Center is a designated public forum, or has ever been designated even as a "limited public forum" by the city of Dearborn? If not, then the city was within its legal rights to require that Jones deliver his speech in a public forum.
The letter from the city mayor explains the issue pretty well...
http://www.deepsaidwhat.com/2011/04/20/dearborn-mayors-open-letter-to-pastor-terry-jones/
--David
David, your opinion is an example of those who would give up rights to our religions to placate others notably those adherants of the Muslim religion. Over and over in Europe, accomodations have been made to the Muslims and they continue to demand more and more. In Dearborn, it is the same.
ReplyDeleteLast year when Christians were handing out material outside the Arab Festival, they were arrested. In the subsequent trial, they were acquitted. They should not have been arrested in the first place. However, that is not what occurs in Dearbornistan. Although I think that Reverend Jones is a self promoting trouble maker, I think that he has a point.
You wrote, "your opinion is an example of those who would give up rights to our religions to placate others notably those adherants of the Muslim religion."
ReplyDeleteI don't see how you can conclude that from what I wrote.
Jones has free speech right to come to Dearborn and make his speech in a public forum. Regardless the content of the speech, one does not have a constitutional right to speak on any public property he chooses. From what I have read, he was asking permission to speak in a nonpublic forum. The city has the legal authority to deny that request, especially under the circumstances outlined in the mayor's letter.
Do you claim that the First Amendment gives you the constitutional right to stand in front of your public library or elementary school and preach the evils of Islam? These are nonpublic forums, and apparently the sidewalk across the street from the Islamic center is also designated as a nonpublic forum. Now, if Dearborn has allowed other organizations to hold demonstrations there but denied it to Jones, then you would have a valid point.
Regarding the arrested Christians, you told me last week that the "truth" is often in the middle…
http://www.fairlanealliance.org/downloads/letter_concerning_acts_17.pdf
I also found this interesting…
Kelly Boggs of the Baptist Press lambasted the City of Dearborn after the arrest. He was misled and believed the same story Fox News disseminated. He investigated the matter and later apologized for his error. He wrote in his apology, “The Baptist State Convention of Michigan also distributed materials during the festival. “Our teams had a strong presence and had no issues at all,” wrote Carlos Liese, language ministry leader with the Michigan convention, in an e-mail. “Our volunteers had many conversations about Christ with participants, passed out 2000 ‘Jesus Film’ DVDs and 500 copies of the Gospel of John and Romans in Arabic.”” Those Baptists were actually busy doing what Acts 17 Apologetics claimed to be doing “illegally.” Drop your cameras and carry some Bibles next year!
http://husseinwario.com/blog/2010/08/06/acts-17-apologetics-claims-examined/
--David