To burn or not to burn?

Before I start this rant. let me go on record stating that I think Pastor Terry Jones is an idiot.  Pastor Jones is the man who will be heading up a "Koran Burning" down in Gainesville, Florida on the eve of September 11th.  While I understand Pastor Jones's sentiment behind the burning, and even stand by his legal right to do so, I still think he is an idiot.  I do not think he is an idiot because of possible backlash by Islamic followers or the multitude of global protests, but because I believe he is doing this burning for no other reason than to gain his 15 minutes of fame in the public eye and he is going against the very principals of Christianity that he is supposed to foster. 

That being said, I wish to speak to a key number of consequences that have come from his decision to perform this burning.  At the top of the list, comes the statement by General Petraeus stating that doing so will put the lives of soldiers in danger.  First, let me state that everyone who knows me knows that I have nothing but the utmost love and respect for those in uniform who protect the American ideal, however, in this case, General Petraeus should have stayed silent.  The General is a just that, a general in the US military.  The subject of burning a religious text as protest is a political matter, of which, a general in the US Military has no business intervening.  Had Gen. Petraeus given his "personal opinion" out of uniform, and clarified that such statement was not one of the US Military, it would have been one thing, but he did not, thus violating the very principal of a citizen military.  Just as President Obama, as a national figure, consistently, and unjustifiably, inserts himself into local matters, the General has inserted himself into a political matter of which he has no jurisdiction.  In addition, need I remind the General that our soldiers are, and have been, in the line of danger for sometime. Regardless of President Obama's misguided declaration that combat operations in Iraq are over, we still have 50,000 troops actively engaged, and in the line of fire, daily in Iraq, not to mention Afghanistan.  Those soldiers fight for the rights granted us by the US Constitution, even if they are things that they may not personally agree with.  I know not one soldier who would agree with the burning of the American Flag, but every day they lace up their boots and put themselves in harm's way to maintain the right to do so.

Second is all the media claims of Islamic backlash, the coverage of all the "global protests", and the Ground Zero Mosque Imam's thinly veiled threat that if this burning is not stopped, then the "radicals" of Islam will take this as an attack against Islam and that we will suffer the consequences.  To start, the media is just as culpable in this as Pastor Terry Jones.  They gave significance to his protest, choosing to make it a national and global issue.  Was this done to take the eye off of our current administration's failed policies, to distract the people from the mid-term elections, or to further foster their claims that "islamophobia" has gripped the country?  I don't know, but it appears that they succeeded in all three. 

Since when do we let outside entities dictate how America will react?  Since when do American's lay down in fear and abide to thugs due to risk of violence?  From Hillary Clinton, to Gen. Petraeus, to Angelina Jolie, everyone is stating that this should be stopped or violence will ensue.  Take a look around you!  Pick up any newspaper within the last 20 years and you will see that we've been in the grip of Islam violence for some time.  I do agree with Pastor Jones in that we cannot be afraid of Islam anymore.  We cannot allow our policies, our lives, or our rights to be violated by the Islamic faith.  If we allow Islam to sway our decisions, then we have already lost our freedom.  If we make decisions based on the "possibility" of Islamic violence, then might as well lay down and submit ourselves to Sharia law, as the terrorists have won and the American way is gone.  We must remember that Islam is a religion of violence and fear.  If not this Koran burning, it would be some other perceived atrocity that they would rioting and threatening us over.  Where does is end?  Do we then submit our laws to the same fear?  Will we allow a man who beats his wife to go free because Islamists say it is his right?  Must we demand that rape victims be publicly and violently punished for their misfortune?   Must prop 8 in California be turned to law because Muslim's will distribute violence upon us for allowing homosexuals to have marriage rights?  At what point do we say enough is enough?  At what point does it become too late to make that assertion?

On the subject of "islamophobia" as progressed by the media; first, we must agree on the definition of "Islamophobia".  A phobia, as defined by Merriam Webster is "an exaggerated, usually inexplicable and illogical, fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation".   There is nothing illogical or inexplicable about opposing the building of a monument to the very faith that murdered over 3000 of our American brothers and sisters.  Would it be illogical to demand that a rapists face be tattooed on the body of his victim?  It is not illogical to claim that Islam is a religion of violence when history has shown over and over again the numerous jihad's that have resulted in the murder, rape, and torture of non-believers.  It is not a phobia, but a realistic look at Islam for what it is. 

But what about the "moderate" Muslims?  While I agree that there are those within the faith that wish to modernize it, there has to be an understanding that it will never happen.  In order for Muslims to "modernize" and transform Islam into  a "religion of peace" then those moderates would have to decry their own prophet and religious text to do so.  Mohammed is not a figure of peace and virtue, but instead was a murderous, war-mongering, child marriage practioner, guilty of rape, pillage, and plunder during his lifelong quest to control and subjugate infidels to his faith.  It is also believed that the Koran is a direct dictation of speech between Mohammed and Allah to be followed implicitly and without question.  In order for revisionists to change the Muslim faith, they would have to separate themselves from the very core of their belief.  Since the faith itself punishes any outspoken person against the religion with death, we can expect the vast majority of Muslims to remain silent.  Just as not all Germans were Nazis, they stayed silent as the "radicals" overtook the culture.  We are seeing the same thing today with Islam, but rather just a matter of national pride, we are talking about religious indoctrination which is much further ingrained in the psyche, thus much harder to defend against.

While I believe Pastor Jones to be an idiot for his "protest", the media has now made this a no-win situation for America.  Due to their proliferation of this non-subject, we are now in the global [Islamic] eye.  If he does not go thru with his burning, then we once again allowed ourselves to bend to the threat of Islam.  If he does go thru with it, then we allowed ourselves to "declare war on Islam", and give them an irrational justification for the actions that they've been perpetrating for centuries.  Either way, Islam has gotten what it wants, rule over American freedom or an excuse for their violence.  While I disagree with Pastor Jones's actions, I will have to take the side of standing up against the Islamic threat.  This will get me labeled as a "racist", but they've been calling me that for 2 years now, so what the hell?  This is a situation that was fueled by a sensational liberal media and by politicians who involve themselves in affairs that will advance their political clout and agenda.  It has to stop somewhere, so to Pastor Jones:  I will curse you for your ignorance, but I stand by you in light of the fire you have started.