I’m not particularly a fan of political correctness. I’ve said more than a few times over the years that this PC movement is overboard and the popular thought in our country is overly feminist, overly minority-coddling, wussified to the point of reverse discrimination. Come on, we’re in a war, toughen up, people! Let the kids run and play tag in school! If they don’t put out enough effort, fail them! Stop being afraid of them and their “self-esteem.” People are not that delicate! Rub some dirt on it and walk it off! And public assistance should be for those disabled, down on their luck, etc., not a permanent crutch for lazy people and for shrewd social-conscience-less people to take advantage of. So there. I’ve said some unpopular stuff. Gasp gasp, she’s turning into a conservative. Whatever, I don’t disagree with that. I pay my taxes.

But it wasn’t until recently that I saw close-to-home pendulum swings in the other direction. Not just un-PC, but stuff that shocked me for how much it seems to set society back. Are we in the McCarthy era again? Are we gonna intern Americans with 1/16th Japanese blood? And we’re now gonna make laws against religious “sins”? What happened to the separation of church and state? What happened to the big strides toward equality and tolerance? Just today, I had to be a part of this online…

On a social networking site friend’s status message: “If you think that putting up a Mosque 600 ft. from Ground Zero is immoral, inhuman, shows a complete lack of respect for the memories of all that perished on that day and their survivors, that politicians are doing a grave injustice to the fallen heroes, their families and all the people of New York City, THEN PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THIS TO YOUR WALL…”
This friend’s friend: “I think it is highly inappropriate and disrespectful of the men and women, not to mention the families of the victims, who lost their lives on that day.”
Me: “Well, on the one hand, it’s not the religion that killed people; it’s those misguided extremist idiots who got brainwashed through generations of more idiocy. Islam, when practiced purely, is not a violent religion.”
Another friend, whose daughter practices Islam: “just ask my daughter…”
Friend who posted the status message: “Correct. But when the results are this we have to take a stand!!”
Me: “no, I totally agree. but a stand against the terrorists, not the entire religion.”
Me: “I think that’s one of the beauties of what we teach in this country: we tolerate different races, backgrounds, cultures, unlike the extremist groups who think of an entire religion or race as something they need to exterminate, without exception, without free thought. An American ideal is that we’ll accept everyone and let the individual characters speak for themselves. A little bit of this sentiment is on Lady Liberty’s inscription, and continues through the famous words of MLK, Jr.”

I’m as patriotic as the next person. But I want to be clear-headed about who our enemies actually are. There are plenty of Muslims who are American, who were horrified and ashamed of the terrorists’ actions, who know their religion does not sanction such criminal inhuman actions. Yeah, it sucks that when these suicide bombers strike, they take down their entire religion along with the innocent victims when they say something bullcrappish like “We do this for Allah!” I bet they’re in for a rude awakening when they realize they’ve died for their sick cause and what’s this? They’re NOT sitting in heaven surrounded by 80-some virgins? If we condemn an entire religion based on the activities of these [some appropriate cuss word]s, we’re doing what they’re doing: attacking an entire category of people they don’t know, don’t understand, but just “believe” without proper justification is wrong or evil. We all know we don’t understand the laws of God enough to judge others in His name. We should know better. (And I’m not even religious in the traditional sense.)

**Addendum on 8-19-10
I was talking to a friend about this and he sent me a video clip of a show saying President Obama was contradicting himself on the issue because he first said pretty much exactly what I said: “I understand the emotions that this issue engenders, and Ground Zero is indeed hallowed ground. But let me be clear, as a citizen and as president: I believe that muslims have a right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country.” Then another clip of the president at another location and time, saying, “I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of the decision to put a mosque there.” He was immediately mocked for his position being wavering and unclear.
My response: “I totally agree with Obama. I get him, because I had thought the same thing myself.
As a country, we shouldn’t disallow this mosque because of everything I had stated. However, the people who proposed the mosque at that location are likely either political pot-stirrers, or very unwise. They should expect this backlash reaction. I feel horrible that we give that backlash and I think we shouldn’t, but it’s hardly surprising. For the safety of the mosque’s expected attendees, this was a very unwise location.”
So there, some balance… I didn’t mean to say last night in this post that I don’t understand the position of the opposers. I’m saying it’s not “immoral” or “inhuman,” and it would be hypocritical to oppose the religion based on the actions of a few. If I think the hate just needs to be put out with a water hose of tolerance and love, instead of with a battle axe of revenge or getting even, does that make me a hippy? I mean, if we attack with attacks, doesn’t that just perpetuate the attacking? But if we quash, then we’re done faster, right?