Showing posts with label hate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hate. Show all posts

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Beer Mug Assault and Burning Crosses

I ran into this last night:
"Charges: Woman attacked non-English speaking Applebee's diner"
KARE 11 Staff, KARE (November 5, 2015)

"A woman is charged with assault for allegedly smashing a beer mug across a diner's face at a local Applebee's -- all because the victim wasn't speaking English, according to the complaint.

"Jodie Marie Burchard-Risch, 43, was charged with third-degree assault for an incident that occurred on Oct. 30 at the Applebee's in Coon Rapids.

"According to the criminal complaint, Burchard-Risch was dining with her husband when she became upset after hearing the victim speaking in a foreign language in the neighboring booth...."
Managers at Applebee's tried to get Burchard-Risch to leave at that point. She did: after yelling a bit more at the other diner and using her beer mug as a weapon, hitting the other woman's face.

One of Applebee's managers followed Burchard-Risch out of the restaurant, staying with her until responding officers arrested her.

The victim has a deep cut across her nose; a cut on her right eyebrow and a big, deep, cut on her lower lip. That's bad, but it could have been worse. Apparently her eyes are okay, and she probably got medical attention promptly.

Burchard-Rish was charged Monday: and there may be more legal trouble coming.

Hate Crimes and Attitudes


I'm not a big fan of hate crime/bias-motivated crime laws, mostly because I think they wouldn't be needed if America's courts paid attention to earlier legal sanctions against slander and physical violence.

That said, I think this attack looks a lot like a 'hate crime.'

The violence of the attack encouraged my suspicion that the 'non-English' language would be Arabic or Spanish. I was wrong. The victim was speaking Swahili:
"Attack on diner at Coon Rapids Applebee's being examined for hate-crime charges"
"The victim, targeted because she wasn't speaking English, suffered deep cuts on her face in the beer-mug attack, according to assault charges."
Shannon Prather Star Tribune (November 7, 2015)

"An Anoka County prosecutor said Friday that authorities are looking into possible hate-crime counts against a woman charged with attacking a diner at the Coon Rapids Applebee's because she was speaking Swahili.

"The victim suffered deep cuts to her face when she was struck with a beer mug Oct. 30 as she ate lunch with her husband and friends, Anoka County authorities said this week.

"Jodie Burchard-Risch, 43, of Ramsey, was charged Monday in Anoka County District Court with third-degree assault.

"On Friday, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) called for hate-crime charges against Burchard-Risch...."
At this point, I could start ranting about the dangers of insufficiently-American foreigners, the need for beer mug control laws, or why restaurants breed violence and obesity.

That would be silly — but no more silly, I think, than many political debates. And that's another topic.

I'm not a Swahili-speaking young woman, so why should I care what happened in that restaurant?

For starters, I don't think 'my end of the boat isn't sinking' makes sense in situations like this. If I don't care when folks who aren't just like me get hurt, I can't reasonably expect sympathy if I'm the next target.

I don't fit today's 'victim' stereotype, but some 'real Americans' might see folks like me as a threat to 'their' country.

I look like a WASP, but I'm not. I'm a half-Irish Catholic. Happily, most Americans have realized that many Irishmen aren't violence-prone drunkards with criminal tendencies.

I've discussed attitudes, bias, and internment camps, before. (A Catholic Citizen in America June 21, 2015; Another War-on-Terror Blog September 12, 2009; January 22, 2009)

Avoiding Hasty Generalizations


I've seen a few folks who might speak Swahili in the small central-Minnesota town I call home, but I haven't heard that language here — apart from someone saying the Lord's Prayer in Swahili at the parish church.

I have, however, heard Spanish more frequently in recent years: mostly while standing in a grocery checkout line: and, rarely, an east-Asian language I didn't recognize.

My lack of violent response to these 'foreign threats' is no virtue. I see new families moving in as a sign that my town is in good shape, and likely to endure: at least for another generation or two.

Besides, as an American, I'd be very concerned if folks weren't pulling up stakes and moving here.

Maybe it's easier to divide the world into 'people like me' and 'foreign threats.' But that attitude doesn't make sense. Not to me.

Sure, some folks who speak Swahili, Arabic, Spanish, or Latvian, might try to blow up the post office or kill me. But but assuming that all Africans, Arabs, Hispanics, or whatever, are threats that makes about as much sense as assuming that all Christians are in the Ku Klux Klan. And that, sadly, is not another topic. (A Catholic Citizen in America January 18, 2015)

Living with difference:
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Friday, December 11, 2009

Anti-Islam Porno Posters in St. Cloud, Minnesota: "Unacceptable"

A little background: Quite a few Minnesotans came here quite recently, from Somalia. They came here for the same sort of reason that brought my ancestors to the new world: probably, if you're an American, and your ancestors weren't already here here when Columbus landed, yours, too. these sincerely non-Norwegian-Minnesotans came to America because conditions here are better than they are in Somalia.

Which, lately, doesn't take much. I hope that Somalia recovers, but right now it's a mess.

Somalis come to Minnesota because this is one of America's major poultry producers. All those birds need to be processed, and that's a job where you don't need fluency in English. It's great for immigrants.

Which, let's remember, is what most 'real American' families were, not all that long ago.

St. Cloud's Porno Anti-Islamic Cartoons

Somebody went to a bit of trouble - and walked through the recent snowstorm - to put "graphic, sexually explicit cartoons...on utility poles in the 10 block of Second Avenue Northeast and the 300 block of Fifth Avenue South...." (St. Cloud Times, print edition, December 10, 2009)

From the national news:
"St. Cloud police investigate anti-Muslim cartoons"
USA Today (December 10, 2009)

"Police in the central Minnesota city of St. Cloud are investigating anti-Islamic cartoons found on at least two utility poles.

"The St. Cloud Times reports the posters included hand-drawn and digitally-altered photos derogatory toward Muslims. It says they included depictions of the Prophet Mohammed and a swastika, among other images.

"Five of them were found posted Tuesday on a pole outside a store that caters to Somalis...."

"St. Cloud authorities say posters may be hate crime"
(St. Cloud Times print edition (December 10, 2009))

"...St. Cloud Area Somali Salvation Organization Executive Director Mohamoud Mohamed said it appears the images were downloaded from the Internet. Some of them were written in multiple languages.

" 'It's an insult to our religion,' he said.

"Someone spent a lot of time downloading the images and putting them together, Mohamed said. Then the person spent time walking through Tuesday's snow and cold to post them.

" ' It's very scary,' he said.

"Mohamed said the community needs to come together and say it will not tolerate such behavior from 'a few very bad apples.'

" ' It's unacceptable,' he said...."

"...Anyone with information or who found similar images elsewhere can contact police at 251-1200 or Crime stoppers at 255-1301"
(St. Cloud Times (December 10, 2009)) [phone numbers are for St. Cloud, Minnesota, residents or visitors]
I'm no great fan of the idea of "hate crimes," since prosecuting such crimes can be a matter of criminalizing ideas.

That said, the sort of harassment and - arguably - intimidation that these "graphic, sexually explicit cartoons", some of which depict "the prophet Mohammed and a swastika" (USA Today, St. Cloud Times), are, in my opinion, "unacceptable." (Mohamoud Mohamed, via St. Cloud Times)

What's an American Doing, Defending Foreigners?

First of all, someone doesn't have to be melanin-deficient, with ancestors from somewhere in northwestern Europe, to be a Minnesotan. Or an American. Quite a few of these Somali-Minnesotans are American citizens. Whether or not they've become citizens on paper yet, they're all living, working, and raising their families here.

That still seems to come as a shock to a few red-white-and-blue-blooded Americans.

Some of 'Those People' are My Cousins, Nieces, and Nephews

I have no complaints about my ancestors. They were, for the most part, peasants in Norway, Ireland and Scotland. These days, that's no problem. Happily, the 'good old days' of "Irish Need Not Apply" signs are gone. America's having survived an Irish president's administration helped a little, I suspect.

That was then, this is now. I've got cousins who are Oglala Sioux1 the way I'm Irish, and the extended family has roots in the southwestern Pacific. Even if I were so inclined, the kinds of folks I can call 'those people over there' gets smaller by the generation.

As American as Tacos and Pizza

America's still getting new waves of immigrants: bringing fresh, new ideas; the sort of energy and enthusiasm that some families lose after the first few generations; and new customs to America. I like it. But then, I don't mind living in a country where pizza, hamburgers, and tacos are all "American" foods.

So, why do I hope that whoever put those "unacceptable" posters up gets caught? And, that people in St. Cloud make it clear that they don't, as a rule, treat their neighbors that way?
  • Somali Muslims living in Minnesota are Minnesotans
    • Like me.
  • I appreciate it when people don't trash my religious beliefs.
    • And so I need to at least say something when someone else is the target of that sort of disrespect.
  • It's the right thing to do.
    • I know that sounds corny: but there it is.
  • I have some experience, having religious beliefs which are not shared by the majority.
    • I'm Catholic.
    • One of 'those people.'
A German pastor, Martin Niemöller, made the point I'm trying to make. Quite a few times, it seems.

He's credited with writing a poem. Several, actually, all with the same general message. Here are a few:
"When Hitler attacked the Jews
I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the Catholics,
I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists,
I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned.
Then Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church --
and there was nobody left to be concerned."
(Niemoller's address to the U.S. Congress (Congressional Record,
October 14, 1968, page 31636), Martin Niemoller poem and address on Hitler and the Nazis)
Or maybe it was
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me." (MARTIN NIEMÖLLER: "FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE SOCIALISTS...", United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
Or
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me."
(Martin Niemöller's famous quotation: "First they came for the Communists"..., a page by Harold Marcuse, UC Santa Barbara)
The version you ran into probably isn't there. Some are rather politically correct, some were edited from a more conservative point of view. Although I don't quite agree with the UC Santa Barbara professor's assumption that the guy from the Small Business Administration was subverting the pastor's message ('everybody knows' what those capitalists are like?), the professor's page is one of the best resources I've found online, for studying Niemöller's remarks.

Between Islamic crazies and white supremacists, there's a whole lot of hate - concentrated in, I trust, "a very few bad apples," but dangerous nonetheless. "My end of the boat isn't sinking" is not a prudent attitude.

Related posts: In the news: Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred.
1 Or, if you like, Oglala Lakota. The family has been saying "Sioux," which was the term most Americans would have understood up to a few decades ago. Turns out, "Sioux" is the Anglicized version of the Chippewa word for "snake." Euro-Americans had apparently asked the (Chippewa) American Indians (that's probably not PC today, but you know what I mean) what the people living a bit west of "here" were called. The Chippewa, who weren't on the Lakota "A" list any more than the Euro-Americans were, said that those 'people' over there were snakes. "Sioux."

The name stuck.

Sort of like "Yankee," but that's another topic.

I've learned that, possibly because we're all supposed to feel warm fuzzies about each other, that the folks who lived around here and points south and east (if memory serves) didn't call the foreigners to the west "snake." Could be.

And, that "Oglala" isn't PC any more. No surprises there. What's politically correct and what's not shifts.
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Friday, April 25, 2008

Gimme Peace, or I'll Punch Your Kid

It's nowhere near November, and people are already losing it. As passions rise, those who believe strongly in one cause or another blindly lash out. Or at least, that's how it seems.

Out-of-Control Conservative!

" Following pattern in the media, CNN's King uncritically repeated McCain campaign's false attacks on Democrats"
Media Matters for America1 (Apr 3, 2008)

Excerpt:

"Summary: On The Situation Room, John King uncritically reported that "[i]n a statement, a McCain spokesman took a shot at the other party, saying, 'Americans can't afford the Democrats' liberal agenda to raise taxes, nationalize health care, cut off trade, and crush the economy under big government.' " Following what has become a pattern in the media, King failed to note the significant falsehoods and misleading claims in McCain's statement and simply read it without challenge."

You see? Someone in the McCain campaign "took a shot at the other party," a description of a violent act if I ever heard one.

Peace Lover Tested Beyond The Limits of Human Endurance

Conservatives aren't the only ones getting testy, though. One peace-lover was driven over the brink at a literary event recently.

"POLICE: BUSH BASHER SMASHES DISABLED TEEN"
New York Post (April 23, 2008)

Excerpt:

"A man heckling First Lady Laura Bush and daughter Jenna outside the 92nd Street Y was arrested after he punched a wheelchair-bound girl whose parents has told him to shut up, authorities said yesterday. German Talis, 22, was shouting obscenities at the Bushes, who were leaving the building Tuesday, when he crossed paths with Wendy and John Lovetro and their daughter Maureen, 18, who has cerebral palsy.

"They had been in the audience to hear the Bushes talk about their children's book, Read All About It.

" 'He began yelling about Iraq and Iran at Jenna Bush. She was waving at the crowd. I told the guy, "What are you doing? Shut up. This is about a child and books," ' said John Lovetro. 'He was unperturbed. I said, "Get out of here! You're being a moron!" ' "

That's when Mr. Tallis "allegedly" started punching Maureen (who "allegedly" has cerebral palsy). It can't have been too bad: Mr. Tallis only "allegedly" hit the girl's shoulder blades. Then thigh. The New York Sun didn't report which one.

Perhaps Maureen's father was "bullying" Mr. Tallis.

More seriously, I've been impressed with how violent peace-lovers can be. I've posted about this before: I combed the news media for an equivalent violent attack by a non-peace-lover. The closest I found was the McCain spokesman who "took a shot at the other party".

I'm relieved that the young lady who had gone to hear the Jenna and Mrs. Bush speak about "Read All About It" was "not seriously injured." On the other hand, I can't help but think that her day would have been more pleasant if she hadn't been "allegedly" assaulted by a crazed peace-lover.

I supposed that it's hard, being gripped by a violent passion for peace while believing that your world is threatened by something like the "vast right-wing conspiracy." 2

That isn't an excuse for attacking a cripple, though.
1 "Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media."

That's how they describe themselves, anyway.

2 "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" is a phrase that seems to have taken on a life of its own. I might not believe that a respected national leader would have made such a daft remark, except for two things.
  1. I heard and saw her say it, in a video taken while she was meeting with a number of her supporters
Hillary Clinton's used the term, "vast right-wing conspiracy," in two other rather well-documented interviews. One was with Barbara Walters on ABC, June 8, 2003. The other was in 1998 -

From "Urban Legends Reference Pages: Hillary Clinton Quotes" (Snopes.com): Quotes from an interview between Matt Lauer and Hillary Clinton, on NBC's "The Today Show," January 27, 1998.

Lauer: "I'm sure you like [Democratic political strategist James Carville], especially at this time. He has said that [the Monica Lewinsky scandal] is war between the president and Kenneth Starr. You have said, I understand, to some close friends, that this is the last great battle, and that one side or the other is going down here."

Clinton: "Well, I don't know if I've been that dramatic. That would sound like a good line from a movie. But I do believe that this is a battle. I mean, look at the very people who are involved in this, they have popped up in other settings. This is the great story here, for anybody willing to find it and write about it and explain it, is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced for president. A few journalists have kind of caught on to it and explained it, but it has not yet been fully revealed to the American public. ..." [emphasis mine]

Also See "Hillary Clinton: 'This Is A Battle' "
all politics CNN (January 27, 1998)
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Sunday, February 24, 2008

YouTube Banned by Pakistan

Pakistan joined the club of countries that have banned YouTube.

The countries, and why they pulled the plug on YouTube:
  • Pakistan: a movie trailer for Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders's upcoming film, saying that Islam is fascist and likely to incite violence against women and homosexuals
  • Turkey: some video clips insulted, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in someone's opinion.
  • Thailand: video clips were offensive to Thailand's revered monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
  • Morocco: someone posted videos that weren't complimentary about how Morocco treated the people of Western Sahara (Morocco's controlled that territory since 1975).
I think I can understand the leadership in these countries, even if I can't approve of their actions. It must be very tempting to silence people who don't agree with you, or who reveal inadequacies in your actions.

At the risk of applying moral equivalence, perhaps Americans shouldn't be very critical of the leaders who banned YouTube. After all, the United States enforces Hate Crime laws.
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Friday, February 22, 2008

Serbia and Kosovo,
from a Croatian-Irish Point of View,
and from Another Point of View

"Wait, so really.... we all really can't just get along?... gotcha."
Peace Turkey (February 21, 2008)

Another blog's post on the Serbia/Kosovo situation. "Peaceful Turkey" gives a point of view I don't think we'll see in the papers: Including more of that strange ""Kosovo is Serbia" quote, and the reasons in culture and history that make it (almost?) make sense.
"Serb tantrums lead to violence against US embassy "
Prairie Pundit (February 21, 2008)

I haven't run into allegations of Serbian government or PAC involvement in the demonstration and/or riot in Belgrade elsewhere, but it's possible: particularly since there don't seem to have been Serbian police near or around the American embassy.
"Serbian President Boris Tadic Calls Emergency Meeting; Rioters Protest for Fifth Day"
FOXNews (February 22, 2008)

The day after, some more details, including:

" 'Kosovo is Serbia and we will never surrender, despite blackmail by the European Union,' Serbian government official Dragan Deletic told the crowd."

"Tadic's and Kostunica's parties are united in a coalition government — but the two differ sharply on how to handle Kosovo's declaration of independence, with Tadic saying Belgrade must press on with efforts to join the EU regardless and Kostunica seeking to drop the bid over EU nations' recognition of Kosovo.

"Rioters also targeted the missions of Croatia, Turkey, Bosnia, Belgium and Canada, officials said. Germany said its mission suffered damage."

"In Kosovo, about 5,000 protesters in the Kosovo Serb stronghold of Kosovska Mitrovica threw bottles and stones at U.N. and NATO peacekeepers."

The score, after the fires were out in Belgrade last night:
  • One dead (the still-unidentified body in the U.S. embassy)
  • Over 150 people injured
  • About 200 people arrested
  • 90 shops ransacked
There's no word on whether any of those running shoes and track suits have been recovered. In a way, those looters were a bright spot in yesterday's violence.

At least some of the protesters were sober enough to make full-contact five-finger discounts. Their rapid response to a rare opportunity also shows a presence of mind and ability to adjust to circumstances that Serbia and Kosovo will need in the years ahead.

Developing a moral sense and a code of ethics will be needed, too. I'm hoping that there will be enough people in those countries with both the brains and the character to sort out the current mess.
More at "Here We Go Again: American Embassy Burned in Belgrade" (February 21, 2008)
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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Here We Go Again:
American Embassy Burned in Belgrade

The mess in what used to be "Yugoslavia" isn't exactly part of the war on terror. Just the same, I think today's events shed light on problems that America faces in the world.

Background: Yugoslavia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Dead Albanians

Here's a short, and over-simplified, background:
  • The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was cobbled together in 1918 - part of the nation-building craze that followed WWI
  • The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was re-named "Yugoslavia" in 1929
  • Josip Tito ran the place as an independent Communist state from 1945 to 1980
  • Tito died in 1980, and the Yugoslavia had a few other bosses for almost a decade
  • Slobodan Milosevic said that he was president of the Serbian Republic in 1989, and made it stick
    • Milosevic's ideas about Serbian domination of the area broke up Yugoslavia the hard way
    • Fighting resulted in Yugoslavia breaking into independent ethnic territories in 1991-92:
      • Croatia
      • Slovenia
      • Macedonia
      • Bosnia
    • What was left, Serbia and Montenegro, became the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY): with Milosevic as boss
    • Under Milosevic's orders, Serbia's military tried uniting ethnic Serbs in Serbia - and neighboring republics - in to "Greater Serbia"
    • Milosevic's plan succeeded in getting Serbia bumped from the UN
    • Serbian leader Milosevic eventually became president of FRY in 1997
    • 1998: a minor ethnic Albanian insurgency in Kosovo, a formerly autonomous Serbian province provoked, or provided an opportunity for, Serbian forces to massacre ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo, and kick the survivors out of the country
    • Some Albanians objected, NATO got involved (I told you this was over-simplified), and Serbia got bombed by NATO
    • As a result
      • Arrangements were made for Kosovo to become independent
      • Milosevic was accused of crimes against humanity, but died in The Hague before the trial could start
  • February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared itself independent of Serbia - jumping the gun on plans for independence eventually, but not now
Some Serbs didn't like it. I can see their point: what's the point in being a privileged minority (in Kosovo), or majority (in Serbia), if you can't throw your weight around and kill the occasional Albanian?

And yes, I'm being terribly unfair. Maybe. I said, "some Serbs," not "Serbs."

There are more detailed, and less colorful, discussions of Serbia and Kosovo in The World Factbook, and of Kosovo in Global Security's Military section.

Kosovo Independence, Serbian Protests, Five-Finger Discounts, and Protester Flambé

Last Sunday, Kosovo declared independence, some Serbs didn't like it, and now two floors of the American embassy in Belgrade have been burned.

A protester came out extra-crispy, and quite dead. His body was found in the embassy after it cooled off a bit.

Not all Serbs were at the accidental activist-roast at the embassy. Many more were at a rally, chanting "Kosovo is Serbia," and saying that they'd never give the province up.

It's not just American property that's getting trashed in Serbia and Kosovo. UN equipment is getting hit, too.

Some groups even broke into a McDonald's and "demolished the interior." More level-headed people ransacked shops, and liberated sporting goods, including running shoes and track suits, from a department store.

Perhaps we shouldn't be too hard on the protesters. Belgrade's emergency clinic says it treated more than 30 lightly-injured people: half of them policemen. The clinic's deputy chief said that the injured protesters were, for the most part, "extremely drunk."

What Does this Serbian Riot / Protest Mean for America?

By itself, today's violence is just more of the cost of doing business in a world of tiny nations and ancient feuds. My guess is that the American embassy was hit because America helped NATO keep Serbs from Killing Albanians in Kosovo.

Besides, it seems to feel good to hate America. I suspect it's because this country is big, successful, and doesn't have a habit of making life miserable for people (and their families) who engage in penny-ante vandalism of American property.

So, until America starts acting like a real oppressor, we can expect to see American embassies burned, and American flags burned. It's a compliment, in a way, to this country's civilized behavior.

An important point to note in Belgrade's big street party is that what's happening in Serbia doesn't seem to have a significant religious angle to it. From the looks of it, the Serbia-Kosovo / Serbian-Albanian is a feud between ethnic groups that probably goes back to a time long before the Hatfields' and the McCoys' ancestors emigrated to the new world.

Finally, it's well to remember that the world is full of territories that have a long, long backlog of mismanagement and hostilities. It will take time for them to get organized, and learn to cooperate with each other. Lots of time.
Resources:
"The World Factbook" - Serbia
Global Security - Military - Kosovo Background
"Kosovo and U.S. Policy" Congressional Research Service (2007)
More at "Serbia and Kosovo, from a Croatian-Irish Point of View, and from Another Point of View" (February 22, 2008)
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Mosque Burned in Tennessee: What Does it Show?

The Islamic Center of Columbia, Tennessee wasn't a very big mosque, and it hadn't been around very long. But for the 10 or 15 people who had gathered there since 2000, it was a place of worship.

Then, last Saturday, some jerks painted swastikas and slogans on the walls, and set the place on fire.

The center's president, Daoud Abudiab, said that some of the slogans were "white power" and "we run the world."

Daoud Abudiab also said:
  • "We have not had any trouble."
  • "This is the first incident."
  • "This has been home for us _ Middle Tennessee and Columbia _ since 1998, and people have been supportive and friendly and welcoming."
  • "Obviously, we are concerned, but it hasn't really sunk in yet."
Sounds like most of the 38,000 or so people who live in Columbia are decent sorts.

I'll admit to being biased: wherever I've lived, there have been a lot of people who are willing to get along, and a tiny minority of noisy jerks. As a result, I expect to find jerks everywhere. But, I also expect that if I use a noise filter, I'll find a lot of people who are as willing to put up with me.

Back to hatred and violence in Tennessee.

Three men, members of the Christian Identity movement, were arrested Saturday:
  • Eric Ian Baker, 32
  • Michael Corey Golden, 23
  • Jonathan Edward Stone, 19
That "Christian Identity movement" isn't one organization, but a sort of network of "a theology that is associated with several groups, such as the Aryan Nation." There are two Christian Identity movement organizations in Tennessee: and they're both in the eastern part of the state.

So far, the three firebugs face federal charges (unlawful possession of a destructive device) and state charges (arson). I'd say that the odds are that hate crimes will be added to the list, since "White Power" was one of the slogans.

The complaint against the trio gives a sort of doorway into the mind of the three arsonists. I'd suggest wearing a mental hazmat suit before entering. Quotes from the complaint:
  • "Stone admitted to special agents that he is a member of the Christian Identity movement and that stripes or promotions are earned for committing acts of violence against 'enemies'."
  • "Baker explained to the special agents that 'What goes on in that building is illegal according to the Bible,' "
  • "Baker also explained to the agents that the Nazi symbols painted on the building meant 'freedom on the streets.' "
These days, I probably have to say it: Those three bozos are not typical representatives of Christian beliefs or practice.

In my experience, at least, outfits like the Mid-Atlantic Dialogue of Catholics and Muslims (established 1996) are more typical of Christian-Muslim relations in America. (More at the "Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs - Islam" page of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' website.)

So What?

Islam doesn't have a monopoly on having moonbat-crazy supporters. As the the Christian Identity movement members showed last weekend, Christendom has its share of wackos.

However, I think that the War on Terror would be over much sooner, if more Islamic countries followed the example of (Islamic) Indonesia and (Christian) America1 in treating terrorists as the dangerous people they are. Even if the terrorists claim to be supporting the country's major religion.
1 I know that it's unpopular in some of the 'better' circles to call America a Christian country, unless it's a criticism. However, since 78% of Americas are Christian, lumping together Protestants, Catholics, and Mormons I think it's safe to say that America is a country with a Christian majority.

Related posts, on Islam, Christianity, Religion, Culture and the War on Terror.
Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred.
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Friday, October 26, 2007

Does Free Speech Include Disrupting Funerals?

You can't make this stuff up.

While Iraqi sheiks join forces with Americans to drive terrorists from their country, a small but determined group in Kansas is celebrating the deaths of American GIs.

Here are two examples:
"Thank God for IEDs
(Improvised Explosive Devices)
God Himself Has Now Become America's Terrorist, Killing
Americans in Strange Lands for Brokeback Mountain Fag Sins.
WBC to picket funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder - at
10:15 a.m., Friday, Mar. 10, at St. John's Catholic dog
kennel, 43 Monroe St --- Westminster, Maryland. Killed by
IED - like the IED America bombed WBC with in a terroristic
effort to silence our anti-gay Gospel preaching by violence.

"Thank God for IEDs
God Himself Has Now Become America's Terrorist, Killing
and Maiming American Troops in Strange Lands for Fag Sins.
WBC to picket memorial for Staff Sgt. Donald Munn II -
at 9:15 a.m., Fri., Oct. 26 - at St. Margaret Catholic Dog
Kennel, 21201 Thirteen Mile Rd., Saint Clair Shores, MI.
'For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God.'
I Chron. 5:22. God has irreversibly cursed America."
A nominally Christian outfit, called "Westboro Baptist Church" (WBC) of Topeka Kansas," and run by someone named Fred Phelps, has been taking advantage of the American free speech, as interpreted by the courts, to preach what their leader says is so. (the Westboro Baptist Church of Westboro, Ontario, has nothing in common with the Kansas outfit, apart from the name.)

The WBC seems to think that the American military is run by and for homosexuals, and that God is punishing America for this and other violations of WBC's code of behavior. And, to deal with this perceived situation, they've been picketing the funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Picketing" is something of a euphemism. Westboro Baptist Church followers have carried signs proclaiming "Semper Fi Fags" - with two stick figures that might either be engaged in sodomy, or ineffectively searching for a lost contact lens. There's a sample at one of WBC's websites, www.godhatesfags.com. That site's content is so moonbat crazy that I suspected it might be set up to defame WBC. A quick check confirmed that the Westboro Baptist Church actually had registered the URL.

WBC has made an impact on America. After disgusting enough people by harassing mourning families, we've got several state laws and a federal law about funeral protests.

Now, a Maryland father is carrying the effort to control WBC to the grassroots level.

The father of Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder, Albert Snyder, may be the first individual to file a suit against WBC. And, more to the point, Fred Phelps, the pastor of the outfit. Albert Snyder's motives seem to be what he says they are: "that this suit will spark similar legal actions against Mr. Phelps wherever he seeks to inflict harm upon the memory of our heroes and their families."

Albert Snyder is hardly a hawk, trying to silence anti-war protesters. He told a newspaper: "...And I want answers. They said he was the gunnery on top of the Humvee and the Humvee rolled. When is this senseless war going to end?"

Mr. Snyder's had one setback already. The York Daily Record reports that "Judge: Church didn't defame dad / A federal judge ruled in favor of Westboro Baptist Church in one part of a lawsuit against them." He's keeping up his efforts to
  1. Discourage Mr. Phelps and he merry minnions from hounding mourners
  2. Encouraging other victims of WBC to sue the alternatively-fervent bunch to sue, too
A major problem is that, although the legal fees don't amount to much, less than $100,000 USD, that's more than pocket change for someone in Mr. Snyder's position.

Which brings me to a major reason for my posting this.

Lance Corporal Snyder's Father Needs Help

The Snyder family's lawsuit "simply alleges that one does not have the right to conspire to use lies in order to inflict intentional harm upon persons who are grieving the death of their children." Sounds reasonable to me.

Mr. Snyder has a website, www.matthewsnyder.org, where he spells out how you can help.
One reason I like living in America is that we enjoy freedom of speech and expression. Even deplorable disgorging like WBC's funeral protests are granted a level of tolerance. I doubt that many governments would put up with Mr Phelps's remarkable views, as expressed on www.godhatesamerica.com.

I do wonder if Westboro Baptist Church would be given so much consideration, if they were not anti-war, but that's an entirely different topic.

Two more points, and I'm done.
  1. The Westboro Baptist Church does not accurately reflect Christian beliefs, any more than (I trust) outfits like Al Qaeda accurately reflect Islamic beliefs.
  2. Although I've provided links to WBC, I do not endorse their beliefs in any way. As a devout Catholic, I'm not likely to: I regularly attend one of those "Catholic dog kennels;" and the Church does not teach that sort of hatred.
Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.
Related posts, on Islam, Christianity, Religion, Culture and the War on Terror.
Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred.
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Sunday, October 21, 2007

Two Cultures: Two Responses

A terrorist group in northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), killed a dozen or more Turkish soldiers near the Iraq/Turkey border. Turkish artillery bombarded PKK positions.

Turkish officials are talking over whether this is when Turkey invades Iraq. They're still saying that they'd prefer that Iraq take care of the PKK problem.

This is a serious event by itself, but I think it's also useful as an example of contrast between cultures. Turkey has grievances: Dozens of Turks have been killed by terrorists using northern Iraq as a hiding place. Here's how Turkish officials have responded.
  • "Every kind of attack will be avenged many times over" Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek
  • "Our anger, our hatred is great" Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Vengance. Hatred. Understandable, of course.
Unlike most posts in this blog, I'm including extensive quotes and excerpts from America's Executive Branch. This is partly for your convenience, so you can read what America's leaders said, partly to focus on what I regarded as the important parts. I recommend following the links, to read the originals.

In the likely event that you'd rather not wade through all that speechifying, feel free to go directly to my conclusion, "All Cultures are Not Alike."
Here's how another leader, from another culture, responded. Over three thousand of the country's citizens, together with many people from other countries, had been killed by terrorists:
Remarks by the President After Two Planes Crash Into World Trade Center
Emma Booker Elementary School, Sarasota, Florida (September 11, 2001, 9:30 a.m. EDT)

THE PRESIDENT: Ladies and gentlemen, this is a difficult moment for America. I, unfortunately, will be going back to Washington after my remarks. Secretary Rod Paige and the Lt. Governor will take the podium and discuss education. I do want to thank the folks here at Booker Elementary School for their hospitality.

Today we've had a national tragedy. Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country. I have spoken to the Vice President, to the Governor of New York, to the Director of the FBI, and have ordered that the full resources of the federal government go to help the victims and their families, and to conduct a full-scale investigation to hunt down and to find those folks who committed this act.

Terrorism against our nation will not stand.

And now if you would join me in a moment of silence. May God bless the victims, their families, and America. Thank you very much.

Remarks by the President
To Police, Firemen and Rescue Workers
Murray and West Streets New York, New York (September 14, 2007)

THE PRESIDENT: I want you all to know that America today -- that America today is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, for the families who mourn. This nation stands with the good people of New York City, and New Jersey and Connecticut, as we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens.

(from the crowd) I can't hear you.

THE PRESIDENT: I can hear you. (Applause.) I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. (Applause.) And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. (Applause.)

CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

THE PRESIDENT: The nation sends its love and compassion to everybody who is here. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for making the nation proud. And may God bless America

President Urges Readiness and Patience,
Remarks by the President, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft
Camp David, Thurmont, Maryland (September 15, 2001)

THE PRESIDENT: I've asked the highest levels of our government to come to discuss the current tragedy that has so deeply affected our nation. Our country mourns for the loss of life and for those whose lives have been so deeply affected by this despicable act of terror.

I am going to describe to our leadership what I saw: the wreckage of New York City, the signs of the first battle of war.

We're going to meet and deliberate and discuss - but there's no question about it, this act will not stand; we will find those who did it; we will smoke them out of their holes; we will get them running and we'll bring them to justice. We will not only deal with those who dare attack America, we will deal with those who harbor them and feed them and house them.

Make no mistake about it: underneath our tears is the strong determination of America to win this war. And we will win it.

I'm going to ask the Secretary of State to say a few things, and then the Attorney General.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you, Mr. President. I might just say that I'm very pleased with the response we've been getting from the international community. I think every civilized nation in the world recognizes that this was an assault not just against the United States, but against civilization.

We should also take note, it's not just Americans who lost lives in the World Trade Center - dozens of countries lost lives and they realize that this was an attack against them, as well.

We are receiving expressions of support from around the world - and not just rhetorical support, but real support for whatever may lay ahead in this campaign that is ahead of us to win the war that the President has spoken of.

I might especially want to thank the President and the people of Pakistan for the support that they have offered and their willingness to assist us in whatever might be required in that part of the world as we determine who those perpetrators are. It's a coalition that will stay intact, that will be built upon over time. And what we have to do is not just go after these perpetrators, and those who gave them haven, but the whole curse of terrorism that is upon the face of the earth. And this is a campaign that we have begun this week and we will stick with it until we are successful.

THE PRESIDENT: Attorney General.

ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT: Four days ago we began an investigative effort to understand not only those who perpetrate this heinous assault against America and free people everywhere, but to develop an understanding of those who are associated with it and how it was conducted.

The FBI, together with very cooperative local and state officials and law enforcement agencies has processed thousands of leads. We are making the kinds of contacts and developing the information that allow us to describe this as proceeding with reasonable success. We believe that the picture is developing a kind of clarity that's appropriate. We have named 19 individuals that we have high levels of confidence were the hijackers. And we are further refining our understanding of the ways in which this terrible crime was developed.

I might add that we have put in place very serious measures that we believe will provide greater security and provide a basis for our country returning to the kind of freedom and business and conduct that is characteristic of this great nation.

Q Sir, what do you say to Americans who are worried that the longer it takes to retaliate, the more chance the perpetrators have to escape and hide and just escape justice?

THE PRESIDENT: They will try to hide, they will try to avoid the United States and our allies - but we're not going to let them. They run to the hills; they find holes to get in. And we will do whatever it takes to smoke them out and get them running, and we'll get them.

Listen, this is a great nation; we're a kind people. None of us could have envisioned the barbaric acts of these terrorists. But they have stirred up the might of the American people, and we're going to get them, no matter what it takes.

In my radio address today I explained to the American people that this effort may require patience. But we're going to -

Q How long -

THE PRESIDENT: As long as it takes. And it's not just one person. We're talking about those who fed them, those who house them, those who harbor terrorists will be held accountable for this action.

Q Sir, are you satisfied that Osama bin Laden is at least a kingpin of this operation?

THE PRESIDENT: There is no question he is what we would call a prime suspect. And if he thinks he can hide and run from the United States and our allies, he will be sorely mistaken.

Q Mr. President, do you have a message for the Reservists that you called up yesterday? Can you tell us whether you think more may have to be called up?

THE PRESIDENT: The message is for everybody who wears the uniform: get ready. The United States will do what it takes to win this war. And I ask patience of the American people. There is no question in my mind we'll have the resolve -- I witnessed it yesterday on the construction site. Behind the sadness and the exhaustion, there is a desire by the American people to not seek only revenge, but to win a war against barbaric behavior, people that hate freedom and hate what we stand for.

And this is an administration that is going to dedicate ourselves to winning that war.

Q What did Pakistan say it would do to help the United States?

SECRETARY POWELL: We put before the Pakistani government a specific list of things that we would like cooperation on, and they've agreed to all those items. I'm not prepared to announce today what those specific items are. But the Pakistani government was very forthcoming and we're appreciative.

Q Mr. President, what kind of military options are you considering, if you could talk broadly?

THE PRESIDENT: This is an administration that will not talk about how we gather intelligence, how we know what we're going to do, nor what our plans are. When we move, we will communicate with you in an appropriate manner. We're at war. There has been an act of war declared upon America by terrorists, and we will respond accordingly. And I appreciate very much the American people understanding that. As we plan, as we put our strategy into action, we will let you know when we think it's appropriate - not only to protect the lives of our servicemen and women, but to make sure our coalition has had proper time to be noticed, as well. But we're going to act.

Q What is the risk of additional attacks on us at this point?

THE PRESIDENT: I would think the American people need to be - go about their business on Monday, but with a heightened sense of awareness that a group of barbarians have declared war on the American people.

Q Sir, how much of a sacrifice are ordinary Americans going to have to be expected to make in their daily lives, in their daily routines?

THE PRESIDENT: Our hope, of course, is that they make no sacrifice whatsoever. We would like to see life return to normal in America. But these people have declared war on us and we will do whatever it takes to make sure that we're safe internally. So, therefore, people may not be able to board flights as quickly. Our borders are tighter than they've ever been before. We're taken a variety of measures to make sure that the American people are safe, just as the Attorney General spoke about.

But we hope, obviously, that the measures we take will allow the American economy to continue on. I urge people to go to their businesses on Monday. I understand major league baseball is going to start playing again. It is important for America to get on about its life. But our government will be on full alert and we'll be tracing every lead, every potential to make sure that the American people are safe.

Q How long do you envision -

THE PRESIDENT: The definition is whatever it takes.

All Cultures are Not Alike

To be honest, the American president did mention revenge and hatred, referring to "... a desire by the American people to not seek only revenge, but to win a war against barbaric behavior, people that hate freedom and hate what we stand for."

But, this is what he defined as the attitude and goal of America: that "...this act will not stand; we will find those who did it; we will smoke them out of their holes; we will get them running and we'll bring them to justice. We will not only deal with those who dare attack America, we will deal with those who harbor them and feed them and house them."

The key word is not hate, hatred, revenge, or vengeance. It's justice.

I realize that pointing out America's virtues is regarded as "flag waving" - deplored and despised by my betters. It's simply not fashionable. Not at all de rigeur.

This seems to be a time for some deplorable flag waving.

The war on terror is about two radically different ways of thinking about the world:
  • A civilization whose leaders speak of justice when thousands of its people are killed
  • A civilization whose leaders speak of hatred and revenge when dozens of its people are killed
And that's one of the the west's allies.

Does it matter, who wins the war on terror? Yes.
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Monday, September 17, 2007

Tolerance, Bigotry, Racism, Hatred: Real or Imagined

Posts on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred, real or imagined:Why post this list? Up to now, I've put the list at the end of related posts, letting it grow with each new post. By now, it's gotten as long as some of the posts. Starting today I'm putting the list here.

The early 21st century isn't the most serene period in human history. Aside from the usual background of human goofiness, we all live in a world where
  • Some Muslims are killing infidels because they think Allah tells them to.
  • Other Muslims are quietly stating that Islam doesn't necessarily condone all killing of infidels.
  • The American president has repeatedly stated that Islam is a peaceful religion
  • The Islamic Republic News agency said "The (Iranian) president said Islam belongs to all generations and Muslims should get ready for global mission of Islam." (cited in another post
  • The French Foreign Minister said that France should prepare with war, if Iran gets nuclear weapons.
  • The Israeli Air Force may have destroyed a nuclear materials stockpile in Syria.
The list could go on, and on.

One of the best ways to tell what someone is made of is to put the person under stress. Some people demonstrate that they have a will of steel, others that their heads are full of loose nuts. Qualities, good or bad, come to the surface.

Western civilization is being threatened by religious fanatics whose religion is closely identified with a very identifiable part of the world: the Middle East. Inevitably, some people assume that everyone who seems to be from that part of the world are terrorists

And, given the existence of threats and bias, other people assume that any accusation against a Muslim is a case of bigotry and intolerance.

I hope that the American president is right: that Islam is a religion which can tolerate other views without violent outbursts. That is why I've written so many posts about Islam, infidels, and common sense.
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Nail Shop Owners Are Not the Enemy

Zoreh Assemi was born in Iran, moved to America, and became an American citizen. Now she owns the Givan Nail and Skin Center on Birchhill Road in Matinecock.

Saturday morning, two men attacked her as she was opening her shop.

"One of them was just beating me up with a stick, and the other one was cutting," she told WNBC-TV. The two men called her a "terrorist" and told her to "go back to your country."

The thugs damaged part of her salon, took some cash, and left.

She got patched up at a local hospital, but still had a mesh of cuts and bruises on her face, arms, and hands when WNBC-TV interviewed her.

"I'm in shock," Zoreh Assemi said. With an impressive display of understanding, she said she felt "terrorized ... not by American people, but by a very small group and prejudice. And it hurts."

I'll bet it hurts: physically and emotionally.

Between what Ms. Assemi said, and the anti-Muslim messages left by her attackers on a mirror in her shop, the Nassau County police are treating this as a "bias crime."

I hope that whoever did this is caught and treated to the greatest sanction available under American law.

This may be vindictve me, but I don't think so. One thing that America has going for it as a country is the way we've been able to attract the best and brightest from around the world, giving them opportunities to use their abilities.

Abusing people who enrich this country, in this case by providing nail care service for twenty years, hurts all of us.

Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Beware Hate: From Any Side

There are times when I think that a great many people in this country should be sent to a quiet corner for a time out. Today is one of those times.

Someone named Joe Kaufman, apparently associated with an outfit called "Americans Against Hate / Fighting Hate With Truth," published a press release. The gist of the document was that someone named Affad Shaikh had said bad things about Senator Joe Lieberman, Vice President Dick Cheney, and a number of other people that liberals don't like.

Mr. Kaufman was right, in a way. Affad Shaikh's post, " Let's NUKE Iran!!! / Extremist Right Wing Nut cases over at FOX News" (August 22, 2007) features a wonderful example of propaganda video. Fox News is, of course, no favorite of people who like to be treated with the deference that they've become accustomed to at proper journalistic establishments like the Washington Post.

And, as I said, the video uses a very effective propaganda technique: selective editing. Using a similar process, I should be able to establish, in some minds, at least, that CNN hates Jews, and that Nancy Pelosi is a hard-line extremist anti-feminist. Not that these bizarre claims are true: they're not.

Mr. Kaufman may have a point, but his central statement is dubious, at best: "The atrocious behavior of CAIR’s Affad Shaikh should send a message to the media that CAIR is not a group to be dealt with on a cordial basis. Irregardless of the group’s well-known ties to terrorism, CAIR’s rhetoric should be viewed as unacceptable by any journalistic standards." CAIR is the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Mr. Shaikh's blog is, apparently, run by Mr. Shaikh. He certainly has a very positive relationship with CAIR. He's even written at least one article for CAIR, " CAIR-CA: Muslims Retain Identity, Take a Stand" (September 16, 2005). (UPDATE/CORRECTION, August 29, 2007. The article, on the CAIR website, was written by Sandi Dolbee, of the Union Tribune, 9/15/05. Thanks to Mr. Shaikh, for pointing out this error.)

As far as I can tell, Mr. Shaikh is a a highly-motivated, zealous west coaster. He makes this very clear in his blog post, ANGRY AT LIARS (July 19, 2007), where he writes, "Bush is a liar. Cheney is fat retard of a liar. Gonzales is a liar. Rice is a liar. Karl Rove is a liar. This country is run by liars and crooks and criminals all of them are masquerading as Republicans and WHY ARE THEY NOT IN PRISON? WHY ARE THEY STILL DESTROYING THIS COUNTRY?"

Nothing new here.

What bothers me is the last comment in Mr. Shaikh's blog.

"Anonymous said...

"I am no fan of the Bush clan...but I find the garbage coming out of the mouths of Muslims to be disgusting. I am a liberal Democrat who is HAPPY to see Sami Al-Arian and his ilk rot in prison. Do NOT make the mistake of thinking those who dislike Bush are going to support Muslim causes...too many are supporting the plan to destroy Israel. Take your backward, 7th century culture out of our lives."

My point is this. Mud-slinging, from any position, may feel good. It may score points in your social set. It might even get you elected.

But it doesn't foster good will.

"Anonymous," the "liberal Democrat" wrote, "Take your backward, 7th century culture out of our lives."

I am very much afraid that emotional, straight-from-the-adrenal-gland rants are going to become more common.

I suggest two steps to help calm things down.
  1. Think! This goes for writers and talkers, readers and listeners alike. You can tell what you feel without effort. Think about what's being communicated, too.
  2. Try to understand who the other person is. That's not the same as agreeing with the other person. If you understand the person, the person's statements may become easier to understand. Or, you may realize that they may be ignored.
With elections coming up in a little over a year in America, there's going to be a lot of emotional nonsense spewed. This is a good time to find your cognitive umbrellas.

About that "know about the person" thing: I hadn't heard about Affad Shaikh before today. Before writing this post, I did a little checking.

By a curious coincidence, he's got as many blogs on Blogger as I do: six. I'll let you look through them, and make up your own mind about who he is.Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred
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Blogroll

Note! Although I believe that these websites and blogs are useful resources for understanding the War on Terror, I do not necessarily agree with their opinions. 1 1 Given a recent misunderstanding of the phrase "useful resources," a clarification: I do not limit my reading to resources which support my views, or even to those which appear to be accurate. Reading opinions contrary to what I believed has been very useful at times: sometimes verifying my previous assumptions, sometimes encouraging me to change them.

Even resources which, in my opinion, are simply inaccurate are sometimes useful: these can give valuable insights into why some people or groups believe what they do.

In short, It is my opinion that some of the resources in this blogroll are neither accurate, nor unbiased. I do, however, believe that they are useful in understanding the War on Terror, the many versions of Islam, terrorism, and related topics.