American vs unAmerican values

Murfreesboro is still an AMERICAN city, thank you very much

Mark West believes in freedom of religion.

That belief brought West out Monday night to a candlelight vigil in support of local Muslims in front of the Rutherford County Courthouse.

It also inspired the lifelong Baptist to make a donation to the building fund for a new mosque in Murfreesboro.

"I'm going down to Islamic Center of Nashville tomorrow and make a $100 donation," West said Monday night. "One hundred bucks is hard to come by these days, but it's a statement."

West was among about 150 people to attend Monday's night's vigil, organized in response to the recent fire at the construction site for the new mosque. Many in the crowd held candles or signs proclaiming such messages as "We're all in this together" and "My God is not a bigot." They also joined in singing "We Shall Overcome."

And, where there's inclusion and liberty, there has to be bigotry and intolerance nearby...

On the outskirts a small but vocal group of mosque opponents made their presence known.

Collier Hopson drove his pickup to the vigil. In the back was a plywood sign bearing the spray-painted words "No Mosque."

He said that local Christians have a right to build churches. But mosques should be banned, he said.

"I don't support their beliefs," he said. " No one wants them here."

Standing in front of the pickup, Kimberly Kelly agreed. She said she is afraid of Muslims and that the violence from Iraq and other countries could come to Murfreesboro.

She said if the fire at the mosque site was arson as many suspect, Muslims deserved it.

"I think it was a piece of their own medicine," she said. "They bombed our country."

You have the right to be ignorant in America...and some people abuse that right quite a bit.


[edit on 8/31/10 by mothershipzeta]

reply to post by mothershipzeta


So...which is it..?


And, where there's inclusion and liberty,


You have the right to be ignorant in America...and some people abuse that right quite a bit.


You have the right to be ignorant in any country - the re-action to the ignorance is usually what separates core states from those on the periphery.


The majority of people I know subscribe to the former inclusion and liberty, but you seem to have focused on the latter...did you have a point to make other than finishing your OP off with anti-american sentiment..?

Originally posted by facelift
reply to post by mothershipzeta
The majority of people I know subscribe to the former inclusion and liberty, but you seem to have focused on the latter...did you have a point to make other than finishing your OP off with anti-american sentiment..?

The point of ATS is to deny ignorance. Therefore ATS is anti-American.

Why are you a member of an anti-American site?

Anti American. American. Values.

Just what are American values...? Let's explore that a little shall we?

Freedom. That just about covers it. Without those nothing else is worth the bother.

Freedom. To think, and speak as you believe. One of the founding, and perhaps the most important, principles of this little experiment called America. To speak as you believe is open to all, or it's useless to all. That means the blaring idiocy that we're surrounded by at times, right along with all the stuff we agree with. That's the truest test of our Freedom...how are dissenting opinions treated? Sometimes I fear for my country...not because of the dissent itself, but how it is greeted. Fear. Anger. Ridicule. Or an attempt at understanding the "others" with whom you have the disagreement. The "other" with whom you disagree is as much our brother/sister as the one with whom you never disagree. That is the guiding principle of this country. It's one we constantly, as individuals, need to relearn.

Ignorance is no crime. Nor is it an excuse. It's up to us to combat that ignorance, and we can't do it when we're too busy calling each other names...

These folks protesting Islam? They're doing it out of fear, and ignorance. Just as folks who are Islamic do the identical things.

Throw away the fear, and the ignorance soon follows. Throw away the ignorance, and there is little to fear. That's our job, as Americans and as human beings.

Kind of a ramble...hey, it's what I do.

reply to post by seagull


In the end it's ignorant of the baptist guy to give money to a ideology that would degrade him to a second class citizen if Muslims would have the majority in the US and they would follow the Koran by letter

The remarks of the protesters are hilarious though.

Having some 'field' experience myself in Muslim circles i know they can quickly radicalize and turn against western values/lifestyle. But if they do depends greatly on the way we drag them into the 21st century. Right now it's not going well....

Originally posted by no special characters
reply to post by seagull

 

In the end it's ignorant of the baptist guy to give money to a ideology that would degrade him to a second class citizen if Muslims would have the majority in the US and they would follow the Koran by letter

The remarks of the protesters are hilarious though.

Having some 'field' experience myself in Muslim circles i know they can quickly radicalize and turn against western values/lifestyle. But if they do depends greatly on the way we drag them into the 21st century. Right now it's not going well....

Historically, Muslim nations allowed people in those nations to worship in peace.
Christians and Jews fall under The People of the Book, which means that under sharia law, they are allowed to worship in peace as they also worship God.

You know, you should really get some education on this...

reply to post by MagoSA


You are the one lacking education. My words are correct according to Islamic law. Or would you not agree that this would degrade non-muslims to second class citizens?

en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 5-9-2010 by no special characters]

I've always thought that American "values" were messed up anyway. What kind of country values the destruction of entire countries over a bunch of lies? What kind of country promotes materialism and the ego? What kind of country claims to be post-racial when racism is still quite visible?

American "values". What an oxymoron and I know that George Carlin would agree with me.

reply to post by The Sword


The "values" that you denigrate are still there, they've been pushed aside somewhat for the sake of expediency by people with agendas.

You see those values exercised constantly by private citizens everywhere you take the time to look. Charitable donations. Time spent with others less fortunate, doing whatever one can to help. ...and many other things. A govt. can not corrupt values. Ignore? Yes.

They're there to be seen. If you can't, it's because you aren't looking...