OK…a few things about these pictures. Number one: the map. Notice that The mosque is NOT at Ground Zero. It’s NEAR Ground Zero. And for that matter, a number of other places are, too. The mosque probably won’t even be visible from it. And what kills me is people who talk about burning the Koran and who don’t want the mosque probably *would* be upset by the American flag burning or the Nazis burning of the books by Jewish authors during the Holocaust.
I thought we were better than this. I thought we learned something from 9/11. I don’t usually write about politics or religion or politics and religion in my blogs. I don’t usually tell people how to think. I learned quickly after dating Mark that my perspective on the world and national and foreign policies was very liberal from most of the people we were hanging out with. And I’m OK with that. I don’t hide that I think *real *volunteering is building relationships with people who live in impoverished neighborhoods and that I’m still looking for the perfect “If you want peace, work for justice” bumper sticker for my car, Amelia.
I was extremely disappointed in America this week, and I was embarrassed to be an American. I was very glad that Erin and I were home from our European adventure, because in all truthfulness, I didn’t want people judging me based on what they heard about Americans from this week’s news. I find it ASTOUNDING that a religious, spiritual person would think that it is OK and appropriate to take another religion’s sacred text and BURN it. I find it embarrassing that the media would let someone no-name pastor become not just national but international news. And I can’t believe that the pastor tried to bargain. When I was getting ready for work yesterday, I was listening to the interviews on Good Morning America. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The pastor argued that if he didn’t burn the Quran, he should get something in return; the American people don’t want a mosque at Ground Zero, so if they don’t do that, then he won’t burn another religion’s SACRED book? OK? Really? How does this even seem comparable and a compromise?
First, who polled the American people? I wasn’t polled. I haven’t voiced my opinion on the mosque until today because it’s not my business. I don’t plan on polling the entire country when I build my Jack Clancy’s bar, and I don’t expect others to seek my permission to build their CHURCH. We live in THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Do you know why so many people in the world are jealous of us or threatened by us? FREEDOM. Our Constitution and freedom is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. It’s what this country is founded on.
I would never tell the pastor that he shouldn’t burn the Quran. I’m a journalist at heart. It’s his freedom of speech. I believe in that. I think he’s stupid for doing it, and I think it’s disrespectful. As a Christian, I’d want him to think about this. Would he be upset if someone burned the Bible? Does it anger him that books of so many talented Jews were burned by the Nazis during the Holocaust? Would it bother him someone burned the American flag? If any of these bother him, he shouldn’t burn another faith’s scared text.
I’m betting that the many Americans who were upset that the mosque is being built and who were supportive of this pastor’s desire to burn the Quran thought everything that the Nazis did during the Holocaust was horrendous. (At least, I hope they do.) I’d bet that they’d be really ticked if someone burned a Bible. I know, it’s just a book, but it’s more than a book. It stands for what we believe, how we should act and live our lives as human beings. While I would hope that their spirituality was internal and not just external in a book, I’m sure they wouldn’t be happy with it. And I know that this same group of people would be extremely angered and insulted if an American flag was burned—even though none of these actions are illegal. They’re freedoms granted to us as Americans. They definitely aren’t Christian ideals, but they aren’t illegal.
While I watched the news, I kept thinking even though the burning of the book wasn’t illegal, it really was an FU to the Muslim world. My husband lives in a Muslim country right now. I have a number of good friends and will soon have family members in another Muslim country. While it’s not illegal, it’s not a very Christian thing to do.
I keep thinking of a book my students recommended to me, the Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Burning books was just one part of taking away a culture’s identity. It was one piece of how the Nazis took away a culture’s dignity. It was a piece of one of the worst times in the twentieth century. I don’t think anyone would argue that it was right of the Nazis to burn the Jews books. Not illegal, but morally wrong. So why is different here? Why is it acceptable to burn another faith’s sacred text? And why is acceptable to tell a faith where they can and can’t build their churches or synagogues?
What did we as a country learn from 9/11? I’ll tell you what I learned. I learned that we are stronger when we live out the spirit and the principles we were founded on. We are a better people when we safeguard freedom. We were a more spiritual and tolerant country after 9/11. It took an awful event like 9/11 for families to call each other and make sure they were alive, for people to think about paying it forward, for our country to remember their spirituality and go to Church, to have pride in what it means to be an American. Nine years later, are we a better country? Are we a more tolerant country? What would our founders think of us? What would our spiritual leaders think of us? What would those who died in 9/11 want to tell us?
I’d like to think they’d tell us to regain some of the values that we had after that awful day. Tell your family that you love them and never let them forget it. Never ever let anyone take away your rights and freedoms as an American. And remember the golden rule. It goes beyond Christianity. Treat others the way you would want to be treated.
And just to end this very serious blog with humor, here’s a cartoon Mark shared with me today. Feel free to comment on this blog. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And believe me when I say, I won’t do anything to you or stop being your friend if you disagree with me. I’m an American, and I have more class than that.
