I would like to hear politicians give constructive ideas for how they can fix problems that face the majority of Americans, not create wedge issues and scare tactics (like the “threat of gay marriage”) because they count on the prevalence of peoples’ prejudices to get more votes.

Moral justification? Interesting perception of morals. I’m for giving ALL American citizens their Constitutional rights to worship and assemble, and I don’t feel like a person should be treated like a criminal until they’ve actually done something wrong. I also think a person living in this country should live without threats to their lives simply because of their faith. If that makes me immoral, so be it.

I watched this crap go down in my own hometown after 9/11. Men who worked at a local gas station were repeatedly harassed with taunts, threats, and vandalism, and my own relatives boycotted the gas station. The manager isn’t even a Muslim. He’s a Sikh, from India. The people in my town were just too ignorant to know the difference, and even if he was Muslim, I’m pretty sure he was busy managing the gas station and store and not committing acts of terrorism.

I’m also reminded of the NYC cab driver who was recently stabbed by a passenger after he confirmed that he was a Muslim. Then there’s the attempts all over the country, not just NYC, to prevent Muslims from building Mosques. And finally the “good Christians” who want to burn the Quran. These are just examples that immediately come to mind.

Yes, there are extremists, I’m not naive enough to deny that, but I have Muslim friends who are Westernized in their culture and their behavior. They are ordinary, peaceful people. I’m sure the majority of Muslims living in America are here for the opportunites or because they were born here, not because they’re all hiding out waiting for the perfect moment to kill civilians and overthrow our government to instill Sharia law.

Newt Gingrich and others are suddenly making this an issue, and trying to prevent Muslims who have lived here and operated mosques here for decades from continuing to assemble and worship freely. I’m personally worried about real issues, like the recession-something that affects every American citizen, except of course the filthy rich executives in our financial sector who helped create the problem.

I’ve actually thought about that, but given the fact that usually he is the one who comes out and attacks me…

Oh hell, who cares, we SHOULD get a room, shouldn’t we?

Brutus, call me….

On topic, I agree with Tone. It’s the same old “Blame the victim for being victimized” that we see time and again from bigots of any stripe.

“Can anyone give me ONE good reason before I call you all again a bunch of ass backwards racists xenophobic fairies?”

…feels like a slap in the face to this black/asian/caucasian non-american who got kicked out of about everywhere due to being black, asian, caucasian or non-american.

I didn’t take a side in this discussion, I’m still getting insulted. Feels… nice, as usual.

I’m pleased that the MT Tea Party removed their president for promoting anti-gay violence. That their homophobic secretary resigned is a bonus. Yet, I still believe that the Tea Party’s members are generally homophobic.

That would be the first time. But no, he is wrong, as usual.

“All the anti-Muslim rhetoric is another wedge issue, ”

There is no “anti-Muslim” rhetoric, and the fact that the Republicans are using this as a wedge issue is a testimony to the foolishness of Democrats, who putting themselves against 82.5% of the population without any moral justification.

“Not sure of the purpose of your comment, Brutus, ”

The purpose was to point out that comments from Lindoro are always about Islam. But then again, he is an ideologue whose goal is not to promote gay rights, but to demonize and attack everyone who holds a different view from Islam from him. The fact that he is always serving a particularist interest is something that needs to be pointed out.

Lindoro: “Brutus is bitched up”

Says the person who threatened to “slap” people until his hands were sore. I am not angry at you, you are a figure of comedy.

“because he has been called for his xenophobic comments on other discussions. ”

You didn’t “call” me. You don’t have my phone number, nor will you ever. Possibly, you mean “call out” – which you did not do. It was really hilarious how you tried to “argue” in the Ground Zero mosque thread. First you called everyone racist and ignorant, and threatened to slap them until your hands were sore. Then, when you failed to advance even a single good argument in favor of your position, and made several absurd ones, you abdicated and said that your high-minded philosophy and “higher and complex concepts” were too much for the “simpletons” on that thread. Quite the spectacle. I laughed myself to death over your posts. If people want a taste of the stuff that Lindoro wrote, here is a sample:

This whole thing is so f*ck*ng racist is sickening.

[G]iven the fact that most people in this country immediately relate Muslims with Arabs, then it is a racial issue.

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2010/08/10/25267

“His reasoning? Well, the majority of the people in the country agree with me, so it can not be hat speech or bigotry.”

It is very telling that you don’t quote my own words. Here is something I wrote on that thread: “I didn’t argue that the majorities are necessarily right, but I did argue that it is idiotic to call people opposed to this mosque “bigoted” – as Emily and Priya do.” And I was right then, and right now. It is very stupid to call 82.5% of people bigots. Then again, you call anyone who disagrees with you on anything, at any time, a bigot.

“After you read it for yourself, then make up your mind and if it is warranted, you can come back and publicly call me a liar.”

I won’t call you anything, as you know full well what you are. It’s just a shame that your “higher and complex concepts” exist not in reality, but only in your own mind.

Brutus is bitched up because he has been called for his xenophobic comments on other discussions. He thinks it is acceptable to use against Muslims language that when used by Westboro, NOM, The Family, The Republican Party (specially in 2004) and George Reckers toward us would be deemed unacceptable, bigotry, hate speech and God knows what else. His reasoning? Well, the majority of the people in the country agree with me, so it can not be hat speech or bigotry.

Now, he will accuse me of making this up, so do not believe me and read it for yourself. It is all in the comments section. Just look at any entry that deals with the “Ground Zero Mosque.”

After you read it for yourself, then make up your mind and if it is warranted, you can come back and publicly call me a liar.