As if to prove my point in my note (originally published on Facebook on August 17, 2010 and published here on August 28, 2010) entitled “Certain Inalienable Rights”, a number of groups are denouncing a planned rally called “Restoring Honor” to “pay tribute to America’s service personnel and other upstanding citizens who embody our nation’s founding principles” organized by Glenn Beck on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, August 28, 2010.
What is the reason for the opposition to the rally? It happens to be on the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s, “I Have a Dream” speech at the same location. Does that sound familiar for those who read my other note?
But wait! Isn’t Dr. King the one who fought for equality for ALL men, regardless of skin color, while quoting some of the same passages I quoted from our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution? Isn’t he the man that dreamt that one day “the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood”? Isn’t this the man who said that one day “all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics” will be able to join hands? He is that man!
So what is the message these protesters are sending? Here’s the message I’m hearing.
I’m hearing that Dr. King’s words were just words to them. I’m hearing that Dr. King’s memory is just a memory to them. I’m hearing that they’ve stopped dreaming Dr. King’s dream. I’m hearing that the words and the date are more important than the message conveyed by Dr. King. I’m hearing reverse discrimination.
I wonder if these same people would have complained if the rally was organized on that same date and at that same location by Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, or Chris Rock for that matter? I bet they wouldn’t have.
News flash! We have a black President and Dr. King’s own niece, Alveda King, supports the rally organized by Beck. Is it possible that Beck is just grandstanding and using the date to promote his own agenda? Of course, but that will become so obvious that it will likely have a negative effect on him and his agenda.
So get off your discriminicycle, get on the band wagon, and read that speech until you understand what Dr. King stood for (http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html).
Dr. King’s words are not just words to me. They are like the words of our founding fathers. They are the words of a great man who wanted nothing more than was promised to us by these founding fathers. They are the words of man who, like me, believed that we are ALL entitled to “Certain Inalienable Rights” including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Let us stop bickering about dates and places and start believing in the ideals. The ideals designed and documented by our founding fathers and believed in and supported by Dr. King. Until we can ALL do that, his dream will remain a dream and never become reality.
To borrow from Dr. King’s own words and modified to fit our situation today:
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed OUR community must not lead us to distrust of all people, for many people have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Certain Inalienable Rights
I had a fight with my father once about our rights. The topic was flag burning. My father's stance was that our government should restrict the practice and arrest all those partaking in the practice.
Now, I am not a proponent of flag burning. I think it's a despicable practice that disrespects all those who fought under that standard over the years since the American Revolution.
However, I am a staunch defender of our First Amendment rights; Freedom of Religion, Press, and Expression. The text says; "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
I decided to see how far he was willing to go with it. I said, "What about the ones who aren't burning the flag? Should they be arrested too?" He said they should. "But aren't they just expressing their views and that's why they're demonstrating?" His voice went up as he insisted they shouldn't be allowed to speak ill of our government and desecrate the flag. "But that's the right we have under our Constitution." Now angrier, he explained how he had seen people shot for less.
Now my voice goes up in anger; "Oh! So we should have the same rights in the United States that Fidel Castro gave us in Cuba? Isn't that why you took us out of that country? So we could have the rights that he took away? So we could have the right to disagree with our government without fear of reprisal?"
Through his confusion I could see his anger rising. Not at what I was saying, but at having been caught up in his disgust to the point where he was ready to turn into a tyrant himself.
Still a little angry, I said, "As ugly as this may seem to us, it is one of the founding principles upon which our country was built. As much as I hate seeing our flag desecrated in that way, I cherish the fact that we all have the right to express our opinion without hesitation. I despise their method, but I applaud their intent."
We both eventually cooled down enough to see that we both love this country and are grateful for the rights and opportunities we have by choosing to be Americans.
That was years ago, but every day I am reminded of that conversation.
The most recent reminder is the demonstrations against the building of the so called "Super Mosque" in New York City, near the sight of the former World Trade Center (my understanding is that it is a couple of blocks away). I also heard a rumor that the planned opening is September 11.
I've heard the arguments about it being a slap in the face of all who died there at the hands of Muslim terrorists. I've heard that same anger I heard in my father's voice all those years ago. I've heard the hatred in the voices and writings of some who are vehemently opposed to it.
I think the location and date are in very poor taste. However, I stop short of asking for it to be forbidden, and here's why.
If we ask our government to forbid the building of that Mosque in that place or on that date, what's next? The next group will ask that we not open any Japanese restaurants, especially on December 7, because it's a slap in the face of those who died in Pearl Harbor. The next will ask that we not allow opening a Vietnamese restaurant, especially on January 31, out of respect for those 16,592 US soldiers who died in Vietnam in 1968 after the fighting that started with the Tet Offensive. The day would come when a group would ask not allow any Catholic churches near the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, since Timothy McVeigh was raised a Catholic. The list could go on and on.
I think we need to keep in mind that while terrorists are vile, despicable, evil, thoughtless, cruel, murderous, cowards, most Muslims (as are most Christians, Jews, etc.) are kind people with different religious beliefs. Saying that all Muslims are evil by virtue of their faith is like saying that all Germans are anti-Semitic or that all Cubans are communists. After all, almost all religions have at one point or another in history been used as a reason to oppress or kill people with different beliefs. Let's not use our freedoms for the same purpose.
I think this is an opportunity for us to show the world that we mean it when we say that we are "The Land of Opportunity" and "The Land of the Free" and the "Home of the Brave". We should use this opportunity to show the world that we mean it when we say that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Our rights must apply to all of us who choose those rights, or eventually they will apply to none of us.
Let us not throw away the beliefs and ideals that we hold so dear to shut out an entire group of people because of the actions of a few, because that is exactly what they want.
The terrorists want us to lower ourselves to their standards of loathing and hatred. They want us to succumb to our fears so we can be more like them and less like us.
I think the inscription on the Statue of Liberty says it best; "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Let us stand united in our beliefs and our acceptance of those who want to join our cause. Let us lift our lamps beside our golden door.
Now, I am not a proponent of flag burning. I think it's a despicable practice that disrespects all those who fought under that standard over the years since the American Revolution.
However, I am a staunch defender of our First Amendment rights; Freedom of Religion, Press, and Expression. The text says; "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
I decided to see how far he was willing to go with it. I said, "What about the ones who aren't burning the flag? Should they be arrested too?" He said they should. "But aren't they just expressing their views and that's why they're demonstrating?" His voice went up as he insisted they shouldn't be allowed to speak ill of our government and desecrate the flag. "But that's the right we have under our Constitution." Now angrier, he explained how he had seen people shot for less.
Now my voice goes up in anger; "Oh! So we should have the same rights in the United States that Fidel Castro gave us in Cuba? Isn't that why you took us out of that country? So we could have the rights that he took away? So we could have the right to disagree with our government without fear of reprisal?"
Through his confusion I could see his anger rising. Not at what I was saying, but at having been caught up in his disgust to the point where he was ready to turn into a tyrant himself.
Still a little angry, I said, "As ugly as this may seem to us, it is one of the founding principles upon which our country was built. As much as I hate seeing our flag desecrated in that way, I cherish the fact that we all have the right to express our opinion without hesitation. I despise their method, but I applaud their intent."
We both eventually cooled down enough to see that we both love this country and are grateful for the rights and opportunities we have by choosing to be Americans.
That was years ago, but every day I am reminded of that conversation.
The most recent reminder is the demonstrations against the building of the so called "Super Mosque" in New York City, near the sight of the former World Trade Center (my understanding is that it is a couple of blocks away). I also heard a rumor that the planned opening is September 11.
I've heard the arguments about it being a slap in the face of all who died there at the hands of Muslim terrorists. I've heard that same anger I heard in my father's voice all those years ago. I've heard the hatred in the voices and writings of some who are vehemently opposed to it.
I think the location and date are in very poor taste. However, I stop short of asking for it to be forbidden, and here's why.
If we ask our government to forbid the building of that Mosque in that place or on that date, what's next? The next group will ask that we not open any Japanese restaurants, especially on December 7, because it's a slap in the face of those who died in Pearl Harbor. The next will ask that we not allow opening a Vietnamese restaurant, especially on January 31, out of respect for those 16,592 US soldiers who died in Vietnam in 1968 after the fighting that started with the Tet Offensive. The day would come when a group would ask not allow any Catholic churches near the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, since Timothy McVeigh was raised a Catholic. The list could go on and on.
I think we need to keep in mind that while terrorists are vile, despicable, evil, thoughtless, cruel, murderous, cowards, most Muslims (as are most Christians, Jews, etc.) are kind people with different religious beliefs. Saying that all Muslims are evil by virtue of their faith is like saying that all Germans are anti-Semitic or that all Cubans are communists. After all, almost all religions have at one point or another in history been used as a reason to oppress or kill people with different beliefs. Let's not use our freedoms for the same purpose.
I think this is an opportunity for us to show the world that we mean it when we say that we are "The Land of Opportunity" and "The Land of the Free" and the "Home of the Brave". We should use this opportunity to show the world that we mean it when we say that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Our rights must apply to all of us who choose those rights, or eventually they will apply to none of us.
Let us not throw away the beliefs and ideals that we hold so dear to shut out an entire group of people because of the actions of a few, because that is exactly what they want.
The terrorists want us to lower ourselves to their standards of loathing and hatred. They want us to succumb to our fears so we can be more like them and less like us.
I think the inscription on the Statue of Liberty says it best; "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Let us stand united in our beliefs and our acceptance of those who want to join our cause. Let us lift our lamps beside our golden door.
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