OK, now this has gone too far.
Enough of all this fake protest over the nut-bag in Florida with less followers than I had guests at my last dinner party; the one that wants to burn the Muslim holy book. All this global outrage, including a comment from the United States President, at this media created hysteria has now got to end before it hurts someone.
Because no matter what anyone will ever tell me, burning a few books does not endanger our troops, outrage any more or cause any worse ripple effect then launching two illegal occupations of Muslim homelands, sustaining those occupations for seven and nine years (and counting), respectively, and a refusal to acknowledge the Islamaphobia created by George W. Bush as he terrorized a nation and world for eight years -- unstopped by Congress (including the Democratic led Congress since 2006) -- with his NeoCon Right Wing Evangelical propaganda. That President told people he was preparing the Middle East for the return of Biblical angels; a statement by a Christian President with occupying forces in Muslim land, a statement backed up with things like "shock and awe."
And as horrible as the nut-bag's actions in Florida are, due simply to the disrespect of it all, I still believe blowing up neighborhoods with collateral damage called children, women, innocents whose only crime was living in a region deemed a danger by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and all the other unprosecuted war criminals is far worse. Killing people at a birthday party on camera and enjoying it is far worse. Asking our troops to go door to door in foreign lands with no clear goal is far worse.
We have destroyed the country of Iraq, period, end of story. It does not exist. There is a shell where a country once was with no real working government, inadequate defenses, infrastructure and the vast resources benefiting a small few and not the nation (please don't say it sounds like here, or was that the plan?). It will be three countries one day, perhaps, or the starting place of a bigger conflict with Iran. Whatever it will be, it's broken now, and is no way a unified, democratic peaceful ally or nation.
Afghanistan has been exploited by regimes that come in, and then realize, usually after bankrupting the nation, that the commitment is far beyond what any nation can actually commit to and afford, because the nation needs a complete and total revamp, rebuild, and needs a revolution (internal) to solve its problems. But the fact is, it's broken, too, and our presence isn't helping because our mission is still unclear. So, another broken country, broken before we found it, and it will be worse after we leave it.
These actions, and our foreign policy endangers our troops. Deeply ingrained hatred and misconceptions endangers our troops (on both sides). Allowing your President to deploy troops where there should be none, and attack strangers who are not our enemy endangers our troops and our security. Running a black ops torture chamber known an Guantanamo endangers our troops. Waterboarding with impunity endangers our troops. Not impeaching that President endangered our troops. Not forcing this one to completely withdraw (out means out) endangers our troops. And yes, Bashing Muslims in this country, be it stabbing a cabbie or protesting a Mosque, say it with me, endangers our troops (oh ya, and burning their Holy book).
But stop all the denouncing. Every major Christian leader should fly to Florida, form a human chain between this nut and the burn pile, and tell him No! We Christians know this is wrong and hateful and we stop you in the name of our Lord! Let them police their own crazies. But stop condemning and get up and do something. Go there, stop him. Put yourself in between. Show the Muslim world good Christians will stand up for them even to one of their own. But No. They'll condemn and moan and groan but say "we have to let him, it's his right in America..." Yup, it's his right, but nope, you don't have to let him. It's your right to go there, and stop him. Show up, join arms, block the burn pile.
Or, in a show of solidarity, burn the Bible on Saturday as well to show that any God can withstand a good bonfire. Make s'mores, because only God can make a S'more, from the heat and be joyous that your God is more powerful than a small bonfire and that His Word has withstood much worse than a crazy guy in Florida. Burn your bibles to show the Muslims that it's all just books being burned, not Gods or faiths (or religious leaders as the Catholics once did) but just pulp returning to ash. Show them your book and theirs are equal and that you both mourn the stupidity that day.
Or shut the hell up; Because the NOISE about it all is what is dangerous, not the act itself. I talk to thousands a day, my columns are read by more than 50 people. If I burned a Bible on Saturday would it start worldwide condemnation and protest? Would Obama comment about Karel. I doubt it. It would be seen as a radio stunt, like Beck's rally, an entertainer doing a PR move.
So why isn't this? This guy wanted press, that's all, and he's clearly crazy. With Snooki and Lindsay and others we have enough Crazy in the news. We don't need Christian Crazy, any more than we have it already.
There are insane people like this guy in Florida all over America with agendas as bigoted, as phobic, as ridiculous as him. Media does not cover them because it leads to no productive end, and bigotry and racism isn't new or newsworthy.
He's a miscreant. Don't focus on him.
Our actions as a nation have been far more offensive to the Muslim world than this. Bush's illegal occupation of Iraq and our failed mission in Afghanistan (wasn't it to get Osama Bin Laden, then, we failed) have only harmed us more. Guys like the one in Florida and things like the Mosque in NYC will end as soon as we get our troops out of harms way all together when it is not necessary.
The Muslim world, and most Americans agree, neither Iraq or Afghanistan are necessary. Start with that, and forget the preacher. Wars endangers troops more than bonfires.
Follow Charles Karel Bouley on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thekarelshow
The media was criticized for promoting this nut case as much as the nut case.
A couple of weeks ago the media tried to whip a frenzy about the 'mosque on ground zero'.
Only thing was it wasn't a mosque and it wasn't on ground zero, but they kept repeating that lie.
This whipping up fear and loathing for some political agenda isn't working anymore.
I'm glad to see people aren't buying it.
Itchy.