Serisouly, I read this article and thought I might be sick. After a week of trying to better understand a culture and its people highly influenced by Islam, it makes me angry. Really Angry.
See Below, and let me know how you feel:
Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode's comments about a fellow Congressman's swearing-in ceremony has sparked a religious controversy on Capitol Hill.
Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota congressional-elect, plans on using the Muslim holy book the Koran for his ceremonial Congressional swearing-in ceremony next month. His new colleague, Virginia Republican Congressman Virgil Goode reacted on Fox News.
Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Virginia, says, "I am for restricting immigration so that we don't have a majority of Muslims elected to the United States House of Representatives."
Goode wrote to hundreds of constituents that Americans need to "wake up" to make sure "more Muslims (aren't) elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran."
Ellison is not an immigrant, born in Detroit, he converted to Islam in college and says he can trace his roots back to Louisiana 260 years ago.
Ellison told ABC news earlier this week that the official swearing in of all the congressmen is more important than the individual ceremony.
Ellison says, "All of us, no matter what color, what culture, what religion, all swear to uphold one Constitution. That's a beautiful thing. It's something that all of us as Americans really need to be proud of."
This controversy erupted after Jewish conservative columnist Dennis Prager wrote that Ellison's using a Koran would "undermine American civilization," since our values he says are based on the Christian bible.
But in 1997, Oregon Republican Senator Gordon Smith, a Mormon, used an
expanded Bible containing the book of Mormon.
Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York, who's Jewish, says, "Maybe I am going to be attacked next because of the old testament bible I am being sworn on compared to the new testament one that Virgil Goode is going to be sworn in on."
Congressman Goode says he will not apologize, and that he is not a bigot, just not a person who "jumps to the mantra of political correctness."
Copyright 2006 by Young Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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6 comments:
I find "Goode's" name to be ironic. I applaud the others who voiced their support of Ellison. Goode just comes across as a bigoted moron.
Since when did it become un-American to be a free-thinking, unique individual??
How disgusting. :(
Happy New Year to you, Miss A! :)
happy new year petal! I hope 2007 is a good one for you - I'm damn sure you deserve it.
ST
Happy New Year Alecya.
I heard a lot about this when I was in MN over the holiday. I find it completely surprising frankly, since it's a display of how we have lost the meaning of the bible in the tradition of swearing in.
It is held and sworn on as something you wouldn't dare to go against. It's meant to represent something sacred to the person who is doing the swearing. So if there is someone of a different belief system taking an oath and you give them a bible, you cannot be assured that their oath is as sacred to them as it would be if they were swearing on something they recognized as sacred.
As for Goode's comments, he's pandering...but the idea that his ideas resonate with others is indeed frightening.
What a load of bollocks, eh?
Happy new year to you, you little minx!
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