Posted on 09/10/2010 2:10:45 PM PDT by nickcarraway
I remember growing up in a conservative movement that, reacting to the rampant permissiveness of the 1960s and '70s, stressed the virtue of civility. Sure, you have the right to flagrantly offend your neighbors and your community. But should you? Conservatism used to answer "no."
It was one of the cultural demarcations between the right and the left. If you were on the right, you generally thought it unacceptable to excuse boorish behavior with the utterance, "but it's my constitutional right!" Conservatives understood that self-restraint reduced the pressure for government-imposed restraint. We understood that with our civil rights came civic responsibilities. We understood that the United States of America was a land of tremendous religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity and that the peaceful coexistence of all of these people of such varying backgrounds and beliefs required tolerance, and tolerance meant treating others as you would have them treat you. In short, the republic itself relied upon civility.
Most conservatives still get this, I think. But sometimes I wonder how much the self-indulgence of the left has seduced our side. In the last few days, we've seen many on the right come out in defense of a proposal that once would have been almost universally considered indefensible, at least on the right -- the burning of hundreds of Korans in a deliberate attempt to anger and provoke Muslims around the world.
How can we condemn the constant and never-ending anti-Christian provocations of the radical, secular left and then rise to Terry Jones' defense on the lame excuse that he has the right to free expression? Or worse, that not going through with his planned incitement amounts to somehow giving in to the terrorists? No, it doesn't. It amounts to a belated display of common decency.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
our government isn't on our side.
bttt
The last time that Islam sought to expand into the west, Christianity met sword with sword. As a result, most of us don’t speak arabic.
Can't conservatives even get this right?
A conservative burns a Koran to preserve his First Amendment rights to do so in the face of creeping Sharia.
Defend the Constitution today, or pay Jizlya tomorrow.
I agree. This whole story is a distraction, and, frankly, it doesn't speak well to the maturity of the populace.
We are not facing a short-term situation, but an existential threat from a mindset that works not in days, weeks or months but CENTURIES.
And we're going on about a bunch of books.
Exactly.
Burning the book does not hurt one single muslim.
But it draws the line, and hopefully makes clear we will not give up the Constitution for Islamic ways.
Do we still have the nads to do it?
More and more, I’m doubting it...
And the irony of American boys dying in the mideast to keep the peace in Baghdad is unbelievable...
I don’t know what conservative group he was a part of. Most I knew would think of the koran as a resource on a cold night while sitting around the fire listening to the hounds.
Damned if I know why any of ‘em woulda brought a koran to such an event, but just sayin’........
How well did that vaunted civility work out as a defense against the mores of the '60s?
Really? Whose head did he hack off?
Personally, I’m going to fight the bastards hard for every inch.
That civility worked real well when we had the house and the senate. The dems plowed right over us. /rolls eyes
In the Koran it’s okay to burn people but heaven forbid an old coot who has had enough threatens to burn it and all hell breaks loose.
I should post the link that was posted a couple days ago of Muslims Burning Christians in Sudan. We are facing brutal savages who think it nothing to torture and brutally murder the infidel. They are taught that in that unholy book. There is a time and a place for civility and this is not one of them.
I’m not aware of any prominent conservative who supports this Koran-burning stunt.
“No, it doesn’t. It amounts to a belated display of common decency.”
Something islam knows nothing about nor cares about. If you’re not a muslim—(as the red queen would say) then it’s off with your head!
To paraphrase: “I disapprove of your choice to burn the Koran, but I will defend to the death your right to burn it!”
Hey!
Only 37% of BRITISH Muslims believe they should kill a Jew when they find them on the street.
A majority of Muslims don’t believe in killing Jews!
At least it wasn’t a Koran!
Washington, D.C. (March 23, 2010)–
International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a Christian man, Arshed Masih, died yesterday after Muslims burned him alive for refusing to recant his faith. Additionally, a Muslim policeman raped Masih’s wife.
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/pakistan-muslims-burn-christian-man-policeman-rapes-his-wife
yes they've all opted for appeasement of the muslims' threats of violence instead.
So, just know that thanks to you and them, any muslims can burn a bible, a torah, a flag, but you can never ever burn their sacred objects or they will get mad and threaten you and everyone will run to THEIR defense. This is the world you've helped create, congratulations!!!!
Islam is not just a Religion..it is a total life experience encompassing religion, government and private civil behavior. It is not in keeping with any reasonable definition of a religion protected by the 1st amendment. We forget this at our peril as have many countries around the world.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.