Posted on 10/22/2002 11:27:59 PM PDT by alaskanfan
| For much of the last century, white Southerners were routinely (and rightly) taken to task for not speaking out against the violent actions of racists. For a time at least, the Klan seemed to be able to lynch and beat black men with impunity.
White Southern silence meant tacit approval to many. The South eventually left its racist past behind, but only when its politicians and community leaders spoke out aggressively against the hateful acts of white supremacists. Silence was no longer an option for the majority, for it became clear that the longer violence against blacks continued, the more likely it was that the rest of the country would think all white Southerners were KKK supporters.
Muslims worldwide face the same problem. In the last few weeks, Muslim terrorists killed nearly 200 in Bali, tried to kill more in Kuwait. But where were all the statements of condemnation from the Muslim "moderate" leadership? I heard not one. This, despite President Bush's oft-repeated reminder to the world that this is not a war against Islam and his visit to an Islamic Center just days after September 11th.
In the aftermath of the attacks on America, Muslims in the U.S. complained that they were being unfairly tarred by the acts of a few extremists. "Islam is a religion of peace," President Bush himself said the week after the attacks on America. Yet just as white Southerners couldn't shake their racist past so long as the Klan was still kicking, Muslims will find it difficult to shake its link to terrorism if al Qaeda continues to strike and Muslim leaders continue to say or do little.
More people are beginning to ask why the burden should be on America to prove to the world that we are a tolerant nation. The more appropriate formulation: after September 11th, the burden is on Muslims worldwide to demonstrate their intolerance for the terrorists.
The Klan vs. Islamc terrorists? What crap.
Laura,it's okay to ask where the moderate muslims are without drawing a moral equivalency to Klan lynchings that no longer exist.
And it was ALL done in the name of Christains.
Their inaction on this speaks louder than words.
Hell, I've been wondering that since 9/12/02. There have been a few Muslim leaders denounce WTC, but out of an estimated 1 billion Muslims worldwide it has been telling that so few have stepped forward. As for President Bush not saying more, what kind of leader would incite a country's citizens toward civil unrest? His response was the right one, although I believe Bush and his advisors KNOW what we're up against - Islamic barbarism.
While I agree that I'm sick of the perpetual denigration of American history, if the analogy opens some eyes to the similar evil we're facing, it could be beneficial. We often use historical events to put things into perspective.
You seem to know better than most I've seen on these boards that the complacency of average Americans needs to be shaken sometimes. The "sins" of the Klan still resonate in our society. Remember, Joesixpack and Soccormom are the ones who need to be convinced their future is in jeopardy and thus motivated to support our efforts to eradicate that threat. If it helps them to make the connection by understanding the intolerance and evils of radical Islam by understanding the similarities to the radical Klan, I'm for it.
Let's just call it, "soundbites against Islamic barbarism". Pictures at 11:00.
Understand. Just making the point so few Muslim leaders spoke out (sincere or not) that it's sadly representative of the general Islamic populations' mindset. We're on the same page.
No other answer to this question is correct.
I understand the point she was making. I would never have used the KKK. Laura does not understand the southern society.
Personally, I use the religious rights failure to immediately denounce the violence at abortion clinics years ago. The fact was and is that many agreed with the "end justifies the means" principle.
LOL! I recall reporters and others asking these same questions to religious leaders. "Does that mean you are supporting this violence? etc,etc,etc.
To try to link moral equivalency between the Klan and today's worldwide Islamic movement is intellectually bankrupt.
The separatist/racist period of the Klan was a tiny amount of time exploited and expanded by the Left.
The whole "atrocities/mistakes/sins-on-both-sides" argument is garbage. The Democrats invented it to deflect condemnation of themselves and Clinton and it has spread like a cancer thru the culture. I expected better from conservatives.
No they didn't knock down skyscrapers but I never said they did.
Lots of Southerners condemned the Klan...which is why it is made up of 12 people today, 9 of whom are undercover feds.
This argument doesn't deserve this much effort.
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