Posted on 09/28/2006 1:16:54 AM PDT by PikesPeakGOP
Many of us find Tom Tancredo's views on immigration a bit much, but that certainly doesn't mean the guy is wrong about everything.
The most recent brouhaha surrounding the GOP congressman from Littleton began when he penned a letter urging Pope Benedict XVI not to apologize for remarks he made about radical Islam.
Nayyera Haq, spokeswoman for Democratic Congressman John Salazar, came to the rescue, accusing Tancredo of using his congressional seat in an irresponsible manner. The letter, she wrote, created a more "dangerous environment."
(And all this time I was under the impression that dangerous environments were created by dangerous, violent people - certainly not free speech.)
Bill Winter, Democratic candidate running against Tancredo, echoed Haq's absurdity in an appearance on Dan Caplis and Craig Silverman's radio show this week.
"I would suggest to you this," Winter explained. "Prior to Mr. Tancredo making comments of this nature, ... folks in the Muslim world probably never heard of Littleton and had no reason to ever have thought about Littleton, and now they do."
In a news release, Winter had written that Tancredo's letter would "undoubtedly lead to more attempts at violence toward our country and this district."
Did he really mean this? asks Caplis.
"Yes, and I stand by that," declared Winter. "Absolutely."
Elected officials, you play nice with those radicals. If you're in Littleton, keep your head down and be quiet. Theocrats should not be insulted. (Unless we're talking about the imaginary ones in Colorado Springs, naturally.)
Truly, I'm confused by Haq's and Winter's contention. As a resident of New York for more than 30 years leading up to 9/11, I don't recall Rudy Giuliani or George Pataki or Mario Cuomo or Ed Koch - anyone - ever disparaging Islam.
What I do remember, vividly, is New Yorkers jumping out of a burning tower to their deaths for one reason: They were nonbelievers.
Winter is running in an uphill battle, but the same cannot be said of Salazar. He's proved to be a moderate Democrat in his two years in Washington. Which makes his defense of Haq's statement - not Haq the person - hard to digest.
"Nayyera was speaking on her own behalf," Salazar told The Denver Post. But he went on to pose this platitude: "She was stressing the importance of building bridges, rather than knocking them down."
Let's talk about bridges.
Two months ago, Iran publicly hanged two teenagers for the crime of being gay. This punishment is meted out across the Muslim world.
The month before that, an Iranian court sentenced a 34-year-old mother of two to death by stoning after finding her guilty of adultery. Stones not so large as to kill a woman quickly, according to a civil-rights group monitoring the case, but not so small that they didn't cause serious pain.
Two men, found guilty of murder in the same court, received six years apiece.
These are no isolated incidents. In 2004, according to the BBC, at least 159 people - many teenagers - were executed in accordance with Islamic law in Iran.
In the same nation, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently hosted an anti-Semite expo that recalls the heyday of the Nazis, saying, "They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred."
My grandfather, murdered in the Gunskirchen camp, would be surprised.
Bridges? No thanks.
Haq is right. We should support moderate Muslims - who are the biggest victims of radical Islam. I've heard moderate Muslims speak here in Denver. I've read their books. Some are targeted for death.
But Tancredo's letter called out Ahmadinejad, al-Qaeda and other Islamic radicals - our sworn enemies. Shouldn't this be praised, not vilified?
There is little joy in piling on a young congressional staffer - and I hope Haq doesn't lose her job. But Winter's comments and Salazar's silence on Haq's ideas are something else altogether.
I think Salazar is more dangerous than the Pelosis in the House, he holds the same radical views but you don't suspect him.
I'm thinking that they recognize that Tancredo has won a breakthrough and is beginning to acquire the one thing liberals respect: real political power.
Ummm ... lessee. Democratic spokeswoman urges European-type surrender to Muslims. The equivalent of, "don't speak the truth, it might anger them!" Hells bells, I WANT to anger them. Does the little lady think they will be nicer to us if we are nice first?
And her name: "Nayyera Haq." Good Irish name?
How do you tell a moderate Muslim?
He's the one screaming "DEATH TO EXTREMISTS!!"
;^)
Tancredo's seat is safe republican according to congressional quartley and Robert Novak. So no worries about an idiot like Bill Winter ever helping terrorists in the house of representatives (at least not until he can try again in 2008, if he does.)
Moderate Muslims? Does that mean that they are not really poisonous rattlesnakes but kinda poisonous?
There is no such thing as a moderate Muslim. They are like a dormant volcano, just waiting for their turn to erupt and kill...and one day, that will happen without fail.
Stupid Christians? Yep, a whole bunch of them. Gullible Christians? Yep, a whole bunch of them too. Cowardly Christians? Yep, simply don't poke a stick at the tiger and he won't attack you.
In summary, we are in a religious war whether or not we like it. One side WILL eventually win and that will be the side that is not stupid, gullible or cowardly. If the scorecard is correct, the judges have it Christians 0, Muslims 14 and it's the end of the 7th inning.
People better wake up and throw off PC, diversity, sensitivity, tolerance and all of the other politically cancerous afflictions that turn the spine of American citizens into jelly. You may not be an Islamic slave but your children have a very good chance of that very prospect due to the gullible cowards we are today.
There is no such thing as a moderate Muslim. Their belief, just as our Christian belief, is based in the teachings of either Jesus or Mohammad, and there is not changing that fact.
"Many of us find Tom Tancredo's views on immigration a bit much"
I guess that I missed those. What views of his are "a bit much"?
BUMP
Worth Repeating, in fact it should be broadcast on every TV station and printed in every newspaper so EVERYONE can hear it! Oh wait, those that need to wake up don't pay attention to the news. Let's do a PSA during "American Idol" or "Desperate Housewives."
People better wake up and throw off PC, diversity, sensitivity, tolerance and all of the other politically cancerous afflictions that turn the spine of American citizens into jelly. You may not be an Islamic slave but your children have a very good chance of that very prospect due to the gullible cowards we are today.--DH
When did mohammedanism become a race?
I checked twice to make sure it really was the Denver Post. As I read the article it started to make sense why liberal,David Harsanyi, at least has one eye half open...
Exhibit A
As a resident of New York for more than 30 years leading up to 9/11,
Exhibit B
My grandfather, murdered in the Gunskirchen camp, would be surprised
There are a few other pieces of evidence but you get the idea. The only liberals that I have found to be intellectually honest, are those that have a personal connection to 9/11 or who support Israel. This writer has both!
"...The only liberals that I have found to be intellectually honest, are those that have a personal connection to 9/11 or who support Israel."
That caught my eye!
Do you think they will continue to vote DemocRAT?
Then they, and he, are in the process of morphing into canonical "neoconservatives". ;)
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.