“Any man who judges by the group is a pea-wit.”
(Sergeant ‘Buster’ Kilrain from the film Gettysburg)
I’ve got to hand it to Representative Virgil Goode. Not content with exposing himself as an ignorant bigot by sending a letter to his constituents warning of a Muslim invasion of America and the prospect of many more Congressmen swearing allegiance to the United States on the Koran, he has now reiterated these points on the pages of USA Today:
My letter did not call for a religious test for prospective members of Congress, as some have charged. Americans have the right to elect any person of their choosing to represent them. I indicated to my constituents that I did not subscribe to the Quran in any way, and I intended to use the Bible in connection with my swearing-in. I also stated that the Ten Commandments and “In God We Trust” are on the wall of my office, and I have no intention of displaying the Quran in my office. That is my choice, and I stand by my position and do not apologize for it.My letter also stated, “If American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Quran.”
Immigration is arguably the most important issue facing the country today. At least 12 million immigrants are here illegally. And diversity visas, a program initiated in 1990 to grant visas to people from countries that had low U.S. immigration at that time, are bringing in 50,000 a year from various parts of the world, including the Middle East.
Let us remember that we were not attacked by a nation on 9/11; we were attacked by extremists who acted in the name of the Islamic religion. I believe that if we do not stop illegal immigration totally, reduce legal immigration and end diversity visas, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to infiltration by those who want to mold the United States into the image of their religion, rather than working within the Judeo-Christian principles that have made us a beacon for freedom-loving persons around the world.
Goode may not have called for a “religious test” specifically, but what the hell are we supposed to make of his warning about there “will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Quran…?” Ooooh…those “demanding” Muslims, how dare they! I didn’t hear Ellison “demanding” anything. I heard him state the fact that he would use the Koran when being sworn in. Why does Goode mischaracterize Ellison’s action in this way?
I will point out that making Ellison into a martyr was something I thought impossible. The radical liberal can be taken to task for his position on any number of issues. But his religion shouldn’t enter into the debate.
And what’s with Mr. Goode solemnly stating that he will not display a Koran in his office? And that he doesn’t “subscribe” to it in any way? That’s just bizarre. And that he assures everyone he has the Ten Commandments on the wall of his office and refuses to apologize for it? Holy Mother! If this guy set up any more strawmen to knock down, he’d be populating the universe with scarecrows.
The tone of this article is, if anything, more blatantly bigoted than Goode’s letter to his constituents. I can’t understand why his colleagues don’t take the lost soul aside and advise him to keep his mouth shut, that he’s sounding like a paranoid fool when he uses phrases like “vulnerable to infiltration…” – as if legal immigrants are sneaking around behind the government’s back.
My last post on the good Mr. Goode’s prejudice was met with outraged cries of “You don’t understand!” and “He’s absolutely right!” I suspect I’ll get the same for the following.
Anyone who believes that Muslim immigration is bad in and of itself doesn’t know American history and also doesn’t know much of American Muslims. The overwhelming majority of second and third generation Muslims are loyal, patriotic Americans who speak excellent English, believe firmly in American values, are very well assimilated into American life, and generally are indistinguishable from Americans of any other ethnic group who have recently arrived. They are teachers, doctors, lawyers, businessmen, factory workers – in short, good, hardworking Americans who want the exact same things you and I want.
While it is true that a small subset of American Muslims are very insular and remain wedded to the old ways, their numbers and influence on the Muslim population is negligible. It is also true that there are enclaves of Arabs in some big cities where immigrants are not assimilating and where radical Islam is a lure that entices some younger men. But if we are to deny immigration to people based on the violent proclivities of the few, best we keep out all sorts of “undesirables” such as the Irish, the Basques, and black South Africans.
Goode is dead wrong – and an embarrassment to the Republican party to boot. It is one thing to advocate enforcement of the law when it comes to illegal immigrants and to support stopping illegal immigration – something I wholeheartedly agree with. There is absolutely nothing wrong with insisting that legal immigrants be law abiding citizens in their own country and not have joined a terrorist group or terrorist sympathizing entity. And even though I strongly disagree, there is nothing bigoted or racist about supporting reduced immigration quotas.
But to work toward denying the blessings of America to Muslims simply because there are extremists who would do us harm is nutty. Yes we should tighten up our screening procedures for all immigrants. But to judge an entire group by the actions of a few makes Goode a pea wit.
5:11 pm
Rick, you’re too kind. This dude (rhymes with Goode) is right out of central casting. Among other foibles—sorry to be petty—you can’t understand the guy without a translator or subtitles, and he looks/sounds exactly like a stereotypical confederate flag waving redneck. I noticed before leaving town last week a few bloggers tried to make hay with Virg’s plea and subsequent plight but didn’t link to videos of Virg in action (I caught him on Brit Hume and thought it was a clip from Deliverance)... the man is simply not ready for prime time. Also, what does Virg propose we do about WASPy American born America haters & varietal ‘infiltrators’ acting in the name of assorted extremist religions—secular humanism, psychotic peacenikism, neo-nazism, gaia environmentalism, radical islam of late, or the growing church of paranoid nativists?
Embarrassing is an understatement. Thank you for busting Goode’s chops. Serious Republicans need to laugh people like him off the stage.
5:39 pm
I’d like to see the Republican party distance itself from this idiot.
IMO this is the result of the hate that Schlussel/Malkin et al whip up.
10:03 pm
Apparently the good people of Congressman Goode’s district found him acceptable to represent them in Congress. I rather think that Congressman Goode is just doing what the citizens of his district expect him to do.
I live in one of the reddest of the red states (you know, the one where a chickenhawk painted a triple amputee Vietnam vet as a “traitor” in 2004 and won a Senate seat for it) and I can assure you that Congressman Goode is echoing what many of my neighbors think.
I am of the age and race that many people automatically assume I’m a bigot and people let slip lots of bigoted comments to me.
12:33 am
Well, I live in one of those big American cities full of Arab immigrants, and I gotta say that all I ever see them do is work their sss off. 7 days a week, 14-16 hours a day. They learn English fast and they learn it well. The only difference they make in local culture is that many (but not all) refuse to sell beer because it is unislamic. But it’s not like it’s hard to find another place to buy beer, so I say kudos to them for sticking to their principles.
Goode is a fool.
6:04 am
Go – Goode
12:06 pm
I hear about Muslim demands all the time – special times to swim in the public pools; special prayer rooms in the public schools; to act suspiciously on airplanes with impunity; wives’ faces covered in their ID photos; the right to refuse Taxi service a customer based on their previous puchase. Nothing specific from Kieth Ellison, but I’m guessing he’s symapthetic to much of the above.
“...his religion shouldn’t enter into the debate.”
... unless his religion largely influences his policies, which is a major charateristic of Islam. It’s not just a religion. It’s a philosophy of life that must be applied in all circumstances, inside or outside the Mosque, inside or outside the halls of government.
I agree with Goode. I’ll continue to apply a religious test when I vote, but only for Muslims.
12:19 pm
[...] Somewhere between Dan Riehl and Rick Moran lies the truth. [...]
12:19 pm
[...] Somewhere between Dan Riehl and Rick Moran lies the truth. [...]
12:55 pm
I have no problem with Muslims who want to be devout. I just don’t want my country to be forced to change because of it.
If Ellison wants to be judged on his merits, then let’s put his values to the test. Does he want to put limits on press and expression that offends religious sensibilities? Does he want every airport to have a special prayer room for Islamic prayers? Would he vote for a bill requiring that all public schools receiving federal grants serve halal-only meals? If he’s going to be in Congress for the next 15-20 years, he’s going to have to address these kinds of questions, and people in his district will have the right to judge him accordingly.
1:50 pm
Hmm.. Like Christianity doesn’t influence the policies of those who subscribe to it? Christianity is not “a philosophy of life”? Better let the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists know about that, not to mention the Quakers.
Abortion.
Stem Cell Research.
Religious Symbols and Documents in Public Places.
Prayer in the Schools.
Anti-Gay Marriage Amendments.
Tax Monies Funneled to Religious Organizations.
Christian Chaplains in Congress.(on the taxpayer dime)
Religious Discrimination in Land Zoning.
(the last is probably going to be used aginst muslims though)
Tax Monies Going to Religious Schools. (school vouchers)
Official “Jesus Day” Proclaimed in Texas. (guess who)
7:17 pm
Christianity does influence American policies and it’s been doing so since 1776, no reason to change it now. I don’t know much about this Ellison, but I wonder where he stands on the problems in Israel, Darfur,Somalia, Lebanon,”the Flying Imams”, by the way playing at an airport near you, etc. Go – Goode.
12:05 am
Rick, this post is awesome, as were the others you’ve beem writing on this issue.
Well done.
12:58 pm
Jonathan,
Correct, but not absolutely correct. Anybody of any religious faith can’t help but let it influence their politics. We are talking a matter of degree, though, and not just a few degrees.
Unlike Islam, Christianity does not have a “take over the world and replace all laws of man with the laws of the Book” mentality. Laws of the Western/Christian nations do not, for example, outlaw dissin’ your Mom and Dad, fantasizing about your neighbor’s wife or deciding not to be Christian any more. Yet those are three of the primary ten “Thou shalt nots” that the Judeo/Christian God gave to man.
9:52 pm
I live among lots of fundamentalist Christians and I can assure you that “take over the world and replace all laws of man with the laws of the Book†is exactly how many (not all I admit) of them think. All the rhetoric about a “Christian Nation” is aimed at least somewhat in that direction, IMO.
The problem does seem to be considerably worse in the Islamic world. I’ve been aware of Sharia law for about forty years now, when I was in high school my mother had a book relating the bad treatment of women in Islamic cultures and it had considerable information on Sharia law.
From what I understand, some of the more barbaric customs such as female genital mutilation are cultural rather than strictly Islamic.
The spread of theocracy is a troubling question indeed. From my perspective, Bush returning calls for jihad from Muslims with a call for crusade from Christians was an amazingly stupid error, all it did was further inflame moderate Muslims and drive more of them into the arms of the fundamentalists who seem to be the enemy.
What the answer might be, I have no clue, but I really don’t think that military force is going to be the be all and end all solution to Islamic fundamentalism. In fact, I think that over reliance on military force is going to be counterproductive in the long run.
When the only tool you know how to use is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail.
8:22 am
Mr. Moran,
It’s a bit contradictory to complain about the problem of Islam in one breath and in another, criticize a man like Virgil Goode for offering up a very valid solution. But having read your reader’s comments, I see that you are only singing to your chorus.