Letters to the editor
Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Editorial/64960/
Bigotry and blindness at work
Mr. John Terry’s column of Saturday, May 3, 2008, in the Northwest Arkansas Times defames one of the world’s major religions and all American Muslims. This is not about free speech; this about yelling fire in a crowded theater. I’m sure Mr. Terry had no idea anyone would object. I quote: “ Islam is the primary source of terrorism... Fighting Islam is vastly different than fighting a country. The ideology belongs to no single country, has no defined borders, and is so determined to rule the world that few things will deter it. ”
Just as terrorists condemn innocent Christians and Jews, Mr. Terry condemns all Muslims (followers of Islam ). Mr. Terry has a constitutional right to his belief. With this article, however, he has crossed the line. This is the kind of diatribe that incites disturbed individuals to commit violence against our own Muslim citizens who happen to be exercising their constitutional right to freedom of religion. Mr. Terry’s argument would not be worthy of an answer if it was not so blatantly un-American. Perhaps Mr. Terry doesn’t like the U. S. Constitution, but it doesn’t mean he can declare a personal war on law-abiding Muslims.
Just a few facts Mr. Terry overlooks: our allies in Iraq, the Iraqi government, as well as a large majority of the people who live there, as well as its bordering countries, are followers of Islam. So are we there to fight the people of Iraq and all the Middle East because of their devotion to Islam ? If President Bush sees it that way, he’s done a pretty good job of lying about it. But to get drawn into arguing with this kind of bigotry and blindness is a waste of all our precious time.
As Northwest Arkansas has grown, we have an excellent record of tolerance for all religious views. Recently a local successful businessman who happens to be Muslim was noted in the New York Times for his generous donation to build a Jewish temple in Northwest Arkansas. Also recently, the Northwest Arkansas Times reported on the unbelievable generosity of many faith groups in supporting an Iraqi refugee family relocating in Northwest Arkansas.
Please stop giving a voice to the religious hatred and bigotry expressed by Mr. Terry. It’s time to find a more responsible voice to write in your paper. It’s one thing to publish a bigoted letter to the editor; but to give the man a column is to suggest the paper thinks his voice is worthy of civil debate and discussion. I rather doubt this article would have ever seen the light of day had it referred to Christians as the primary source of terrorism or if it had called for a war on Jews. We do not need voices of hate equating Islam with terror. It is extremism in all its forms (regardless of religion ) that we must all oppose.
Frank Head
Springdale
Unnamed and unknown
Hillary Clinton shamelessly promotes the termination of “ unsafe and unwanted pregnancies. ” In other words, she fully endorses the death of millions. When did it become popular and decent to call murder “ family planning” or “ reproductive rights” ? Who is next ? Perhaps it will become legal to “ remove ” other children from our families, by poisoning them, beating them, or making them suffer in other inhumane ways, just like those voiceless infants that are slaughtered daily as a woman asserts her freedom of choice. I have always wondered how someone could be so callous as to support such a thing that has caused so much guilt, suffering and sorrow. I think it would be good for Mrs. Clinton to observe an abortion in which the child was cut into pieces and removed from its mother, discarded with less dignity than we would give a dead pet.
But this is only for the common good, right ? A bloody arm comes out, detached but still curled into a tiny fist. He has his mother’s eyes, his father’s skin color, but still, he remains a choice, the victim of someone’s selfish motives. His screams are not heard, his sleepy silence and quiet, gentle existence is invaded with sharp instruments and rough hands. He was unwanted anyway, but by whom ? Certainly someone wanted him. Surely there was a family eagerly waiting to adopt a child. Their arms would have been open wide to provide for his needs. But he remains unnamed and unknown, a future neighbor, friend, brother, student, husband, already a son, but given none of those rights.
Lacey Dantzler
Fayetteville
The downtown Square looks wonderful
My profound congratulations to the city of Fayetteville for its foresighted, innovative makeover of our city Square. A recent jaunt around that area revealed what had been addressed (both positively and negatively ) by various letterwriters to the Northwest Arkansas Times and I, as well as my friends who accompanied me, was more than pleasantly surprised by what my eyes beheld. Not to be overlooked, I might add, are the diligent workers who have performed this almost completed task, which will provide a lovely attraction for viewers for years to come — a major facelift of incredible beauty.
Dixie Ann Cole
Fayetteville