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Monday
Author: Raine    Date: 08/23/2010 13:04:33

Good Monday. The community center debate is still raging during the second summer of discontent. Do you remember last summer? Town halls mayhem, tea party protests and the general fanning the flames of anger from the right. This summer it's more of the same, only it's couched in the form of anti-muslim resentment.

America we have a problem. A serious problem. We have an economy that is still trying to recover, unemployment is still staggeringly high. Corporations are still not hiring. Parents are struggling to buy back to school supplies. We still are fighting in Afghanistan and instead the media focuses on a Muslim community center and the faith of the President.

This is what it's come to, and it's not pretty. Mob mentality based on fear and bigotry.


A man walks through the crowd at the Ground Zero protest and is mistaken as a Muslim. The crowd turns on him and confronts him. The man in the blue hard hat calls him a coward and tries to fight him. The tall man who I think was one of the organizers tried to get between the two men. Later I caught up with the man who's name is Kenny. He is a Union carpenter who works at Ground Zero. We discussed what a scary moment that was for him. I told him that I hoped it did not ruin his day.

I have been trying to write something for the past hour, and the tears just keep coming when I think about how this American was treated, on "Sacred Ground"

Sacred Ground. Hallowed ground. Ground Zero. The place that people say deserves respect. These protesters bring shame in the name of all who were murdered on September 11, 2001.

What has this country come to?



Raine



 

45 comments (Latest Comment: 08/23/2010 20:32:59 by BobR)
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Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 12:55:44
Morning





Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 13:09:00
Atlanta HAS MOMMA!

Comment by BobR on 08/23/2010 13:13:49
Quote by Raine:

Atlanta HAS MOMMA!


WHA??



What did I miss??

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 13:21:56
Quote by BobR:

Quote by Raine:

Atlanta HAS MOMMA!


WHA??



What did I miss??


1130 AM The King

Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 13:30:05
wow that was a pretty disgusting piece of tape - I so heart broken about how certain Americans act these days.

Comment by TriSec on 08/23/2010 13:30:19
Morning, comrades.





Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 13:31:11
YOu know for their own safety I'm beginning to wonder if the center shouldn't move

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 13:38:56
Quote by wickedpam:

YOu know for their own safety I'm beginning to wonder if the center shouldn't move




They said the same thing about the march to Selma.







Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 13:49:15
Quote by Raine:

Quote by wickedpam:

YOu know for their own safety I'm beginning to wonder if the center shouldn't move




They said the same thing about the march to Selma.











I can see your point - I just don't want to see anyone get hurt, and I really am worried that's going to happen

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 13:54:05
This makes me ill.

"Ground Zero Mosque" Foes Bankrolled By Feds





Read it, but read this.

Shea, long an influential figure in neoconservative circles last appointed to the commission by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), is not the only commissioner of this religious freedom organization trying to block the Cordoba House project. Leonard Leo, the chairman of the commission and a top official in the conservative Federalist Society, is director of Liberty Central, a new tea party-related rightwing group organized by Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Liberty Central has organized a petition campaign against the Cordoba House project. Moreover, Virginia Thomas is one of several conservative leaders participating in a 9/11 rally against the Cordoba House project, organized in part by anti-Islam activist/blogger Pam Geller, who runs an organization called Stop Islamization of America and who kick-started the "mosque" controversy. (Geller recently said that Obama has "sided with Islamic jihadists.") To break this down: the chairman of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (Leonard Leo) is working closely with a conservative activist (Virginia Thomas) who is a featured speaker at an event being mounted by an outright anti-Islam group.


Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 13:59:13
Quote by wickedpam:

Quote by Raine:

Quote by wickedpam:

YOu know for their own safety I'm beginning to wonder if the center shouldn't move




They said the same thing about the march to Selma.











I can see your point - I just don't want to see anyone get hurt, and I really am worried that's going to happen
I have a deep feeling that someone is going to get hurt.



The blood will be on the hands of people like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin.





I was thinking of Medgar Evers this morning. I was thinking of a lot of things trying to write this blog today, and there were too many thoughts, but one thing that I believe in my heart, is that nothing will ever happen if people -- AMERICANS -- keep backing down to this hatred.



I have said before that Civil rights are still something that people must work towards. We are regressing as a nation.

Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 14:04:03
The thing about Beck and Palin though is no one ever seems to see the blood on their hands for anything they do.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/23/2010 14:35:39
Good morning, bloggers!



Raine, thank you for a meaningful blog. I fear that there will be violence over the community center in Manhattan, whether there or elsewhere. I fear that there are people in our country who see that they only way that they can gain power is to label others and use hatred and fear to rally people. Heaven help us.

Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 14:42:55
wow that was offensive

Comment by BobR on 08/23/2010 14:43:08
wow - stupid southern woman calling in

Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 14:45:57


Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/23/2010 14:50:09
Quote by BobR:

wow - stupid southern woman calling in






I was away from the radio. What did I miss?

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 14:54:09
Damn-- I missed it too!!!

Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/23/2010 14:55:57
Quote by Raine:

Damn-- I missed it too!!!






It sounds like someone who puts the Right Wing Spin machine in one orifice and the contents come out the other.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/23/2010 15:04:34
I would argue that those who read the Old Testament without understanding the historical and cultural background will be in error. The prohibitions against same sex relations seem to be related to cultic practices, according to most Biblical scholars. Understanding the background behind a text is important to understanding the intent of the authors.

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 15:05:31
I suspect this caller Diane, may have written this. Read ONLY if you have a strong stomach.



I am highly ambivalent about religion, but this is just wrong. This is hateful.

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 15:08:06
Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 15:08:55
Quote by Will in Chicago:

I would argue that those who read the Old Testament without understanding the historical and cultural background will be in error. The prohibitions against same sex relations seem to be related to cultic practices, according to most Biblical scholars. Understanding the background behind a text is important to understanding the intent of the authors.


+1

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 15:30:05
Dogma.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/23/2010 15:34:43
Quote by Raine:

Quote by Will in Chicago:

I would argue that those who read the Old Testament without understanding the historical and cultural background will be in error. The prohibitions against same sex relations seem to be related to cultic practices, according to most Biblical scholars. Understanding the background behind a text is important to understanding the intent of the authors.


+1




This is not even to begin with covering when the Bible was written, by whom, and how much represents what happened and the rest what people may have wished happened. For example, there are commands to kill the Canaanites ... that were abrogated by the Almighty in Joshua to test the Israelites. (The various Canaanite peoples were around for many centuries later, with their cultures later being absorbed into the Israelite culture or surrounding cultures.) So, many Biblical scholars now believe the commandments to kill the Canaanites to prevent idolatry was retrojection by writers who thought if there were no Canaanites, no one would be tempting people in Judah or Israel into idolatry.



Comment by livingonli on 08/23/2010 15:46:14
Good morning everyone.



So, Momma is on in Atlanta but still MIA in DC and New York.

Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 16:09:00
oh God, I can't take Thom - "our economy is dying", people are committing suicide over the economy - seriously? SERIOUSLY? Thom you are are helping to drive down any optomisim that we need to push forward.

Comment by livingonli on 08/23/2010 16:10:32
And he's shifting to a debate over the community center by the WTC site.

Comment by livingonli on 08/23/2010 16:11:51
BTW, Murdoch sold DirecTV to Liberty Media.

Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 16:21:37
Quote by livingonli:

And he's shifting to a debate over the community center by the WTC site.






I just can't take it anymore the negativity is wearing on me.



I'm not saying be happy, happy, joy, joy 100% of the time but jeez, stop beating me over the head with everything horrible. I get that he believes Sweden has a great Gov't it sounds like it does and that people are happy but its not here. Its like being constantly compared to a perfect older sib and you just can't measure up

Comment by TriSec on 08/23/2010 16:35:15
A huge aviation birthday today....



The C-130 had its first flight on this date in 1954.



After the DC-3, this is the next aircraft that's expected to have 100 years in revenue service.

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 16:42:33
Quote by wickedpam:

oh God, I can't take Thom - "our economy is dying", people are committing suicide over the economy - seriously? SERIOUSLY? Thom you are are helping to drive down any optomisim that we need to push forward.
Thom doesn't seem to realize that people who listen to him already know this.



At a certain point, it really would be nice for progressive radio to shine a light on what is good.



Everyone knows what sucks. RW radio knows how to manipulate it to make people angry. Thom hasn't quite figured out that he is just depressing people even more.



Comment by TriSec on 08/23/2010 16:50:01
Quote by wickedpam:

...people are committing suicide over the economy - seriously? SERIOUSLY?






Unfortunately...yes.





Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 16:51:32
Quote by Raine:

Quote by wickedpam:

oh God, I can't take Thom - "our economy is dying", people are committing suicide over the economy - seriously? SERIOUSLY? Thom you are are helping to drive down any optomisim that we need to push forward.
Thom doesn't seem to realize that people who listen to him already know this.



At a certain point, it really would be nice for progressive radio to shine a light on what is good.



Everyone knows what sucks. RW radio knows how to manipulate it to make people angry. Thom hasn't quite figured out that he is just depressing people even more.







you'd think Steph and Randi would have clued him in on this at the Seattle event

Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 16:53:08
Quote by TriSec:

Quote by wickedpam:

...people are committing suicide over the economy - seriously? SERIOUSLY?






Unfortunately...yes.









yes i know its really happening, my point was that to hear Thom telling it, the light at the end of the tunnel is a train

Comment by Scoopster on 08/23/2010 17:06:42
Afternoon all & happy soggy Mondee!



Forgive me for linking this..

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 17:08:46
Quote by wickedpam:

Quote by livingonli:

And he's shifting to a debate over the community center by the WTC site.






I just can't take it anymore the negativity is wearing on me.



I'm not saying be happy, happy, joy, joy 100% of the time but jeez, stop beating me over the head with everything horrible. I get that he believes Sweden has a great Gov't it sounds like it does and that people are happy but its not here. Its like being constantly compared to a perfect older sib and you just can't measure up




This might be the perfect explanation.



We are not, nor ever will be Sweden. He's a smart man but at a certain point, I can only take so much.



I feel like I am not a member of the listening audience.

Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 17:13:18
The opposite of something like what I posted in the blog is not Sweden.



I hope that makes sense. America has always been a hybrid nation, I like that about this my Country. I fear that we are becoming as intolerant as those that we speak out against.











Comment by Raine on 08/23/2010 17:15:52
Quote by Scoopster:

Afternoon all & happy soggy Mondee!



Forgive me for linking this..


"This video is no longer available"

Comment by wickedpam on 08/23/2010 17:24:59
Quote by Raine:

Quote by wickedpam:

Quote by livingonli:

And he's shifting to a debate over the community center by the WTC site.






I just can't take it anymore the negativity is wearing on me.



I'm not saying be happy, happy, joy, joy 100% of the time but jeez, stop beating me over the head with everything horrible. I get that he believes Sweden has a great Gov't it sounds like it does and that people are happy but its not here. Its like being constantly compared to a perfect older sib and you just can't measure up




This might be the perfect explanation.



We are not, nor ever will be Sweden. He's a smart man but at a certain point, I can only take so much.



I feel like I am not a member of the listening audience.




He is a smart man and learn lots when I listen but for now I am taking a break from Thom gonna have to find something more lighthearted to listen too for a while

Comment by Scoopster on 08/23/2010 17:46:19
Quote by Raine:

Quote by Scoopster:

Afternoon all & happy soggy Mondee!



Forgive me for linking this..


"This video is no longer available"


Well then.. consider your ears spared! It was pretty friggin' bad, and I don't just mean the song's topic..

Comment by TriSec on 08/23/2010 19:51:20
Tennessee Mosque sees violent backlash



Here it is. Why not just tear up the First Ammendment, then?





...Sbenaty, 52, who came to the United States from Syria for his doctoral studies three decades ago, gets misty-eyed describing the kindness his neighbors showed his family after Sept. 11. At one point, he recalled, he was in a shopping mall parking lot with his wife, who wears a hijab, and a group of locals made a point to stop and assure them they had nothing to fear.



The other day, however, as he was standing on the mosque's 15-acre parcel of land just outside town, drivers honked and flipped their middle fingers in the air as they rode past.



"It's tough to see that change," Sbenaty said.



Comment by clintster on 08/23/2010 19:55:00
Quote by Raine:

Atlanta HAS MOMMA!




WhatwhatWHAT??!?



(off to replace right wing talk radio station with The King)





Comment by TriSec on 08/23/2010 20:26:09
Heads up for the casual LL Bean shopper out there...



We're doing the Men's Floorset tonight...should be the late fall/early winter merchandise. I'm hearing from the Footwear lead that we already have some winter boots in stock.



A certain blogger might want to call Tyson's Corner to see if they have Snow Sneakers in stock. There's nothing online yet.





Comment by BobR on 08/23/2010 20:32:59
Quote by clintster:
Quote by Raine: Atlanta HAS MOMMA!
WhatwhatWHAT??!? (off to replace right wing talk radio station with The King)




I might have to start streaming the Atlanta station just to give it some ad traffic.