Many Americans of the red-neck variety are of the opinion that all Muslims are bad and that they are all terrorists. Such persons hate Muslims because, they think, Muslims hate them and are out to get them.
So why then do such persons become what they hate? Why do they strike out against people in hatred because of their imagined hatred? It’s as though their minds don’t work quite right and they simply become what they fear so much: willing participants in acts of hatred.
It makes no sense but unfortunately it happens regularly. It happened again yesterday in fact.
The Center for Preventing Hate denounced the inflammatory graffiti spray-painted on a mosque in downtown Portland as an act of “hate and bias.” The graffiti, which included comments like “Go Home” and Osama Today Islam tomorow(sic)” was found hours after Pres. Obama anounced that U.S. forces had killed Osama bin Laden. “Muslims in Maine and across the U.S. deserve the same respect as all others who live here,” said Steve Wessler, executive director of the Portland-based center. “They serve in our armed forces, teach in our schools and care for our sick. On September 11, Muslim firefighters and paramedics courageously stayed in the Twin Towers trying to save lives. “ “The death of Bin Laden should be a call for the end of terrorism worldwide,” Wessler said. “It should not be the beginning of bigotry in our state. We are better than that.”
Right. So why don’t the red-necks see that? Because they are too blinded by hate: the very hate they decry in their imagined Muslim foes. So to their eternal shame the people they hate are in fact far better people than they are. Isn’t that ironic.
Two questions:
1. What exactly is a “red-neck”? Certainly it is not simply anyone, regardless of backgroud, political stance, religion, geographical locale, etc, who hates Muslims (Afterall, many Hindus hate Muslims and many muslims hate muslims).
2. What evidence do you put forth that the grafitti artist(s) was a “red-neck”?
1- that’s exactly what a red-neck is- a person who – regardless of background, politics, religion, or locale – hates muslims. or anyone else for that matter.
2- who else but a hate monger (red-neck) would do such a thing? Ratzinger?