Sunday, August 15, 2010

An Exercise In Pattern Recognition

Doug J at Balloon Juice argues that the similarities between Cordoba House and the Prop 8 ruling, that is "Democrats defending an unpopular minority through the Constitution", is part of a much larger pattern.
Reflecting on the twin horrors of gay marriage and the wholesale destruction of a Burlington Coat Factory outlet in lower Manhattan, I see a lot of similarity between the two issues. Frum Forum makes the point that all Obama said last night is that that “our laws grant people the right to do what they please with their own property….One’s rights don’t evaporate upon the majority taking offense”.
That extends to Arizona's  SB1070 law as well.  Republicans want to take rights away from people and only let the majority have them in a mob mentality government.  Democrats want to extend, protect, and guarantee rights to all Americans, including the unpopular minorities.
To paraphrase Raymond Chandler, it is not funny that someone should be dehumanized, but it is sometimes funny that he should be dehumanized over so little, and that his dehumanization should be the coin of what we call civilization.
Dehumanization is the currency of the Republican Party.  Latinos, gays and Muslims are the Others.  They're not Real Americans.  Their rights must be curtailed through the will of the majority because they are unpopular.  Republicans want to apply the Constitution through Rasmussen polls.  Only the approved religions get to build here.  Only the approved relationships count as marriage.  Only the approved people born here count as citizens.

Everybody at some point is a minority in some way, shape, or belief, folks.  What happens when the Tyranny of the Majority tries to take that away from you?  This is not a government by mob rule.  It's not administrated through Facebook posts or Sunday show rants or op-ed columns.  It's a government by Constitution where your rights are guaranteed even if you are an unpopular minority, and especially if you are an unpopular minority.

History will remember which party made the tough calls to stand up for these minorities for their rights, and which party tried to profit politically off of nothing but fear of and hatred for an unpopular minority.  You do have a clear choice in 2010 at the polls:  expanding rights to include all or limiting them to just the majority.

Is that what Americans should be all about?  Too many times in our darker parts of history the answer was yes.  We come around eventually, but it takes time.  It also takes people recognizing that hatred for what it is, the most base, cynical form of emotional manipulation, and resisting it.

9 comments:

  1. This is not a first amendment issue!!! Everyone agrees they have the right to build there. The question is should they and Americans say no!

    Does that make them anti-Muslim bigots? Apparently 2/3rds of Americans are in your view.

    The constitution may protect the rights of the "unpopular minority" as you put it but in a democracy the "unpopular minority" has to face the voters and they get voted OUT OF OFFICE!

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  2. If the only reason that Cordoba House should not be built here because it offends people hundreds of miles away then yes, it *is* a First Amendment issue.

    But sure, let's punish the Dems for standing up for the Constitution. Hey, the Constitution protects your rights to vote based solely on that issue, too.

    Funny how that works.

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  3. See this is why Democrats are going to lose in November because you're nothing but elite snbs who don't understand America at all.

    Building a mosque at the site of the WTC offends me and it offends everyone I know.

    And we vote!

    What a terrible, terrible blog.

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  4. So "everyone agrees that they have the right to build there" but you're saying they effectively don't have the right to build there.

    Got it. Makes perfect sense. I can't believe I missed that whole "except for Islam" part of the Bill of Rights along with the "unless people don't like your religion" clause in the 1st Amendment.

    What a glorious country we live in.

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  5. "History will remember..."
    Well, maybe not. Crackpots like Kevin are doing everything in their power to re-write history to mimic far-right ideology. And Texas isn't the only place they're succeeding.

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  6. That's right, Kevil. Cry and stamp your feet a little harder. I'm sure history will be kind to your lot.

    Also, change your pants or invest in some diapers already.

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  7. They have a right to build there, but we can disagree on their views in wanting to build there or wonder the reasons for wanting to build there

    Faisal Abdul Rauf, have you read some of his comments? What are your thoughts on his comments?

    "United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened (on 9/11)...Because we have been accessory to a lot of innocent lives dying in the world."

    Agree or disagree?

    "in fact, in the most direct sense, Obama bin Laden is made in the USA."

    Agree or disagree?

    Now sure build, but I'm hoping someone opens a BBQ place next door with some hooters-esque waitresses standing out on the street handing out free samples. I mean who doesn't like a lil BBQ pork? Bet there would be a little bit of outrage from those in the mosque.

    For me it's not a question of their right, its America. However I do question their motives, and that's my right as an American. If it's to just simply expand our view of the Muslim world that's fine. A lot of Americans need a better understanding of the culture as they see anyone with a towel on their head and think "BOMB!" If it's more of an extremist group that wants to place a flag less than a stones throw away from their last big achievement, then I think we have an obligation to tell them to build some place else on the grounds of crime prevention alone. It would have been inconceivable to let the Japanese open a sushi bar & grill near Pearl Harbor.

    If people will drive from California to Arizona over a law that enforces Federal law can you imagine how many people will travel to New York in outrage over someone believing we were an accessory to 9/11?

    To recap since I know things will be taken out of context, I differ greatly from those on the right who say "They don't have the right to..." because indeed they DO have the right, and I don't sympathize with any involved in this because there is no right decision in the peoples minds. It's either agree they have rights like the rest of us (They are Americans after all) or deny their rights.

    Maybe we can come to a compromise and they can build it in Jersey instead? :-P

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  8. "United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened (on 9/11)...Because we have been accessory to a lot of innocent lives dying in the world."

    Agree or disagree?

    "in fact, in the most direct sense, Obama bin Laden is made in the USA."

    Agree or disagree?

    ---

    My personal opinion? I agree with both. The US has a fairly long history in making our own worst enemies.

    But then, I'm sure that Osama seemed perfectly nice when he was going after those filthy Reds.

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  9. Yea these "extremists" were perfectly sane until the US came around, we drove them to this.

    /rolleyes

    You're starting to sound like Ron Paul...

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