A Sept. 11 reminder


Unfortunately, his death and similar attacks on our embassies in Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen and Egypt highlight the misguided attempts at over-tolerance. It???s fundamentalism in reverse; it doesn???t achieve true diversity but instead causes international havoc and chaos. Sadly, we are only repeating history instead of learning from it.



During one of my tours in Afghanistan, an interpreter was very pro-American and was one of the few Afghans I knew that wasn???t an Islamic fundamentalist. He wore a laminated picture of Monica Lewinsky around his neck and was endlessly announcing crazy schemes to come to America, a country he???d grown to love.


Political correctness has caused us to go beyond loving thy neighbor, as well as embracing tolerance with respectful disagreement. Correctness has created a fundamentalism in reverse that is dangerous, self-defeating, and intellectually dishonest. We are amazingly tolerant in the U.S. and have shown extreme and, at times, frustrating restraint. American Christians did not riot when an ???artist,??? supported by taxpayer dollars, defaced the image of the Virgin Mary with, feces and hung it in the Brooklyn Museum. Jews in Europe are increasingly subject to anti-Semitism. But they don???t riot, either. Yet, when someone makes a cartoon about Mohammad or intellectually dares to criticize any aspect of Islam, in the same way Christianity or Judaism have been criticized repeatedly, rioting and killing of Americans follows. It???s especially sad since Americans have done more to help Muslims than their own leaders.

Our current Secretary of State is an example of this fearful and ultimately self-defeating accommodation. Hillary Clinton rightfully denounces works that could insult Islam. But she didn???t embrace the same standard in 2000 when running for the U.S. Senate from New York. Back then she couldn???t bring herself to criticize, during the Brooklyn exhibit. Even in Clinton???s flawed thinking, a speck of truth is gleamed; she can get away with not criticizing religious intolerance against Christians, as Christians will not riot in the face of intolerance against them. Yet, Clinton will criticize those who would possibly insult Islam. Her inconsistency in regard to religious tolerance raises the question: Is she simply being lackadaisical, or does she fear the radical Islamist uprising?


America has flaws, but it is fundamentally better. Here, you can criticize your country and spit on its flag legally. Millions risk life and limb to come here in the hope of making a better life. The newly found ???citizens??? of President Obama???s amnesty program would be hard pressed to say America is evil.

