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Our news sites do not preach. That is not their place. We want your Digital Town Green to welcome all, regardless of politics, religion, skin color. That is the American way. America was created by foreigners for foreigners. We were brutal to the natives we found here and the Africans we carried here, but by now we have apologized for our forbearers and made some poor amends. Most of us are sorry for our national behavior. To brutalize others because of race or religion is un-American, we insist.
Yet here we are, we tolerant, generous Americans, doing it again. No mosque can be built near the site of the 9/11 bombings. Might a church be built there? Sure. A temple? Why not? Jews were not flying those planes. But because some radical extremists were assaulting America, we assume the billion others who share that creed, including millions of American citizens, are similarly inimical to our American way of life.
Have we no shame? Tolerance of diversity is our nation's proudest boast. If Islam were, in its entirety, hostile to America, out to get us, there might be an excuse for our hostility. Even though Jesus advised it, it is hard to love those who hate us. But Islam does not hate America. Every race and creed will have its extremists, who embarrass the majority. I come from the tribe we name after an insect, the WASP tribe, and there are plenty who share my background whose views make me cringe.
Racial and religious hatred is un-American, period. There is no excuse for it. Those who preach it are violating our national essence. It's as bad as desecrating the flag. Politicians who take to race-baiting should be abhorred and shunned. They are preying on our worst instincts, kindling our fears and animosities so they can hustle votes.
History suggests that any people can turn genocidal, under certain circumstances. Germany was a civilized, gracious nation when that punk Hitler got the government in his clutches. Germans are not anti-Semitic: some Germans were, and they got their ugly way for a while. America during the Presidency of Andrew Jackson undertook a genocidal campaign against Native Americans. We damn near wiped them out. My ancestors participated in the sport of Indian slaughter. It was horrible. But are we horrible? No worse or better than others, I'd argue. There is no nation of angels.
The rabid reaction to the proposal to build a mosque near the former World Trade Center should infuriate each of us. This is not the predictable silliness of the political season. This is promoting hatred for gain. This is teaching our kids to distrust fellow human beings because of their race and creed, not their character. To ignore such loathsomeness is to condone it. No shrugging allowed. This is one of those moments when we cannot duck, we must stand up and be counted.
If you believe in civility and generosity and democracy and the American promise, now is the time to shout it out. This debate is not between Republicans and Democrats: It is between Americans and proponents of a nation none of us would want to salute. The hate-mongers are counting on the decent people not to make a fuss. It is so much easier not to rock the boat. But remember the Roman adage: "Who keeps silent, consents."
Anyone who doesn't express outrage at this recent race-baiting, doesn't deserve America.
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