Monday, December 07, 2015

Muslim Americans are "us"


Right wingers want the Prez to intone "radical Islam" with every breath. I'm annoyed with him because he didn't dare last night to include the words I've added in bold type to the text of his speech about "keeping the American people safe."

... it is the responsibility of all Americans — of every faith — to reject discrimination. It is our responsibility to reject religious tests on who we admit into this country. It’s our responsibility to reject proposals that Muslim Americans should somehow be treated differently. Because when we travel down that road, we lose. That kind of divisiveness, that betrayal of our values plays into the hands of groups like ISIL. Muslim Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our co-workers, our sports heroes, ... Muslim-Americans are us. 

It is time we stop talking about Muslim Americans as strange creatures apart from the rest of "us", the real citizens of the United States. Mr. President, Muslim Americans are "us" just as much as any of us are "us."

1 comment:

La Roving Rev said...

thanks for the post. i gotta go beyond "annoyed", though, because your point is too important. And his speech plays into the mythology that the USA is too good to be mean to Muslims. The USA has proven again and again that it will stop at nothing in its quest for continued world domination, so the president needs to stop with the pot calling the kettle black, already.