The America I know lets other countries hate, lets others discriminate on the basis of religion. It knows how to distinguish between radicals and civilians who are just trying to live their lives and can be our friends if we do not go out of our way to insult them.
America is about to send a message to hundreds of millions of people — including the folks who live and work in those Istanbul highrises.
What message will it be?
Will it be that the West is just as petty and grudge-filled as some Muslim jihadists?
Or will it be that the West opens its doors to those who are willing to follow the rules of civilized society?
Someone who hopes to become a member of the United States Senate — known to some as the world’s greatest deliberative body — ought to know how to not to pander, ought to know that setting policy requires drawing lines between true enemies and potential friends and acting accordingly.
It’s Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, who supports building the mosque and community center in lower Manhattan, who’s on the right side of this one.
Which America will it be? Will we be better than other countries, or let our own anxieties needlessly cut us off from a growing outside world?
That’s what’s at stake.
I’ll give Brady a little bit of credit too–he avoided it reasonably as a candidate for office in the State of Illinois, but he didn’t demagogue it which I found impressive.
So like, are the Part51 people accepting contributions? I’d like to send them a 20.