Ocassional Thoughts of an Independent Progressive Atheistic Humanist
New Orleans, Charlottesville, and Baltimore are the latest flash points in countering white supremacy efforts to sanitize our history. Confederate statues and monuments have been removed or there are plans to remove them. Some people complain that such actions are erasing history but in fact removing Confederate statues is one step in acknowledging our historical mistakes.
Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, had a recent book tour appearance in California canceled because of past insensitive remarks about Muslims. It fanned the flames of misunderstanding about ‘free speech’ as a concept. No matter how many times it’s explained, some people refuse to understand. It also doesn’t help when a freethought group tries to make some money on that misunderstanding.
I thought it was cute to get a fundraising email from the Center for Inquiry (CFI) last week complaining about Dawkins having his free speech blocked by a California radio station. It seems that the station came across some abusive comments Dawkins has made over the years about Islam. The weird neo-con/alt-right/Christian conservative/angry atheist intersection showed how easy it’s for people, including those who should know better, to get the “free speech” concept wrong.
Terry Firma over at Friendly Atheist, got in a thither because an elected official in the UK tried to claim the bomber in the suicide attack in Manchester wasn’t a Muslim. Firma falls into the trap most people do when they react to terrorism by people who don’t look like them. While the bomber’s religion probably did play a part in the motivation in the attack, Firma misses the point that using such a wide brush to label religious people doesn’t make sense and can cause more collateral damage.
The village of Carey, Ohio (pop. approx. 3500) is about 60 miles south east of Toledo. Known for Limestone quarries and The Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, the town is your average small town. It is unusual for a Mayor of a small town to make waves and in this case trying to defend the US Constitution caused such a fuss that the mayor decided to resign rather than argue or deal with threats from those in town looking to institute Christian style Sharia law.
I simply had enough. Most days I scan the Letters-to-the-Editor section of my local paper, shake my head, and move on. But last week, I reached my breaking point. I don’t care how mentally unstable you sound, if you can’t even get basic history right, I have to call you on it. That’s why I responded to a recent letter I read. In politics, you can’t always let things slide.
I am NOT a Hillary Clinton fan, I supported Bernie during the primaries, so what set me off about Wayne B.’s letter to the editor on August 4th? He mangles history. THAT pissed me off.