Oregon’s Freshman U.S. Senator teaches civics-challenged America

Mosque: Don't blame friends for acts of enemies 

If I want to know what Fox News is toxifying America with I usually go to Media Matters.

Not needed right now as – like the biggest stray mutt on the block – Fox is leaving calling cards in everybody’s yards. Their foul misleading and falsely inflammatory rhetoric has but one goal … another wedge issue by which one party can pretend that it is more American than another.

This has nothing to do with a wise and thoughtful informing of our citizens as to actual and important news and everything to do with making the highly gullible mad all over again.

News …. news … is what we want, not BS, not the wild rantings of the tavern dimwit annoying everyone in every booth and all along the bar.

But that’s what the bunch of political kindergarten konservatives are serving up …

So why does it take a brand-new freshman U.S. Senator to act the grownup part and put the proper framework around this silly hysteria about a mosque.

Jeff Merkley knows his stuff. That’s why Oregonians elected him and booted out the incumbent last year. Merkley talks the talk and walks the walk.

Proud to be his neighbor I am.

Here’s an excerpt from his civics and common sense lesson for all of us.

But, many mosque opponents argue, just because it can be built does not mean it should be. They say it would be disrespectful to the memories of those who died on 9/11 to build a Muslim facility near the World Trade Center site. I appreciate the depth of emotions at play, but respectfully suggest that the presence of a mosque is only inappropriate near ground zero if we unfairly associate Muslim Americans with the atrocities of the foreign al-Qaidaterrorists who attacked our nation.

Such an association is a profound error. Muslim Americans are our fellow citizens, not our enemies. Muslim Americans were among the victims who died at the World Trade Center in the 9/11 attacks. Muslim American first responders risked their lives to save their fellow citizens that day. Many of our Muslim neighbors, including thousands of Oregon citizens, serve our country in war zones abroad and our communities at home with dedication and distinction.

Some have also argued that the construction of the mosque would hand a propaganda victory to Osama bin Laden. I think the opposite is true. Al-Qaida justifies its murder by painting America as a nation at war with Islam. Celebrating our freedom of religion and Muslim Americans' place in our communities is a blow to al-Qaida's ideology of hate and division. We strengthen America by distinguishing, clearly and unequivocally, between our al-Qaida enemy and our Muslim neighbors.

And no … Fox News, Flush Limbaugh, Squawk Hannity and associates …

They do not all look alike.