Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Summary
I think this editorial is summed up more or less by the start:
We live in a nation where political correctness has undoubtedly affected the way we act and speak. Often, people do not say what's on their minds for fear of appearing prejudiced. These restrictions stifle our speech, and many times we miss out on constructive discussion due to apprehension of exhibiting any impropriety.
But there is a reason why these lines exist. Yeah...
The upcoming Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, hosted by the Berkeley College Republicans, demonstrates why there are certain boundaries that need to be respected and the dangers that result when they are not. Oh, well, let's read on about those dangers. I'm going to do my best not to go out and lynch Muslims after the events (which I probably won't be attending), but you never know about the rest of these folks...
The most glaring indication that the program has a sinister motive is in the name itself. By branding the week as "Islamo-Fascism," it immediately sets up a charged atmosphere targeting a group of people based on race and religion. Would that be the Islamic race? Or is it the Fascist race? Well, don't just sit there criticizing. Come up with a better brand for it.
Many innocent people, targeted because of their jobs, sexual orientation and other miscellaneous reasons, became victims in the infamous witch hunt led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Islamo-fascism week feeds that same fear, the fear of an unknown or misunderstood entity. Are you a Muslim employed at Cal? You're going to get fired!!! The Daily Cal is a bunch of fear-mongering bigots, I say.
The fear that gripped this country during the '50s has now transformed into a fear of a racial group who practices a peaceful religion. I don't mean to split hairs, but not all of these folks are practicing peaceful religion. Some people might just be scared of the murdering type.
Already, there are dozens of Web sites promoting the event; one urges "Americans" to mark their calendars and learn about "Islam and their quest for world domination ... Learn what the Religion of Peace does not want you to know about their agenda to dominate the world much like Adolf Hitler desired before starting World War II." Didn't your 4th grade teacher teach you to cite your sources? This guy? I'm not exactly sure that's representative of... well... anything. If we're just picking random fellows off the internet, then shouldn't we, in the name of balance, quote other random dudes? (and come on... two seconds after crying "Islamo-Fascist Awareness Week is the new McCarthyism!" you're going to criticize this?)
There are many politically conservative professors on campus who may share the same view as Horowitz and the host of guest speakers, but are willing to discuss their beliefs in a more academic and candid environment. I've only heard of one guest speaker so far (Nonie Darwish), and she's apparently a liar (or so the Daily Cal seems to say. I don't know anything about her). I'm genuinely curious about who this host of speakers are going to be.
But can we honestly expect that such a conservative professor can give a talk on such topics when Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week has been so solidly condemned before it has even begun to be widely publicized? Can someone talk about "terrorism by Muslims seeking religiously motivated political goals which are incompatible with our democracy" (or whatever the appropriate description would be) without being condemned for it? ("In this country, ignorance and the media have helped maintain the stereotype that a terrorist is Muslim, looks a certain way and is from a certain region.") Would it really have mattered if they called it something else? Was there any way they could have talked about the issue without triggering this backlash?
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