Cinderella story, comin’ outta nowhere…when you don’t expect it but can really use the boost:
It just so happens that it was a Princeton professor’s column which reminded me today that it was a Texan who stood up and declared to the world with crystal clarity nine years ago that the United States was at war, but not against a religion or its believers:
“The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil and war.”
I fervently hope that we all remember that, and not take the easy course of venting pain and frustration on innocents who offer a convenient target. Quite a few leaders from across the spectrum did speak up in defense of American values last week, to their everlasting credits.
Like a small group in Amarillo did on Saturday: when one of their neighbors decided to take up the cross of Quran burning (pardon the mixed metaphor), they responded with quick show of civil ingenuity:
"Any time you burn books, that’s ignorant," Danielson said. "For us to burn their religion is showing hate."
Protesters threw their hands on the grill Grisham planned to use to burn the Quran, someone took his lighter and Isom stole the Quran, leaving him with just lighter fluid.
The would-be book burner went on about his business, the local imam offered the address of his mosque so anyone who was interested could come on by, and that was that. Another lazy Saturday in Texas…gotta love it.
HEY, IT'S PAT RYAN'S BLOG! 