Taking the high road...

The only thing I knew about Representative Keith Ellison was that he the first Muslim ever elected to Congress. That was yesterday.

Now, I've read a CNN article and I believe that he is a man of integrity.

Here's the background, Representative Goode is all up in arms about Representative Ellison wanting to use a Qu'ran when being sworn into Congress. Further, Goode has been making all kinds of remarks about how we don't need more Muslims in this country and equating electing Ellison to supporting illegal immigration.

Representative Ellison has refused to call Goode a bigot. He has even gone as far as to say he looks forward to meeting Goode and he hopes Goode would take the time to learn about the Muslim religion. Ellison wants to find some common ground.

What a stand up guy. He's right. We need to find common ground.

And, what does Goode have to say?

"I wish more people would take a stand and stand up for the principles on which this country was founded."

Excuse me? Our country was founded on the principles that we would have the freedom of religion. Representative Goode, you are not standing up for the principles on which our country stands. You are standing upon the hollow ground of those who are scared -- scared of people of a different religion, scared of those of a different race, scared of those of a different sexual orientation.

America, my America, is a melting pot of races, backgrounds and religions. America has the best of all countries because we strive for togetherness and tolerance.

I so hope, Representative Goode, that in the spirit of giving, especially in this season of Advent, that you can see your way clear to meeting with Representative Ellison. As Sam Hutson once said, "A Nation divided against itself cannot stand." We need to unite our country as we never have before. We are fighting a Civil War without firing a shot and we certainly cannot have Representatives slinging arrows before they even meet.

I give credit to Representative Ellison for not lowering himself to the name calling that no one would blame him for if he did. I beg Representative Goode to take a step back and do the same.

MerryChristmas & God Bless!

I wasn't going to say anything...

But what in the H E double hockey sticks is wrong with Republican Rep. Virgil Goode? Who in the world does he think he is? I don't really give a rat's butt if a representative is sworn into congress holding a Bible or the Qu'ran. Big whoop! However; Representative Goode seems to think that Muslim lawmakers are somehow responsible for our illegal immigration issues. I'd like to know how since the first Muslim representative was just elected.

Goode is racist and he's the worst kind of racist, as he is a man of power and he doesn't see just how wrong he is...

He said (and I'm quoting from the CNN article):

"I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped."

Really? And, just what are our values and beliefs that are traditional to the US? I seem to recall that slavery used to be a tradition and value we held. Jim Crow laws were a tradition and value that we held. Being against interracial marriages was a tradition and value. Are those the traditions and values to which we will hold? Isn't religious freedom a tradition and value we hold in this country? I thought it was.

But, apparently, Representative Goode, along with many of his Republican buddies, have forgotten that 1) this country was built by immigrants and 2) Religious freedom was the whole reason the pilgrims landed here in the first place.

Added note: Goode mentions that we will have more Muslims if we do not stem immigration, but what he failed to note is that Representative Ellison is a convert to Islam and NOT a Muslim immigrant. Just wanted to point that out.

God Bless and Merry Christmas!