Starting this January, Keith Ellison will be the first Muslim member of the House of Representatives. Representative elect Ellison wants to use the Koran in a private swearing-in ceremony.
It's bad enough to have the radio talk host Dennis Prager claiming, "using the Koran would embolden Islamic extremists." He also used his radio show to request that immigration laws be tightened. But another thing is to have Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. (R-Va.) saying that: "Keith Ellison poses a serious threat to American values."
The first case can be defended by Freedom of speech. Mr. Prager's ignorance-Ellison isn't an immigrant. He's an African-American who converted to Islam and can trace his American roots back to 1742. Prager is just a bigot.
The second case is more troublesome. As an elected member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Goode will place his hand on the Bible, as he is so adamant to tell us, to defend the Constitution of the United States. As an elected official, he is sworn to defend the constitution. The First article of Bill of Rights states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
I am deeply troubled that this elected official has such disrespect (or is it ignorance?) for our Constitution and I demand that the Republican Party either censor him or remove him from office. If Mr. Goode decides to uphold "only" the parts of The American Constitution that he likes, he has no business serving in Congress.
If the Republican Party has any morals left they should be asking for his resignation.
It's bad enough to have the radio talk host Dennis Prager claiming, "using the Koran would embolden Islamic extremists." He also used his radio show to request that immigration laws be tightened. But another thing is to have Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. (R-Va.) saying that: "Keith Ellison poses a serious threat to American values."
The first case can be defended by Freedom of speech. Mr. Prager's ignorance-Ellison isn't an immigrant. He's an African-American who converted to Islam and can trace his American roots back to 1742. Prager is just a bigot.
The second case is more troublesome. As an elected member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Goode will place his hand on the Bible, as he is so adamant to tell us, to defend the Constitution of the United States. As an elected official, he is sworn to defend the constitution. The First article of Bill of Rights states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
I am deeply troubled that this elected official has such disrespect (or is it ignorance?) for our Constitution and I demand that the Republican Party either censor him or remove him from office. If Mr. Goode decides to uphold "only" the parts of The American Constitution that he likes, he has no business serving in Congress.
If the Republican Party has any morals left they should be asking for his resignation.
