How does this guy get elected?
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Engadget, one of my favorite websites, has a regular feature called CE-Oh No He Didn’t, where they post outrageous quotes from tech CEOs. Sony’s Ken Kutaragi is a recent favorite with his comments about the PS3 (”work harder”). I think I will steal the bit for this story.
Apparently, Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) isn’t too happy about the election of Keith Ellison (D-MN). See, Representative Ellison converted to Islam and has asked to use the Koran rather than the Bible to take the oath of office.
First, let me point out that there is a Constitutional ban on a religious test or other religious ceremony for taking higher office. Second let me point out this guy is a nutjob. Here’s an excerpt from a letter he wrote to a constituent:
“I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way,” wrote Goode, according to a copy of the letter provided by his office. “The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.”
“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,” Goode wrote.
I’m more used to seeing this kind of crap from the far right in Europe, where Islamophobia is in full swing, than the far right in the US. There are elected officials in the US that believe this, but they often temper their words because the US is a nation of immigrants. I wonder how many generations the Goode family has been here? My bet is 3. That’s usually how long it takes to forget the family’s immigrant roots.
Most people that want immigrants out never knew the first generation that came over. Everyone they knew in their family was born here so they have a right that new immigrants do not. I wonder how Mr. Goode would feel if we wanted to ban European immigration? Usually, anti-immigrant forces just don’t want dark people here, they don’t care about immigration from Northern Europe. That’s where most of their forefathers came from anyway.
For what it’s worth, I think we should throw open the borders and let everyone in. We’re a country of immigrants and that is one thing that has made America stand above the rest. True innovation has come from those outside our borders and it will continue to come from there. The true American way of life is more Keith Ellison and less Virgil Goode.
December 29th, 2006 at 6:38 pm
“For what it’s worth, I think we should throw open the borders and let everyone in.”
Good deal … move them into your house. Hope you have extra bedrooms.
December 30th, 2006 at 10:04 am
I’ve deleted the link to your site as even though I have the disclaimer up there, I didn’t want to be seen as endorsing the content therein. I’m sure you’ll understand.
Have you ever stopped to think why we have no homegrown terrorism problem (other than white dudes blowing up buildings)? It’s because we have traditionally been more open to immigration and been welcoming. We’ve tried to assimilate rather than segregate. Europe has a lot of problems because they have large immigrant ghettos where unemployment is rampant and hope is not. The American Dream still lives for immigrants to this country and they are free to live where they please.
And that’s why we haven’t had a major terrorist attack from homegrown Islamic militants. And the only Americans caught in the “War on Terror” where a confused white kid from California and a gangbanger from the South Side of Chicago that had neither the means nor the connections to actually do anything.
December 30th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
“white dudes blowing up buildings”
Not racist are we? What does being white have to do with anything? It doesn’t matter who blows up buildings or not–it is wrong, race shouldn’t have anything to do with who did it.
Furthermore, opening up our boarders would allow a lot of bad people to just come into our country and that should not be permitted.
Our boarders need tighter security than what we already have. Maybe not on the Canadian side, but at least on the Mexican side. Way to many illegal immigrants get across and we need to put a stop to that! A modern country has to know who is occupying it’s land and they cannot do that without forcing people to go through a proper procedure. I’m glad you’re not an elected official, our country wouldn’t exist then.