So called Pastor Terry Jones is determined to burn copies of the Quran this Saturday, September 11th in Gainesville, Florida at his Dove Outreach Church. He’s doing this in spite receiving strong condemnations from some very power people like: Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton White House senior advisor David Axelrod and General David Petraeus who says such an act would put our troops in grave danger. This is all probably true. Such an act would undoubtedly fuel the flames in War on Terror and further embolden outfits like Al Qaueda who would use Terry Jone’s action as a recruiting tool.
With all that being said, let’s be honest and let’s be clear Terry Jones is a small fry in all this. Nobody in their right mind cares about a two-bit preacher who has a congregation of 50 people. They could be the most fundamental amongst hardcore fundamentalist and Terry Jones would not be on their radar except for one small detail, he and his proposed actions are and will not be viewed in a vacuum.
Far too many of us here in the US sees things from the lens of individualism. For many of us we have long written Terry Jones off as just one ‘nutcase’ from Florida. However, the rest of the world sees him as the tip of the iceberg of loud and raucous protests against buildings a Mosque near Ground Zero. The rest of the world sees Terry Jones alongside sitting Senators like Harry Reid and sitting Congressman like Peter King who have all but told Muslim-Americans that the constitutional amendment that grants freedom of religion really doesn’t apply to them.
While many Americans see Terry Jones a lone wolf, the rest of the world sees him as part of the loud chorus of American citizens to the tune of 20% who mistakenly believe that President Obama is a Muslim us collectively saying there’s something wrong if he was.
Why has Pastor Terry Jones has been granted a world wide audience by mainstream media to spew his hatred for Islam
Terry Jones epitomizes the strong anti-muslim sentiment that has been allowed to be seen and heard all over the world, coming from loud, cantankerous anti-muslim pundits who are backed by large media conglomerates and given a global platform to speak hate and intolerance in our name.
Terry Jones is a problem only because mainstream news outlets decided to give him air time and blow him up. They made him the problem. They decided to show him acting a fool versus showing the thousands of instances where American Christians and American muslims, work, eat, play and build with each other everyday. Unfortunately us getting along is a boring narrative as far as mainstream media is concerned.
In spite dwindling resources and shrinking budgets, many news outlets have already found ways to fly reporters down to Florida, pay for hotels and equipment and have folks staked out to watch Doves Outreach Church like hawks. From Matt Lauer of the Today Show on down to the right-wing agitators at Fox News, all of them have been gleeful as they wait for the first Quran to burn..Thats when it’ll be on. That’s when the TV ratings are anticipated to rise.. For those who don’t know, our news media seems to thrive on crisis and chaos. So if our troops suffer any harmful repercussions because a knucklehead Pastor in Florida burns a Quran, don’t just blame him, blame the mainstream outlets for making him a story too big to ignore and showing his foolishness sans true balance and countering images.
I recall the painful days and weeks after 9-11, when those of us in media, if we dared not carry the party line advocated by former President George Bush and spoke out against his call to fight a War on Terror, you paid a price. Many of us including myself and TV host Bill Maher lost our jobs. Others got death threats. For the most part much of the media fell in line and didn’t vary to far from the script that eventually led us into war.
During the weeks after 9-11, I recall watching a TV show called Like It Is which airs in NY where host Gil Noble had some Black preachers on who talked about their 9-11 experiences and thoughts. It was refreshing and counter to the constant arguments justifying our aggressive behavior. It was noted that their voices had been shut out and that many did not believe we should go to war.
A local preacher and former San Francisco supervisor here in the Bay Area named Amos Brown was vilified and shut down when he asked the question publicly, ‘What is it about our foreign policy that we need to look at and perhaps change that led to the 9-11 attacks’?
Brown had his name drugged through the coals. They said he was being insensitive and stirring up a hornets nest and even inviting more attacks.
I recall hearing him go on a local ABC affiliate KGO to explain his remarks to host Ron Owens . Brown was not allowed to elaborate on any of the answers he gave to Owen’s one-sided questions. If i recall Owens actually said it was against his better judgement to bring Brown on the air and that he would not allow his radio show to be used as a platform to spew remarks he considered insensitive and divisive. Owens went on and on about how America had come together in the wake of 9-11 and there was no room for remarks like Browns.
The former supervisor tried in vain to explain that as a Baptist Preacher the tradition is to always ask what you could learn from and what role you may have played in any mishap. Owens kept cutting him off and finally let him go. Brown was not allowed to fully explain himself as he bore the full brunt of a media shut down. Where’s the media shut down with this so-called Pastor Terry Jones? Brown made remarks at a funeral.. Jones wants to burn Qurans even though we had Muslim victims on 9-11..
Rev Jesse Jackson was shut down by both the government and our media when he attempted to broker peace around 9-11. Why is Pastor Jones allowed a platform to broker war? ..photo credit: Eric Guo
I recall doing an interview with Jesse Jackson a few days before we launched our attack on the Taliban when he got a phone call from when then Secretary of State Colin Powell. It happened right in the middle of our interview. Jesse had to drop our call to talk to Powell.. When we resumed, Jesse noted that he was asked to fall back with his anti-war remarks and abandon his proposed actions. Jesse wanted to do something dramatic that would bring attention and hopefully result in Peace and Healing..If memory serves me correctly I think he actually wanted to go and speak with the heads of the Taliban.. The Bush administration wasn’t trying to hear that and Jesse was shut down cut off from most of the media.
Pastor Jones is teaching us a lot in the days leading up to his protest. He’s exposing the blatant hypocrisy within many sectors of our media. He’s also exposing the timidness within many sectors of our government. Of course a guy like Pastor Terry should be condemned, but where’s the chin checking of all those news outlets who time and time again with sensational, over-the-top coverage have painted America as being this intolerant country when it comes to Muslims?
If Bush could ban media pictures of dead coffins returning because it would be harmful in demoralizing the troops, maybe we should ban media outlets from showing any Qurans burning. After all aren’t we trying to protect our troops? Is this not about national security? This question is being asked not to have a fast and hard policy where the government comes in enacts censorship but instead to make sure we are not giving lip service to the brave men and women we say on the battle field who we say we wanna protect.. Are we trying to unite or trying to divide?
something to ponder
written by Davey D
CHECK THIS OUT!!!
In America we have a dilemma. Ignorance prevails with the general population. If we educated and studied as dilligently as we seek to be pleased, we would have a society that is balanced. The imbalance of information causes people to “skew” their perspectives. Life is perception. If the media can continue to “skew” (manipulate) the perspectives of the masses, then the control factor (the rich and powerful) can continue to hold us “HOSTAGE” as ignorant slaves. If the massess are bombarded with a specific “sound-bite”, then it becomes reality. They’re creating our reality…
Ignorance is a bliss no doubt about that. Keeping the Americans ignorant is good for U.s. Gov. The dumber the people the controlling is not a problem.
The good old time religion is at work. 77 chapters of the
Koran are in the bible, there fore these dumb people are also burning the Bible. As good Christians ask is that what Jesus would do? Din’t Jesus talked to the prostitute at the well? Those of you without sin cast the first stone.
This do gooder pastor is a former child molester. He is doing all that for $$$$$$$$$ Lowlife Scum of the earth!
“Are we trying to unite or trying to divide?” Davey D
We; I mean they; are trying to get paid. This greasy preacher will probably cash in for $100,000 or better of this. Book deal; all that. There’s no morality in the law. That has to come from the people, and the average American could care less about some furious Muslims if it means a big payday. Media included.
A hundred can die over defiling God’s name
just don’t fuck wit my 15 minutes of fame
”Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” Quran 15:9
Favorblade is absolutely correct, the economic gain behind this action is clear.
Its not that difficult to imagine CNN, MSNBC, and FOX news congregating are this man and giving this hate-monger a national audience. Those news stations will no doubt show the Qua’ran being burned because that’s their proverbial “money shot”.
If we saw a dozen terrorist as the face of the Middle East, then this “pastor” will surely become the face of America.
Where’s Jeremiah Wright when you need him.
A) Cause he’s a slime bag crook..
http://www.politicususa.com/en/sleazy-past-terry-jones
B) Cause Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek and the 10 commandments taught us to love thy neighbor. He can’t even practice what he preaches.
Why not leave the single quotes off the title Pastor?
He deserves the respect. Sure have more respect for him than Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson. I doubt either one of those two ever earned a degree. Al was too busy chasing Tawana and Jesse was too busy chasing his mistress. As far as the koran goes, it’s fit for only two purposes: either burn that piece of crap or print it on two ply tissue and use it for ASSWIPE!!!!!
LOL naw Duke.. do your homework.. I know about his religious abuses in germany.. did you know he was kicked out? yeah I didn’t think so.. why? well.. we both know.. hahahaha
Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton White House senior advisor David Axelrod and General David Petraeus are unable to stop a bloody pastor of doing what he is going to do on 9/11.
Isn’t it interesting?
Pastor Terry Jones, who has arranged this cause, was arrested on Wednesday August 4, 2010 for sharing pictures of children in various states of nudity over the popular file sharing network Limewire.
This story pretty much says it all . Only… a messed up mind can have such a messed up thoughts .
Sounds phony, given the amount of coverage by the so-called MSM. This type of “news” brings me back towards pre/post OJ trial during the mid-’90s. Non-news or non-local issues pop up as “breaking news”. Same goes for these “poll numbers” changing like a stock market ticker.
I co-sign on the notion of skewing information in this country. Many of the talking points spewed on TV are either flat out wrong or are not challenged on air with facts, leaving viewers sectioned off into various beliefs. It gets silly running into virtually the same person (physically different) every other day spouting the same nonsense they heard on the MSM some ole we said/they said shtick.
…and it is odd for all of these public officials to even state an opinion on this. Usually, they’re cast as loons and brushed off or pulled over by local authorities for traffic violations! I suppose it’s hard to fathom just how many folks actually pay attention to US affairs around the world…turn the channel!!!
In my opinion, the media’s coverage of this is merely their way of showing support of it while overtly denying responsibility.
Simpy put, they are showing it because they really want to say it. But instead of saying it, it is much easier to just provide a platform for those who are while simultenously denouncing them. That way, they can appear to be the non-biased good guys.
The excuse that it will infuriate Muslims and endanger the troops is moot at best…..as if the U.S. occupation of the Middle East, stringent sanctions, murder, raping, and pillaging by those who claim to be liberating, and illegal detainment is not infuriating enough. Like Muslims are saying, “We can deal with you killing our children, changing our laws, and taking our oil, but burning our Holy Book is where Iwe draw the line, Buddy!”
Burning the Koran is like pouring alcohol on an open wound, and the media’s broadcast of that intent sends the same message as committing the act.
But while I disagree with Pastor Terry’s “reason” for doing so, I certainly support the right. Censorship is NEVER good. Christian extremists are no different or no better than Muslim extremists, and both should exposed for who/what they are (Pastor Terry beng the former). Heck, maybe some Muslims should get together and burn the Bible.
However, if your Faith can succumb to man-made fire, then maybe you should reevaluate your Faith….or at least your undertstanding of it. I’m jus’ sayin’…..
Tungz
Media likes attention just like the pastor. You hit it on the nail.
Yet, you did not mention that the people who are responsible and elected to uphold our constitution are the very ones who are perpetuating this fear of islam (muslims). I need not name names….
I agree abt our elected officials.. I think I did name names..
Why isn’t the media talking about Mr. Jones past. I’m glad you mention Germany and him being kicked to the curb
Don’t forget…this is an election year, and all of this media hype is purely for the posturing of our (s)elected officials. Politicians must appear to take the high road while in actuality hugging the low road.
Its a front and a precursor for more stringent limitations to come. Because soon, burning the flag, Bible, or effigies of a political figure will be considered “crimes”, and thus, so will freedom of speech, which will then result in all politicians being above criticism, which will then result in the inability to hold them accountable.
How many people are going to hide behind the Bible before it falls on them. If you think Islam is the devil, you should check out Satanism
You said:
“maybe we should ban media outlets from showing any Qurans burning”
Our constitution really doesn’t allow the banning of news media (not that it hasn’t been done when our government considered it to be to their benefit, but instead of official banning, perhaps the media should learn to self-monitor, and make an attempt to be responsible citizens. (Yes, I know, I’m daydreaming.)
The network news seems to have become one enourmous daily broadcast filled with sensationalism. Meanwhile, thanks to all the publicity he has received, this hate-filled “preacher” will now probably end up making a ton of money after causing who knows how much harm and even more ill feelings towards the reputation of the U.S. overseas.
I love this sait
Very well said and thanks for speaking up about the media hypocrisy.
The ridiculous coverage of this 50 person church pastor almost makes me think this whole thing was a scam perpetrated on the world, but for what purpose? As you point out, media can be directed or shut down. Some in power who control the mainstream media wanted this covered and fanned. Why give this pastor this coverage? It allowed the President and others in power to make statements of tolerance towards Muslims, but were those voices really heard?
I’m not sure the reason, but don’t think this was an accident. Others have burned the Koran before and many others did in solidarity with this idiot, but only this pastor got all the coverage. Why?