King's Hearings Are Tone Deaf
Rep. Peter King is correct that radical militant Muslims have attacked us and want to attack us again. He is correct that there are efforts by both Iranian-financed Shiites and Saudi Wahabi Sunni to convert non-Muslims to radicalism and corrupt birthright Muslims to hate and violence. Yes, there are efforts all over the world to make converts to jihad--from Afghanistan to South America, from Mexico to our own communities and prisons.
There is danger, but King is more likely to recruit radicals rather than find them.
The irony here is that King's record of support of and excuses for IRA (Irish Republican Army) violence should have sensitized him to the difference between some few violent individuals and smearing whole communities. Some wanted to stereotype Irish Americans and smear them.
Yes, the IRA wanted to recruit people of Irish ancestry in this country to their violent cause. And they succeeded to some level. It was fair to say that most IRA violence came from Irish Catholics and most IRA recruits in America, who gave money or other forms of support, were also Catholic Irish Americans. I just don't remember congressional hearings on the dangers posed by Catholics, Irish, or Catholic Irish-Americans. Had we done anything so stupid, I'm sure the first, and likely hostile, witness would have been Peter King. Had Guantanamo existed back them, I'm pretty sure Peter would, by now be tanned, rested and in endless detention. Oh irony.
©2011 Jonathan Dobrer
www.Dobrer.com
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