George Washington Vs. Anti-Islamic Fear-Mongers

by Bruce Friedrich

The New York Times and Washington Post have editorials today on Obama’s curious Mosque flip-flop, both calling on him to get back into the debate, on the side of tolerance (i.e., to restate what we all thought he was saying in the first place).

Both papers also sport opinion pieces making the case in more detail (as usual, Gene Robinson is especially on-point). But the best commentary I’ve seen offers almost no commentary; in his Washington Sketch today, Dana Milbank juxtaposes various anti-mosque statements with a  letter from George Washington to a Newport, Rhode Island, Jewish congregation, written 220 years ago.

Milbank begins with:

“To bigotry no sanction.” –George Washington

“Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate.”  –Sarah Palin

And ends with:

“May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.”  –George Washington

“Come on, we’re going to allow that at Ground Zero?” –Rudy Giuliani

It’s a sad day when we’re taking morality lessons from the late 18^th Century.

By: BruceGFriedrich

Vice President, Policy, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals