There's never a time for prejudice

Recently Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Virginia) has said that Rep-Elect Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota) poses a threat to American values because he wishes to use the Qu'ran during his private swearing-in ceremony when the new congress opens and he officially takes office. Congressman Goode made these comments in a letter to hundreds of voters, according to the New York Times.

There is NEVER A TIME for comments such as Congressman Goode's, as Keith Ellison was duly elected by the people of his district and has the same right to be a member of the House as any other member from any other district. Goode seems to believe that there is something wrong with a member using the Qu'ran for swearing-in, and that Ellison would be setting a damaging precedent. Apparently he believes that if other muslims are elected then if they wanted to use the Qu'ran then that would pose a threat to "American values."

As I just said, there is NEVER a time for this. NEVER.

We must be tolerant of all religions and opposed to discrimination not only in rhetoric but also in reality because its the right thing to do. Goode is not being tolerant or accepting either in rhetoric (as this note is pretty intolerant) or in reality (as I assume he genuinely believes this), and he does no service to either himself, his party, or the cause of justice and equality by making comments like this.

This is not to say that I don't have problems with Keith Ellison, as I find the fact that he skipped an event at the White House to be obnoxious. I certainly would not have done that no matter who the President was, if any President wanted to give me an invitation (which I doubt, but work with me here), be it Bush, Clinton, Bush Sr., Carter, or Ford, I would go because I think that the presidency itself deserves respect regardless of who the current President is. I also find his ties to the Nation of Islam troubling and they don't seem to be fully explained. Indeed, the voters of his district had some problems with this as well, given that this is a safe Democratic seat, and yet Keith Ellison was only elected with 55.56 percent of the vote, with about 21 percent each for the Republican and for an independent who promised to caucus with Democrats. This is a safe Democratic seat and he may (and I think probably should) face a primary challenge in 2008, but that has nothing to do with his religion and everything to do with shady connections that he may have.

That said, there is never a time for prejudice of this sort. In trying to defend "American values," Virgil Goode seems to have forgotten acceptance, one of the most important American values of all.