Who's the Bigot?

By now almost everyone has heard of the on-again, off-again, on-again,...plan of the Florida Pastor Terry Jones to very publicly burn a copy of the Koran at his very small church on the anniversary of 9/11. I began this post yesterday, so by the time you read it, we'll know what actually transpired. Anyway, not only has almost everyone heard about it by now, but it seems nearly everyone has used the occasion also to just as publicly voice their objections to it, thereby demonstrating to the world, to each other, and to themselves how very tolerant they are.

This all-too-familiar performance, which is what it mostly is, is done now by so many from both sides of our political divide that it has become trite. For those on the Left to be on the lookout for an opportunity like this, to recognize it as such, and then to use it as they have is, well, it's just what they do. Sadly, for nearly as many on the Right, the event affords a similar opportunity. Far too many of them, by objecting to the event, are effectively saying something like this: "Look, look! We can recognize a bigot too. We can denounce him just like you. See, we're not what you imagine us to be. We're not so bad after all, are we?"

Pathetic. Predictable, but pathetic.

Well, I think there is some anti-Muslim bigotry being expressed here, but the Reverend Jones' is the least of it. As I witness the entire spectacle, I am reminded of that wonderful phrase from one of former President George W. Bush's speeches: "The soft bigotry of low expectations." Bush was referring to the subtle inclination to lower educational standards for African-American children, but I believe a similar inclination is evident in our reaction to not only the Florida pastor's plan, but also in our response to the terrorism springing from Islamism.

We Americans all know how very careful we have to be with the use of the "n" word. It's best never to use it all, but if you must, be sure to surround it and infuse it with a host of explanations and qualifications. So many, in fact, that, as I said, it's best never to use it all.

Why is this so? Why must we be so very careful about what is after all only a word? I mean, this is America, right? Besides, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names...."

Well, we all do know why, don't we? And I don't think I need to recapitulate here our history as a nation with respect to race to make it clear. Nevertheless, I have long thought our cautiousness with the use of the "n" word contained within it something else, something that, despite our benign intentions, was more than a bit insulting to black Americans.

I believe that there coexists alongside our desire to be sensitive to the black experience in America, a contrary notion that black people, unlike whites, are psychologically fragile. They are so fragile, in fact, that the mere use of the "n" word in their presence can be so psychologically damaging as to risk destruction of their self-esteem, to cause them, in effect, to curl up forever in the fetal position, useless to themselves and society. Or, they are so fragile that the simple hearing of that word might launch them into fits of uncontrollable rage and violence for which they could not justly be held responsible.

I'm wondering whether or not something similar might be happening here and now in our treatment of Muslims. That is, are we engaging in a national demonstration of "the soft bigotry of low expectations"?

Does the religion if Islam somehow inspire its adherents to behave irrationally at times? Does it teach them that the destruction of one copy of its scriptures by an otherwise anonymous pastor at an otherwise obscure church justifies the violence and vandalism it, apparently, may unleash? Are Muslims, in fact, different from us? If so, is it a difference of which we must take account? And if we don't, does their behavior somehow become our responsibility and not theirs?

If our answer to the last questions is yes, then in our increasingly timid response to the Islamist-inspired challenge facing us, we risk being guilty not only of cowardice, but bigotry as well.