Craigslist RnR: Religious Freedom and Cultural Discomfort

I regularly scroll the Dayton area Craigslist Rants and Raves, since a friend once posted a link to one of my articles there. Well, as regularly as I can stand it. Because people can let loose with complete anonymity and utter impunity, it almost seems like vitrol distilled some times. Drink too much from the list and you've burnt a bitter hole in ones faith in humanity.

However, every now and then a topic comes up worth discussing. In this case, its whether people have a right to where a burqa in public in the United States. I know this is a hot topic in France right now. And whats happening in France merits deeper discussion in its own right. For this article I wanted to reprint (with my friends permission) a response to a posters suggestion that women wearing burqas in the library should be banned and possibly maced because they could possibly be terrorists. At the top are the original inspiring posts. Then there is the essay retrospectively entitled Freedom. The rest of the responses, most of them supporting the right to freedom in this country are not included, because it becomes too lengthy. *But* for the next 40 days of so you can follow the thread yourself. (Craigslist posts expire in 45 days).

Let's make Greene County A 'NO BERKA' Zone!!!
Reply to: xxxxxxxxxx
Date: 2008-03-21, 9:57AM EDT

I was in the Greene County Library, and 3 Muslims in Berka's walked in, and stand around the front.
I wanted to spray them with mace. How do we know they aren't hiding explosives or guns under them? If I was to walk into a public place with a bag over my head, it would incite fear, and panic, and I would be charged with aggravated Menacing. Let's Ban the Berka in Greene County!!!

RE: No Burka's
Reply to: xxxxxxxxxxx
Date: 2008-03-21, 9:50PM EDT

I agree. What if you or I were to walk into a bank dressed like that???? What's that saying..."When in Rome....." If they want to dress in their native attire while in their home that is one thing, but out in public places they need to remember which country they are in.

I've lived in other countries...and I tried to fit in; not stand out. I also learned the language and used it!!

Freedom

Re: Burka's in Greene County
Reply to: xxxxxxxxxx
Date: 2008-03-22, 12:10PM EDT

Personally I respect your opinion and your right to rant it on here. But there seems to be a misconception in the re: burka response.

1. The women in Burkas you see in the library--were born here. All of them. They speak English as a first language, are not of middle eastern descent and go to a mosque up the street. Generally, their parents were born here, and their parents parents etc. They also generally have children, and the ones I've met and gotten to know are nice sweet women who wouldn't mace you as one of you would mace them.

2. Last time I checked, this country had freedom of religion. Jewish people are allowed to have their synagogues, skullcaps and speak Hebrew. Catholics are allowed to have their rosaries, eat the blood of Christ and use Latin. Mormons are allowed to wear their forever underwear. The Amish are allowed to keep their kids out of school, ride in horse and carriages on public roads and speak German....and Muslims hey are allowed to wear their burquas and have long beards. The key, none of those groups are allowed to make other people do the same.

Soooo....when in Rome (or to apply it to our country: when in the United States) live and let live, and don't force your religion and beliefs on others.

3. If you didn't notice, America is prized for the fact that it is the land of the free, ie you can be who you want to be here as long as you're not hurting (note active present tense) anyone, not as long as they conform to rigid social norms.

4. Could they be hiding bombs under those robes? And thus the mere possibility coupled with fear is enough to strip people of rights? Lets get to that right away then. Can't be too safe. We'll start with trench coats. Trench coats are now outlawed in the US. Why? Because they can hide big guns.

Ok and the teen age boys that tend to wear them and blow up schools...we make them walk around naked with no book bags so they can't turn their weapons into massacres. Lets do that for young adult males too because they're taking it to the colleges. No young adult males can become police officers because *some* of them take it too far and blow up innocent ex girlfriends at a party because they get pissed off.
Done.

Now middle aged middle class to upper class white men. They tend to be serial killers and child molesters. Ok, we restrict their financial resources and tag them with GPS transmitters to make sure their not stalking anyone.

And...priests. They tend to molest little boys. So... hey! lets defrock them so they can't hide erections for little boys. So priests will not be allowed to wear their traditional garb.

Ok, and since men in general tend to have the highest rate of molestation, kidnap and rape they won't be allowed to buy vans unless they go through rigorous background checks, since they obviously use these to entrap their victims before they kill them and bury them. They will also be required to go through periodic counseling for their presumed aggressions if they get married and start a family. Since they tend to kill their pregnant wives, their wives will be taken to safe houses during the pregnancy and right after birth, while men are watch closely for any signs of aggression.

Alright, now soccer moms. They tend to kill their children in psychotic fits, or drown them for their men. Soccer moms are not allowed to date unless they give up custody of their children. In addition all soccer moms will have to take mandatory psychiatric tests every three months as long as they have kids.

Female teachers...they obviously are going to molest your little boys too (geez every body wants a piece of little boys) so female teachers will only be allowed to teach girls in a separated classroom.

And daycares. Since they tend to molest children in Satanic rituals all daycares should be built of see through plexiglass.

We might as well apply that to churches, especially the megachurches because God knows all those people together obsessively worshiping a few tenets can lead to Jim Jones or Waco. So, if you attend a church, sorry--services are canceled for the next two months while we raze your churches and rebuild them with see through plexiglass. We will also be installing radio monitoring and a gas system so if you get out of control we can beat you to the punch.

Guns. They are the root of all evil. They are part of every massacre or domestic attack. All guns will be outlawed for everyone, and if someone is seen with one they will be shot on sight by a select militia. In addition, any gun remaining, including those in a museum, will be melted down to make the GPS tracking transmitters listed above.

Post office...well the postal service is just gone. UPS does a better job and they look damn sexy in shorts. The van rule does not apply as long as they don't take them home and their clothes are short and tight enough they can't be hiding *any* weapons.

And don't even get me started on the welfare, obvious druggies and disabled people. We know what we're going to do with them.

So, the solution is, strip everyone of their clothes so they can't be hiding any weapons, and monitor everyone heavily especially if they don't stick to rigid written social norms, all because a few people in each group can be bastards. But not you of course!

PS While I REALLY like the idea of the US becoming a mandatory nudist colony (the last time I ran down the street naked I got arrested*. That sucked!) I'm surprised that you guys seem to be advocating what sounds like communist Russia or China. Why did we fight Russia at all with the cold war? We should have joined them!! I guess I forgot what country I was in! Can you help me remember?

*As a condition for permission to reprint, I'm required to note this is satire. Since it is satire, and some may be unable to recognize it for satire, the original author was not arrested for streaking (just disappointed that satire is apparently a dying form.)