Dangerous Times

Dangerous Times

We are living in dangerous times. I'm not saying this to scare anyone, well, maybe to a point I am. We are living in a time when people are running their lives on fear and hate. And we are allowing this fear and hate to consume us. Granted, there are only small groups that are pushing these issues but you can not turn on the news or look at a website that doesn't have some part of it devoted to spreading this hate and we are allowing it to happen all in the name of our own freedoms.
Recent stories of Anti-Muslim protests, not in just New York but all over the country. Seriously, this is getting ridiculous and it's getting scary. What are we doing to ourselves? What are we doing to our own freedoms? We are making a mockery of own country and it has to stop.
Look at these articles and tell me if we are truly trying to protect American freedom
Tenn. Mosque Called Another Sign of 'Mosque Mania'
Beck's Restoring Honor Rally: Thousands Attend, Civil Rights Leaders Protest Event
Fire At Tennessee Mosque Construction Site Now Under Federal Arson Investigation
Here's what I do know and by no means am I claiming to be an expert in the ways of the Constitution. I am just a simple man who wants to live in a simple society that wants to help and support everyone else in the same society.
I know that everyone in this country has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of opinion. I know that the first amendment of the constitution promises this. I know that the 14th amendment also promises that no American can be denied these freedoms, no matter who they are. I also know that, if we are not careful, we are going to end up destroying this country because we are not living up to what has been promised.
How dare we tell Muslims that they are free to build their community center but limit where they are allowed to build it. How dare we attack other muslims around the country. We do not have the right to make demands to anyone, not individually, not as a group. We are violating the very rights that we claim to honor and if we do not stop, we are going to lose those rights.
The Results
Let us take a look at something that I'll bet my next year's income on, the results of what we are doing to our country. Some of you will think that I'm just being paranoid and none of this can ever happen, not in this country. And while I, to a small extent, understand and agree with that assumption, I still do not think that we can be so complacent as to not think that we as Americans can lose our rights and freedoms. Let's examine some thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head the last couple of weeks.  
Anti-Muslim sentiment:
Ok, so we had a group of Muslim extremist that attacked us on September 11, 2001. They killed thousands of our people. Now there is a group of Muslim-Americans in the country, not outsiders but actual Americans that want to build a community center two blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood.
So they have the right? According to the First Amendment, They have the right to practice their beliefs and build where they wish just like Christians, Catholics, Jews, Mormons and any other religious organization in this country. Yet, we have our own group of extremists that are trying to push them out. Tell them that they are not welcome, they can't build there and they are doing it all in the name of freedom.
What is the answer? There is only one way that we are actually going to be able to resolve this conflict. We have to get rid of the freedom of religion in this country. If we tell one faith that they cannot practice in this country then none us have that right. You can no longer follow the faith you have grown up with and all your places of worship must be shut down and/or burned.
Anti-Homosexual Sentiment:
Gays and Lesbians in this country have been trying to be considered equals in this country. All they want is to have the same protection under the law as everyone else in this country. They want the right to marry their partners, to have equal benefits for Health Care. (That's the biggest issue)
Yet, there are people in this country that feel that, due to religious reasons mostly, that Gays and Lesbians are not to be given the same rights as everyone else. That allowing Gays and Lesbians to marry their partners would undermine the "Very foundation that this country was founded on". I'm still trying to figure out what that is suppose to mean.
What is the answer? Let's tell everyone, no matter who that you, that no one is allowed to marry in this country. Let's just get rid of the institution of institution of marriage all together. This way, there will be no more reason to argue about it. And while we are at those that are married, your marriages are no longer legal and you can no carry your former spouses on your benefits and if you do, you'll be charged more for that coverage because it's going to cost more for the company you work for to have your Domestic Partner covered.

End Game:
These are just a couple of the examples I could think of today. There are more, plenty more out there. Just pick up a newspaper and read about all the nonsense that is going on. The sad thing is, this is not all that farfetched. Some of you may have grown up with siblings or relatives about your same age. Remember when you were arguing over who got to play with the toy and it got so bad that your parents would take it away so that no one got to play with it? Just replace the children with adults, the same ones you see bickering on the tv and in the news, and the toy with our rights and freedoms.
This is just something to think about while you go through your life trusting your liberties to those that claim to be working in your best interest. Has anyone read 1984? It has been years since I have read it but I think it would make a great example of what will happen to us if, as supposedly responsible Americans, we don't start taking control of our country and stop letting politicians and talking heads tell us what we think we want to hear.
As Americans, we have an obligation to take matters in our own hands. We must check out our elected officials before we run to the polls. Look at what they stand for, not just what you see on the TV ads and what they say in their well versed speeches, look at what they have done. If they are running for reelection, take a look at their history in office. They are betting on the fact that we will follow their "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy and not even bother to see their past mistakes and just take their word for their "Good Works".
We as Americans can no longer afford to be lemmings. If we are not checking each and every one of these people out, then we deserve what we get, we deserve to get the idiot in office that will ruin our future, take away our Social Security that we have all worked all of our lives to get. We deserve to lose our right to free speech and Religion because we took someone's word for it that they will protect them.

Again, just something to think about.