Shocker! Virgil Goode actually doing some good.

Anti-NAFTA Superhighway and NAU Resolution

Representative Virgil Goode (R-VA) introduced H.C.R. 40 on January 22. The resolution has 6 cosponsors; among them are Reps. John Duncan, Walter B. Jones, Cliff Stearns, Virginia Foxx, Ron Paul and Zach Wamp.

The stated purpose of H.C.R. 40 is to express "the sense of Congress that the United States should not engage in the construction of a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Superhighway System or enter into a North American Union with Mexico and Canada."Contact and ask your representative and senators to support H.C.R. 40.

The Bush administration, as well as most members of Congress, are denying that there is a working agenda to merge the United States, Mexico and Canada into one European Union-like nation. Goode's resolution brings awareness to this threat by admitting that the NAU is a reality that is threatening our country's sovereignty and security. H.C.R. 40 has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Unless enough support is generated, the resolution may never make it to the Congressional floor for a debate or vote.

For the complete text of H.C.R. 40 visit the following webpage: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.CON.RES.40:

Friedman, Rice, Goode - The Polluting of Our National Discourse

Posted on Tuesday January 2, 2007

An article by Tom Friedman, a quote from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a letter by a Virginia Congressman hit in one day last week reminding me how tolerant our national discourse has become of bigotry toward Arabs and Muslims and how condescending policy-makers and analysts have become in their dealings with the Middle East region.

Tom Friedman’s Article

In the lead up to the Iraq War, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman was one of the invasion’s strong advocates. Friedman has now figured out why the war has gone so badly, and so in a rather remarkable piece appearing in the Times this week, he offers advice to President Bush.

Never known for humility or apologies, here’s what Friedman has concluded: it’s the Arabs’ fault. I said the article was remarkable, and it was, not for its wisdom, but for its shameless self-serving bigotry.

Here’s why.

The article “Mideast Rules To Live By” makes the following observations:

• Arabs are dishonest (they say one thing in private, another in public);
• Arabs are illogical (prone to conspiracies);
• Arabs are weak-kneed, without principles (“moderates”, in particular, are dissemblers, with no backbone);
• Arabs are more violent and vengeful than “we” are;
• Arabs are petty and tribal, and so on.

The Friedman lesson for the President appears to be, “It’s not your fault, sir, it’s theirs. You and I weren’t wrong about the war; they weren’t ready for the gift you were giving them.” I have often been disturbed by Friedman’s dismissive tone coupled with his weird obsession with all things Arab. With this piece my reaction went from disturbed to outrage.

As I read through Friedman’s 15 rules for dealing with “Middle Easterners” (as he terms the objects of his condescension), I wondered, “what if an Arab had written a comparable piece about Jews?” The reaction would have been swift and justifiable condemnation.

European imperialists wrote this way about their subject natives. And whites, at one time, wrote much the same was about blacks. But, this is the 21st century and here, in the “enlightened” New York Times, is bigotry and condescension on display – passing as enlightened analysis.

Which brings me to…

Secretary Rice’s Quote

In a long interview with the Washington Post Rice notes, “The old Middle East was not going to stay. Let’s stop mourning the old Middle East. It was not so great and it was not going to survive anyway.”

The condescension and arrogance at work here is stunning. In one sweeping stroke, Rice dismisses the tens of thousands who have died, the civil war in Iraq and the volatile mess left by our neglectful and misguided policies in Lebanon and Palestine as the mere passing of the “old Middle East”, which wasn’t “so good” anyway. There is, therefore, no need to beat our breasts with mea culpas, no reason to fret about the failures and the devastating consequences of our misguided policy. It is not our fault, it is theirs. And, in any case, things are better off now, because we said they were.

Thank you for the clarification and the history lesson, Madame Secretary.

If Friedman and Rice weren’t bad enough, the worst quote of the week came in the form of…

Rep. Virgil Goode’s (R-Va) Letter

In a letter to constituents, Republican Congressman Virgil Goode expressed his concern with the intention of newly elected Congressman Keith Ellison to take the oath of office using the Qur’an.

Goode wrote, “I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way. …[I]f American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran. We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country. I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.”

This ugly rant conflates a number of bigoted threads that have infected our national discourse, including xenophobia and Islamophobia. I’ve heard them on our radio talk shows and read them in blogs but coming from a Congressman on official stationary is another matter.

Facts don’t matter to bigots, only hate and fear. Ellison is an African American who traces his ancestry back to the 1700’s. The largest component group of U.S. Muslims are African American converts, not immigrants. There are a number of American Muslim immigrants serving with distinction at the highest levels in the Administration and in the US military.

But, facts don’t matter. What does matter and is of concern here, is that it has become acceptable to spew this type of venom.

All of this raises serious and troubling questions we must answer. How do we face up to the mess we made in the Middle East and find a way forward? How can we capture and preserve the “values and beliefs” that we claim if a Congressman can write like this, a Secretary of State can be so dismissive of the human tragedy created of our blunders and the respected New York Times can publish such ugly bigotry?

Resolving to answer these questions might be a great way to start the New Year.

Bush Okays Rep. Virgil Goode's Racist Comments

December 23, 2006
Bush Is Urged to Act on Criticism of Muslim
By RACHEL L. SWARNS

White House officials said they were aware that some Democrats and Muslims were urging President Bush to admonish Representative Virgil H. Goode Jr., Republican of Virginia, and Dennis Prager, the conservative commentator, for suggesting that the first Muslim elected to the House had no place in Congress. “We’re aware of the situation,” said Dana Perino, a spokeswoman for Mr. Bush, “but no judgments have been made.”

--MORE--

Video: House members react to Rep. Virgile Goode's racist letter

Reps. Goode, Hunter defend anti-Quran note; Ellison responds



At a press conference, Rep. Virgil Goode defended a letter he wrote criticizing a newly elected Muslim congressman, "I do not apologize and I do not retract my letter. The letter stands for itself and I support the letter."

Keith Ellison has been newly elected to Congress and plans to use the Quran during his personal swearing in ceremony. The Bible or no other religious texts are used by any member during the official swearing in ceremony.

The letter, written to Rep. Goode's constituents, said, "...if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office demanding the use of the Koran."

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN, Rep. Duncan Hunter defends Goode's position on the Quran. Hunter says, "Since the days of George Washington, the common bond between the people of the United States, when the Supreme Court Justice holds that Bible out for The President or The Speaker of the House in a official ceremony -- or anybody right down through our townships and our states holds out a Bible -- that Bible is a common bond of commitment and faith. Not only for the person the person receieving the office, whose dedicating himself, but for the people of the United States. [The Bible] has been the common bond since our country started."

Representative elect Ellison takes the high road responding to Goode's comments, "There's really nothing to fear. And that all of us [Muslims] are steadfastly opposed to the same people he's opposed to, which is the terrorists. So, there's nothing for him to be afraid of."

Racism In Congress

Lawmaker stands firm on Quran criticism

By SUE LINDSEY, Associated Press Writer Fri Dec 22, 9:38 AM ET

A congressman said Thursday that he will not retract a letter warning that unless immigration is tightened, "many more Muslims will be elected" and use the Quran to take the oath of office.

Republican Rep. Virgil Goode (news, bio, voting record) triggered angry responses from a civil rights group and some colleagues with a letter this month to constituents concerned about a decision by Rep.-elect Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, to use the Quran when he is sworn in.

"I will not be putting my hand on the Quran," Goode said at a news conference Thursday at the Franklin County Courthouse.

Goode, who represents Virginia's 5th Congressional District, said he is receiving more positive comments from constituents than negative.

"One lady told me she thinks I'm doing the right thing on this," he told Fox News. "I wish more people would take a stand and stand up for the principles on which this country was founded."

Goode also told Fox News he wants to limit legal immigration and do away with "diversity visas," which he said let in people "not from European countries" and "some terrorist states."

In his letter, Goode wrote that strict immigration polices are necessary "to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America."

"The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran," he wrote.

Ellison said Thursday that Goode and others had nothing to fear about Muslims.

"They are our nurses, doctors, husbands, wives, kids, who just want to live and prosper in the American way," Ellison, a Democrat from Minneapolis, said Thursday on CNN when asked what he would say to Goode if they met. "All of us are steadfastly opposed to the same people he's opposed to, which is terrorists, and so there's nothing for him to be afraid of."

Asked whether he thought Goode was a bigot, Ellison said, "I don't know the fellow, and I'd rather just say that he has a lot to learn about Islam. ... I don't want to start any name-calling."

Virginia's senior senator, Republican John Warner, said in a statement Thursday that he respects the right of congressional members to freely "exercise the religion of their choice, including those of the Islamic faith utilizing the Quran."

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (news, bio, voting record), an Illinois Democrat who is Jewish, said Thursday that he hoped Goode would meet with Ellison, saying he would "see what I saw: a good American with good values of a different faith who's trying to do right by the people he represents."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations had asked Goode to apologize, saying the remarks sent "a message of intolerance that is unworthy of anyone elected to public office."

Ellison was born in Detroit and converted to Islam in college.

His decision to use the Quran at his ceremonial swearing-in next month prompted criticism from conservative talk radio host Dennis Prager. The American-Islamic relations council has called for Prager's removal from the board of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

___

Associated Press writers Matt Reed in Richmond and Frederic J. Frommer in Washington contributed to this report.

Jewish group condemns Rep. Virgil Goode's anti-Muslim remarks

I am no fan of ADL, but in this case they are right. ---

December 21, 2006

Representative Virgil Goode, Jr
U.S, House of Representatives
Washington, DC

Dear Representative Goode:

We are writing to express strong concerns about reports that you sent a letter to constituents assailing immigration to the United States by Muslims and the use of the Koran to swear in an elected Member of Congress.

Your letter demonstrates a serious lack of understanding of the fundamental religious guarantees enshrined in the US Constitution. Article VI, Clause 3 states that, "no religious Test shall ever be required" to hold public office in America. Members of Congress, like all Americans, should be free to observe their own religious practices without government interference or coercion.

As you must know from personal experience, no Member of Congress is officially sworn in with a Bible. Under House rules, the official swearing-in ceremony is done in the House chambers, with the Speaker of the House administering the oath of office en masse. No Bibles or other holy books are used at all.

You assert that only adoption of "the Virgil Goode position on immigration" can "preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America." While we would note that Representative-elect Ellison is not an immigrant, we must take issue with your view that immigration to the US by Muslims or members of any other faith is somehow not in concert with American values and traditions. Quite the contrary. A fundamental hallmark of America is in how we as a nation have embraced immigrants of all faiths and national origins.

Your letter states your "fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States." To suggest Muslims should be viewed with fear, based solely on their faith, demonizes millions of people living in our communities. This is of special concern at a time when the stereotyping and disparate treatment of communities as part of debates over immigration or counterterrorism policy impacts those people in very tangible ways, including making them more vulnerable to bias-motivated violence.

Reasonable people can and will disagree on the best course for our nation's immigration policy. It is clear, however, that there is a direct connection between the tone of the national policy debate and the atmosphere surrounding the daily lives of immigrants - legal and illegal. Politicians and civic leaders have a responsibility not to engage in divisive appeals based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion.

It is both ironic and troubling that the sentiments expressed come from an elected leader from the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state that is often referred to as the birthplace of religious freedom in America. Many of the principles of religious freedom that were inscribed in our Constitution were proposed, of course, by Virginia's own Thomas Jefferson.

What truly unifies all Americans, Rep. Goode, is a value system built on religious freedom, respect for differences, and democratic pluralism. We urge you to rethink your ill-conceived remarks about Muslims in America.

Sincerely, David C. Friedman ADL Washington DC Regional Director

In Virgil Goode's America, no room for Muslims

Home » blogs » Mike Boyer
Thu, 12/21/2006 - 6:00pm.

About a month ago, I wrote about how CNN can't decide whether Rep.-Elect Keith Ellison is an icon or an enemy. Turns out, some of his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives can't decide either.

In case you've missed the news, Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota, also happens to be a Muslim. But it seems that people are having a hard time figuring out that one can be Muslim and American at the same time. Ellison, for example, was born in Detroit, one of the most American cities I know.

But in a letter being mailed out to constituents, U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode, a Republican from Virginia, is taking exception with Ellison's decision to have one hand on the Koran as he swears in his oath of office to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. In his letter, he says he can "not subscribe to using the Koran in any way." Then he goes on:

The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration, there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran."

Grasp the irony? Ellison will be taking an oath to defend the Constitution, the very document that guarantees his freedom to practice any religion he chooses, or none at all. The really sad irony here is that Virgil Goode represents a state that helped enshrine religious freedom into our national fabric. Here's another Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, writing in reference to the creation of the Virginia Act of Religious Freedom:

Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting 'Jesus Christ,' so that it would read 'A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;' the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.

My how times have changed.

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