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GOOD SANTA / BAD SANTA

Just the other day, a New York City taxi cab passenger was in quiet conversation with the driver. After determining that the driver was an Arab immigrant of Muslim faith, the passenger’s demeanor suddenly turned to rage. He produced a knife and attempted to murder the driver, leaving him with vicious cuts on the neck and about the head. There is little doubt that this seemingly singular act is not connected to the controversy surrounding the proposed construction of an Islamic community center/mosque in the vicinity of Ground Zero.

The indicated controversy has gone viral on a national scale. Surely it will have great presence during the coming fall elections. Actually, what basically is a local zoning matter, already has been settled, with the construction of the center having been given a green light. All the rest is peripheral, political puffery. From the White House to the counter-demonstrating crowds on the street, there have been interesting takes on the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. While one side says the other wants to restrict religious practice, the other side, while defending the Constitution, holds that it is a matter of social sensitivity. With this beclouded blather, the gorilla in the midst of it all is never mentioned.

Nevertheless, a species of mountain dweller unbeknownst to Dian Fossey was revealed in San Diego this morning. Rick Roberts, a dependably right-slanted radio ranter, surprising even himself, said it out loud, for all to hear: “Allah is Satan!” he proclaimed – twice. It was in response to a caller who had explained that the Founders – good Christian men all – in their prohibitions about injecting religion into government actually were referring only to the various Christian sects. Knowledgeably, he asserted that the freedom to worship did not cover other religions. The host, in an attempt to smooth over some of these erroneous assertions, reminded his caller that not all the Founders were Christians, that some may not have been religious at all. However, the host did agree with what the caller only would suggest, that, indeed, “Allah is Satan!” It is significant that “Judaism” never came up in the conversation.

So, there it is: It is not whether you believe in Santa Clause – rather, it is whether, after setting out your milk and cookies, you will wake up and find the stockings hung over the fireplace to be stuffed with toys or coal…

Post Script

With regard to the announced attempt to intrude upon the Civil Rights/King legacy at the Lincoln Memorial this coming Saturday, it is important to realize that Glenn Beck is a deceptively dangerous electronic snake-oil salesman of the 21^st century – and that he is very good at his job!