Flaming Stupidity

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment I, The Constitution of the United States of America

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is sacred. I would argue it is more sacred than any religious text you choose as the foundation of your religion, be it the Bible, the Torah, the Quran, or Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Without the First Amendment, you do not have the freedom to choose that religion – and probably not even the right to read the text in the first place.

When it is not being burned in an effort to dispose of it properly, the American flag is sometimes burned as a form of protest. And yes, that sort of behavior is protected under the First Amendment. As it should be. However, as a general rule, whatever a flag-burning protestor is saying is not actually worth the effort to listen to it. To a man, they are dimwits. They cannot make a cohesive argument, so they resort to shock tactics specifically designed to agitate their critics. After all, it’s much easier than attempting to have a intelligent debate on the subject in question, and it might even get them a few seconds of media coverage.

Attention – that is what they so desperately crave. As flag burners disrespect the very symbol of the country that grants them the freedom to offend, they pray their actions will somehow create enough of a stir that other human beings will see beyond their sexual inadequacies, lack of intelligence, and overall insignificance and acknowledge, even briefly, their existence. To a man, they should be ignored. The First Amendment protects their right of expression, but it does not require any of us to pay attention.

Which brings us to the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., an irrelevant congregation led by an irrelevant pastor who has decided to mark the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 Islamic terrorist attacks on the United States by burning the Quran. Apparently, people begin jockeying for media attention when Tim Tebow leaves town. (Denver, you have been warned.)

This guy is less relevant than a Mr. Mister reunion tour. At least, he should be. However, the media caught wind of the story and it has taken on a life of its own. Thank you, 24-hour news cycle, for once again providing a springboard for someone who should have remained the subject of snickering at the local watering hole. Now, we are all left to suffer Pastor Terry Jones, who has positioned himself at the center of an international hullabaloo.

It would be nice if the universe could collectively disregard the planned actions of the Dove World Outreach Center on Saturday. For most Americans, it’s easy enough to dismiss the exercise as yet another media stunt, rather than a true examination of political or religious dogma. Hey, mission accomplished. Again, the First Amendment protects this type of behavior and it should. But this is no ordinary book burning, and unfortunately, the media has truly fanned the flames of this controversy.

Mark my words, this pathetic display of ignorance and intolerance will serve to agitate and embolden those who oppose the very freedoms that allow this sort of nonsense to happen.