The WMD of Pastor Terry Jones
Gainesville, {Fl.} is a bustling little city that has always represented progressive ideals and themes. A college town located in the northern part of Florida, it is surrounded by many rural communities that rely on it for its many thriving businesses, i.e. medical, judicial, educational, retail malls and for a wide range of entertainment.
We’ve found ourselves heading towards Gainesville many times. For prenatal care and the birth of our grandchild, dermatologist for my husband’s skin cancer, movie theaters, restaurants and whatever needs that one cannot find living in a rural place.
It’s always a treat when we have to plan a trip there, watching the college students’ hurry off to school. Observing or getting caught up in traffic flowing east, west, north and south that most likely heads toward the many jobs that Gainesville provides for its own city dwellers and for the many folk who live in the small towns and counties surrounding it.
Gainesville represents the heart of America with its football games (Go Gators Go!) its newspaper, its churches, (one must travel there to attend a Unitarian Universalist Church, the only one to be found for miles around ) and also for the many events Gainesville plans, year round.
Now suddenly its reputation of being progressive and tolerant has been tarnished (HOW CAN THIS BE?); Smeared by one pathetic little man who wishes to achieve fame by any means even notoriously. This one individual and his handful of followers eagerly, if not joyfully spread around their bigotry, ignorance and hate, not giving a hoot as to whom or what will be seriously hurt by their frivolity. It makes no sense that nothing and I mean NOTHING is able to stop them.
I love the freedoms that we Americans are privileged to enjoy by living here in the good ole USA; liberties like The Freedom of Speech, that is for the most part, taken for granted by most of us who can’t imagine living life without it. But like all good things that are taken for granted it also can be abused and abused it is, by this infinitesimal piece of nothingness who calls himself a preacher. What he is doing is an out and out, act of TERRORISM’ a quest to spread TERROR because he also enjoys this right but in his mind he is using it to invoke HATE and IGNORANCE. In other words, he is using FREE SPEECH as a weapon of mass destruction, not for the annihilation of material things (although that will surely happen) but the extermination of minds.
The greatest unsolved mystery here is ‘THE WHY’? Why are so many willing to grasp his message of HATE? When we, human beings are able to answer that ‘WHY’ we will be able to achieve everlasting peace on Earth. (IMAO ANYWAY!) thinkingblue
Gainesville's tolerant ways marred by pastoron to your hats while you watch an interview with some of
International attention over Quran-hating pastor overshadows Gainesville's reputation for toleranceBY MARY ELLEN KLAS AND JOSEPH GOODMAN
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
GAINESVILLE -- The multicolored ribbons started appearing on mailboxes, trees and buildings around town Friday, with the scrum of national reporters and cable television satellite trucks still parked on the lawn of the Dove Outreach Church.
The ribbons were a subtle counter-protest, part of the ``Peace, Love, Not Dove'' campaign started by community groups and city leaders smarting from the unwanted notoriety created by Dove church pastor Terry Jones' plans to burn the Quran on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Radical acts of faith do happen in this college town, but usually on fall Saturdays involving thousands of University of Florida football fans painting themselves orange and blue.
Politically, Gainesville prides itself on its tolerance and diversity. Its city government has passed ordinances to guard against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Its business community is known for spawning start-ups and incubating new technologies linked to the university. It has been ranked as one of the nation's smartest and most livable cities.
When Pastor Jones became an international sensation for using his tiny congregation to proclaim his hate for Islam, Gainesville cringed. The decision to cancel, or at least postpone the Quran burning did not remove the sting.
``I don't think anybody took him very seriously at first,'' said Annie Pais, a 35-year resident who runs Florida's Eden, a local non-profit economic development program. ``We were appalled at what he was doing but we thought it would stay a fringe thing and nobody ever thought it would get this kind of attention.''
Fueled by the Internet and fed by a 24-hour news cycle, Jones' anti-Quran crusade became the story of the day.
``People are mortified that this person who does not represent the community in any way would draw this international spotlight in one of the most progressive places in the United States,'' said Cynthia Barnett, a Gainesville author and journalist.
Mayor Craig Lowe, who is openly gay, called the church a ``tiny fringe group'' that is opposed to ``Gainesville's true character as a place that values every person.
``We're an open and welcoming community to anyone and everyone regardless of religion, race, national origin, language, gender, sexual orientation -- because we want
everyone to contribute to our community,'' he said.
Lowe has endured the congregation's intolerance before. During the mayoral election campaign last spring, Jones posted a sign reading ``No homo mayor'' outside the church.
The mayor said what has been lost in the controversy is the ``true Gainesville we all know and love'' -- which features a first-class university, an emerging high-tech sector,
hometown musicians Tom Petty and Bo Diddley, treasured freshwater springs (more than any other region of the world) and a vibrant arts scene.
Locals also proudly cite the latest lists. For example, urban economist Richard Florida lists Gainesville as the city expected to have the highest per capita increase in the ``creative class'' earners -- those with higher paying jobs in technology, health care or design -- between 2008-2018.
He also listed the city as one of the brainiest in the U.S., according to his blog for The Atlantic magazine, estimating that 19.5 percent of all adults over 25 hold a Ph.D.
There will be at least one religious demonstration on Saturday, when more than 90,000 fans trek to the stadium for the first-ever meeting between the Florida Gators and the University of South Florida Bulls: The city's Hare Krishnas.
They have been chanting their religious mantra outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for every home game since 1996, the same year UF won its first national championship.
The peaceful chant ``purifies the hearts of everyone who hears it,'' said Ali Krishna Devi Dasi, 30, who works at the Krishna House and is a graduate student at UF.
``It is considered one of our most important charitable acts,'' she said. ``. . . A lot of people say this is the reason the Gators are so good.''
Mary Ellen Klas can be reached at meklas@MiamiHerald.com
Article here:
Watch A Fracking Mess 'GASLAND' here
Thom Hartmann on Freespeech TV
Please sign this very important
petition "demand question time" (of our political
leaders) HERE..
We really need more dialog from those at the top... The
Republicans have got to be made to realize they can't hide behind
"NO" any longer! thinkingblue
Let's keep our heads, while we continue
to watch THE THEATER OF THE ABSURD!!!
posted by thinkingblue at 9:08 AM
<< Home