My Brother, My Son, and a Lunatic in Florida

Today, September 11, is my brother Bill’s birthday. Dallas is in Morocco. And there is a lunatic, Terry Jones, in Florida who wants to burn 200 Qurans in the name of stopping the building of a mosque and Islamic Center two blocks from ground zero. Not on ground zero, two blocks. It’s New York; might as well be two miles.

Jones believes that Islam is a "false religion" that is "of the devil" and therefore must be defeated. But Islam, he believes, is also threatening to take over in the United States. Hence his justification for the Quran-burning: "We must send a clear message to the radical element of Islam," Jones said. "We will no longer be controlled and dominated by their fears and threats. It is time for America to return to being America." Which is…?

This isn’t about a mosque and Islamic Center. It’s about a lunatic who wants a Christian nation. Even that may not be good enough. During a recent sermon Jones also voiced disgust at the United Methodist Church a few blocks away that is planning an interfaith prayer service: "Lily-livered, yellow-bellied Christians” and he said the rest of the country wasn't much better. "Our nation is in ruin spiritually." He undoubtedly would prefer a straight, white, male dominated, evangelical, Christian nation.

You could be next. He's like a cancer that just won't quit. He is endangering our children and absolutely ruining my brother’s birthday.

The Florida lunatic called off plans to burn 200 Qurans, saying he would instead travel to New York today to talk with the imam of the mosque about moving the Islamic center elsewhere. His purpose should be to apologize.

But then again, it’s too late, the damage has been done.

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