Last night some 800 to 1000 loyal, flag-waving, banner-carrying Americans descended on Manchester, TN, to protest a meeting of Muslims sponsored by the AMAC (American Muslims Advisory Council). Two government officials were slated to warn citizens on the consequences of hate crimes against Islam and others who violated the First Amendment. The Honorable William C. Killian from the Eastern District of Tennessee, a representative of the U.S. Justice Department, and F.B.I. Special Agent Kenneth L. Moore were present to speak and to answer questions.
The meeting had been widely publicized, so crowds began to assemble ninety minutes before the meeting’s beginning, and a free speech rally was held outside the hall with some eight or ten speakers stirring up the crowd about the right of free speech according to the First Amendment to the Constitution. It was apparent that people were in no mood to be lectured by the Obama administration’s representatives about free speech when they feel they are being lied to every day, most especially by the increasing number of scandals plaguing a government that is attempting to reinterpret the Constitution in one of the biggest power grabs in American history.
When the doors were opened, the 500 seats were quickly filled, and the walls were lined with media cameras and a couple hundred more to participate in the meeting. From the outset it was clear that certain elements among those present possessed a mob mentality that was committed to violating the very thing we were there to support, i.e. the free expression of ideas. A number of unruly and rude individuals kept the crowd reacting to the occasion in a manner wholly unrepresentative of the Tea Party participants who were present. It is one thing to be angry; it is another thing to respond in an offensive and uncouth manner. This is what occurred at the meeting last night.
To be sure, the attorney who spoke on behalf of the Justice Department, was there to lecture the crowd about violating the rights of the followers of Islam. The very mention of Eric Holder brought loud jeers from the audience who expressed their disdain for an Attorney General who is presently being investigated by Congress for possible perjury and criticized by even some of the liberal media and by many Democrats for the secretive manner in which he is shielding his and the Obama administration’s participation in illegal activities.
The only positive contribution to the session came from the FBI spokesman, Mr. Moore. Unlike the attorney, Mr. Moore treated the audience with respect and patience, despite the repeated heckling by a number of individuals. He made a strong point, saying that before the meeting, a free speech rally went along uninhibited by any authority, and no one was arrested for the things that they said. He was hoping that the same freedom would be afforded to those who were speaking inside the hall. Unfortunately, the decorum of the free speech crowd was disappointing to many of us.
Thinking afterwards on the acceptance given to Mr. Moore, it seemed that the fact that he is black probably worked in his favor, showing that conservative Americans have no racial axe to grind. Further, because he is a lawman, conservatives have no problem showing respect for the law. We support and advocate a law-abiding society. It was the arrogant attitude of the Justice Department spokesman that irritated the crowd. We were not ready to be lectured about lawful conduct and free speech by the agent of a government that is not protecting Americans from the deceptions of the Muslim Brotherhood and has recently declared an end to the war on terrorism when our enemies have no intention of letting us alone.
Some of us protested the demeanor of individuals whose actions reflected poorly on those of us who were present to express our genuine concern for the attack on free speech that is coming from our current government and from the MSM that are giving it a pass.
As was expressed by some, our bone of contention is not with individual Muslims per se, but rather with Islam — a religion that contains radical and terrorist elements that are hell-bent on world domination. We are quite content to respect everyone’s religious rights. We are just not prepared to have the radical elements of any religion gain power and create dhimmitude (religious and cultural servitude) for the rest of us in violation of the Constitution.
As I reflected on the happenings of last evening, I pondered how the Muslims might have achieved a better outcome, if indeed their stated goal was to have people understand them better. The first thing they might have done would be to have not invited the government support of their effort. Inviting agents of the government to beat the guests over the head with an authoritarian approach was counter-productive even while it is very islamic. They should have simply announced and promoted their effort and proceeded with the informational aspects of the meeting, followed by a gracious reception of refreshments and a time of interaction between those who showed enough interest to attend. They might have learned from other religious groups in America that acceptance is something that is earned and never demanded.
From the way the meeting was constructed, and given the speakers who were invited (attorney and police), it appeared that an attempt was being made to gain a place in our society by force. In the end the meeting was a failure for both sides. I am afraid that Muslims got a very bad impression of ordinary Americans who believe in the right of conscience for everyone, and conservatives got the impression that Muslims are willing to demand the kind of acceptance that only the law can enforce.
