“You did not treat my brothers with respect. You refused to acknowledge them, like you’re refusing to acknowledge me. You mocked their southern accents. You literally turned your backs on them, like you’re turning your backs on me tonight.
“You should be ashamed of the way you treated those soldiers. Ashamed! If that is what you think supporting the troops means — turn your backs on them when they come to talk to you — then you are either a fool, a coward, or a hypocrite. I leave it to each of you to decide which word fits you best.
“The charade is over. We all know that you do not support the troops. If you did, you wouldn’t turn your backs on them. You disrespected my brothers, on our front porch. So let me be absolutely clear: You may have a slip of paper from the City of Washington recognizing your right to stand here, but you are not welcome here.
Speaking truth to…well, not power, but to self-righteous foolishness.
I’d enjoy this pre-flight announcement a lot more than the stuff they usually say. Speaking of which, I’m flying to San Jose this afternoon to attend Space 2006. Blogging may be light this week.
If Islam is ever to peacefully co-exist with other faiths in the manner that Christendom finally learned how to do, then it has to start abiding questions and criticisms without resorting to violence. Islam has to learn to persuade and to attract people through reason, not through forced conversions and coexistence through violent supremacy. Muslim leaders around the world still believe that our faith can only exist at their sufferance, and any question of their doctrinal beliefs has to be met with violence or demands for apologies, not with rhetoric, facts, and reason.
I’ve heard no denunciations from any Muslim of the forced conversions of the Fox News reporters a couple weeks ago. If anyone is aware of any, please let me know.
I agree. It’s great that she’s flying, and I hope that it provides useful inspiration, but Space Adventures has gone overboard. I’ll be much more interested in what she does with her money and time when she gets back, in terms of helping private enterprise.