Why Burning the Koran Is Pointless

By now, everyone’s surely heard of the Pentecostal pastor in Gainesville, Florida who intends to burn some Korans in a big bonfire on September 11. We assume everyone reading this has heard that Reverend Terry Jones is organizing a Koranapalouza since news has even reached places in the world where running water and reliable electricity are still considered ‘upgrades’ in real estate ads. Just because you have a dirt floor does not mean you’re out of the loop apparently. Everyone knows about Reverend Terry Jones but if you don’t, ABC News did a profile of the guy who likes to spend quality time rolling around the floor while moaning, and you can watch more about him here.

Well, nothing quite enflames fundamentalist Muslims like news of a good old-fashioned bonfire fueled by their beloved holy book – the one and only Koran. Death threats are pouring in, protests are being held in Koran-loving Kabul, overall, the pastor’s sparked quite the shit storm worldwide amongst those who love to love Allah, Mohammed, and the book you read from back to front and right to left. Imagine the confusion amongst the illiterate twanger population of the U.S. Bible Belt. Just when they thought they got the mechanics of a book all figured out, here comes this squiggly-lined text that has the twangers in the Bible Belt sitting around the shack saying to each other: “That can’t be right, Herb. What kinda book you read from back to front? That must be the devil’s book trying to trick us.”

Rev. Jones says he doesn’t give a fak if people like it or not. He’s going to get himself a bunch of them backwards books and set them alight because that’s what Jesus would do. He has a right to freely express himself just like he has a right to carry his gun everywhere he goes, and he’s going to do it because he can. Burning a book with which he doesn’t agree is symbolic of his freedom to do so as well as symbolic that he believes Christianity is the one and only true spoken word of God. Note: that would be the God in which he believes that we don’t.

I fully recognize this guy’s right to freely express himself by burning the Koran, flags, cds(as long as he’s not making illegal copies, mind you ), old Playboys, his toast, his balding head, rubber, etc. I fully support freedom of speech and expression. He’s as entitled to speak in tongues as I am to express my belief that he and people like him are out of their minds. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I agree with him that it’s his right to freely express himself by burning any book he wants to burn just as it’s our right to read any book we want to read. No argument there. I don't believe in refraining from doing something just because you might fak someone off.

US President Barak Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have urged Pastor Whackenhut to scrap his plans.

They feel this would be nothing more than a boost for al-Qaeda recruitment, and I don’t doubt that’s true but the same can be said of most US foreign policy. US military officials second Obama’s and Clinton’s motion and fear this would make soldiers more sought after targets than they already are in such unstable regions. I don’t doubt that either. But, that’s not reason to compromise on freedom of speech as far as I’m concerned.