BY TRENTON WINFORD
tgwinford@bellsouth.net
In 2010, Florida pastor Terry Jones announced that he would burn Qurans on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by al-Qaida.
This announcement sparked outrage around the world, particularly in Muslim countries, where riots and murders were the normal response to a simple announcement of intention to burn the Quran. The civilized world responded in kind, however.
Politicians and media pundits around the world sharply criticized Jones, calling him every name in the book. “Religious intolerance” was thrown around without regard.
Contrast that reaction with a recent incident at Florida Atlantic University.
A professor, who is a top official in the local Democratic Party, instructed students to write the name “Jesus” on a piece of paper then to stomp on it. One student, however, decided not to participate in the activity that he considered offensive. As a result, this student was suspended from FAU.
President Obama has not publicly come out against FAU officials for religious intolerance as he did against Jones.
Additionally, nonconservative media is mysteriously silent on this issue. Due to the outrage from Christian and conservative outlets, FAU has announced the decision has been reversed.
Welcome to the new America, where publicly protesting a religion that is stuck in the Middle Ages is horrendous, but requiring students to stomp on the name of Jesus is educational.
Apparently, religious tolerance is only extended to religions that are not Judeo-Christian.
It is interesting that liberals so vehemently cry for tolerance when it deals with Islam. After all, Shariah law requires the death penalty for certain crimes, including homosexuality, and makes a miscarriage a crime.
Further, women are supposed to be completely subordinate to men. Surely that fits well with the progressive platform.
I write this article as if I am surprised by the blatant hypocrisy coming from the left.
In reality, though, I guess I shouldn’t be. After all, I have pointed out multiple examples of such double standards from the “free-thinking” side of thought.
Maybe one day those who preach acceptance and tolerance will begin to practice it. Merriam-Webster defines “tolerate” as: “to allow to be or to be done without prohibition, hindrance, or contradiction.”
Am I the only one who thinks that screaming intolerance and bigotry at those who disagree with their opinions is intolerant?
But, like I said, I am not surprised to hear it. After all, liberal and double-standard could easily be synonyms in the thesaurus.
Trenton Winford is a junior public policy leadership major from Madison.
