Letter to the Editor
Posted: Sunday, August 1, 2010 5:15 am

Put a “boot” in it!!

The political-silly season is upon us, as in the Tennessee governor primary election where a candidate keeps inserting the “boot” into his own political body orifices.

What does “give Washington the boot” mean, when the “boot” candidate did not oppose the state receiving flood disaster money from Washington, D.C.?

Another governor’s candidate has been quoted publicly that he could understand a state pulling out of the Union of American States.

The bizarre political season recently opened in Rutherford County when a religious group apparently followed the Constitution, state and local laws to build a “mosque” near Bradyville Pike.

It made international news when a Rutherford-based candidate, in attempting to get votes by fanning the fires of religious oppression, came out against construction of a mosque when all Americans’ Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. If this candidate wants to go to Washington by taking away “freedom of religion,” would “freedom of speech” and “freedom to vote” be next?  

The candidate didn’t say a word against a nudist community existing in the Bradyville Pike community?

Last I heard, most Moslem folks wear clothes. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a nudist terrorist.

Is it OK that some Americans have the freedom to run around naked near Bradyville Pike, while others cannot pray and worship there?

Opposition to the mosque can spark remembrances of the KKK’s opposition early last century to Catholics wanting to build a permanent place of worship in Rutherford County.

Let me clarify, there’s no evidence the present-day KKK has infiltrated local mosque-opposition ranks. But both anti-movements smack against religious freedom in America.

For the past few years, I’ve lived near a mosque, and our peaceful American way of life continues. In fact, a Methodist church sits across the street from the mosque. So far, mosque and Methodist folks have co-existed with no marches of discord.

If possible “terrorism” is the fear against a particular religion, then as a Southern Baptist, I’m fearful some would-be legislator could come out against our congregation building a new worship center along Interstate 24 in 2011.

It wasn’t that long ago that Southern Baptists used the Christian “Cross” symbol and Biblical scriptures as justification for slavery, burning children in churches, keep black folks from voting, plus cowardly murderous lynching of people.

There’s a Baptist preacher in prison today down in Mississippi for involvement of the murders of three civil rights workers found buried there. History shows many religions have fringe “nuts” and yes, sometimes, “terrorists.”

On a rural road between Centerville and Hohenwald, there’s a historical marker depicting the mass murders of a group of Mormons travelling through the Volunteer State. If my recollection serves, it happened in the 1800s.

Are we going back to burning folks at the stake if they disagree with our personally- proclaimed sanctified form of religion?

Being a new century in the year 2010, have we really progressed past religious “terrorism” of earlier ugly times?

Most recent, Rutherford politics took another unusual twist when a young sheriff’s candidate brought up whether his opponent, one of Tennessee’s longtime veteran sheriffs, had a certified state mental evaluation.  

Was it “crazy” or just a desperate political accusation coming just hours before voting began?

Then, someone in the media indicated maybe the Rutherford County Election Commission had “missed a window of opportunity” to investigate the above, when early voting had already started. As it turned out, a county attorney ruled the commission has no authority to investigate this state issue.

This 2010 primary political silly season certainly sets the mood for Halloween and this falls’ General Election!!

Please, go vote. To date, that right has not been challenged by anyone running for public office.

Amen!!

Dan Whittle
Smyrna, Tenn.