Who ever thought we’d be looking to the French for demonstrations of manhood? I’ve been a fan of Sarkozy for a while now, but I have to say I would not have expected something as daring as his current suggestion that the burqa be made illegal in France.
What an interesting idea. Not banning the religion, which of course everyone would agree is not permissible and in fact, a very bad idea, but banning the elements of it that are most offensive to…humanity. Hmm. I fully support it. Obama disagrees, going so far as to say that such a law could be perceived as “hostility.” Hostility to people who blow up cafes and buses every day? Should we hide the fact that we’re hostile towards them? Is that our new policy towards Islamic extremism? I don’t see that accomplishing a great deal, personally.
As for the freedom of speech issue, which isn’t really enshrined into the French constitution the way it is here, I still frankly don’t see it but I’m not really the best person to talk to about freedom of speech. I think it’s a lot more narrow than the words would suggest, and the Supreme Court has backed me up on this one. There are certain kinds of free speech and public statements that are not covered. The Court hasn’t yet agreed with me that hate speech is on that list, but I trust that someday it will. I do not believe the U.S. Constitution covers the right to propagate violence and bloodshed. I don’t believe the Nazi’s should be allowed to march in Skokie. I don’t believe they should be allowed to march at all. I extend this ban to Fred Phelps, as well, because I do believe his words and actions have led to bloodshed (or will soon enough).
Burqas, or goddam bee-keeper suits as I prefer to think of them, should be banned in the United States. They are a symbol of enslavement. They are offensive to women, and should be offensive to men. They are patriarchal, and they are worn by the “property” of men who would happily see our nation destroyed. I do not see this as an issue of religious tolerance and respecting cultures different from our own. Muslims are not wearing cute little wooden shoes. They’re stoning women to death. Can we not agree this is a bad thing? They’re also not fans of homosexuals but they don’t make us dress up; they just kill us.
So that’s my thought. No ifs, ands, or buts. Ban the burqa, and then you can talk to me about whether or not we still need the ERA.
But of course, doing so would take balls, and we all knows that’s the one thing our president doesn’t have.
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I think you may be missing something very critical in this debate Jonathan. France has a different idea than the US about how religion should intersect with mainstream society. As a culture France has started to allow their desire for a totally secular state to make judgements on how religion is expressed publicly. A good example of this is the ban they made on headscarves, kippah's, etc in schools a few years ago. They don't posess the same ideals about freedom of religion, but rather would like to surpress religion generally in the public sphere. I appreciate your viewpoint, but by banning burqa's you not only take away religious freedom but also restrict a woman's right to make choices about her body. I don't beleive that woman should be forced to wear a burqa, but just as strongly I don't belive we have a right to make that choice for them. Allowing France or the US to take this freedom away from women would be the real enslavement here.
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend Jonathan!
Holly Smith (from High School)
"Burqas, or goddam bee-keeper suits as I prefer to think of them, should be banned in the United States. They are a symbol of enslavement."
ReplyDeleteI don't pretend to fully understand the reasoning behind a woman wearing a burqa and from my view it does subjugate women in a certain way though more in the way that it's in tandem with so many other aspects of conservative religions (or religions in general) but I would say by your logic that burqas are a symbol of "enslavement," so are earrings, high heels, make-up, bras, panties, hair weaves, and all other sorts of accessories used in America, where we have mentally stoned women to death and encouraged them to do it to each other for years, both within a religious context and without.