Dogs, Muslims, and Politicians

 

The question of Muslims’ hostility toward dogs and desire to ban their ownership is not a facetious one. According to the news, such bans are being considered in parts of Britain. Recently an Islamic writer posted the following: “Finally NYC is coming to Islam. Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we said all along, they are unclean”. A Republican congressman Randy Fine responded this way:” If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one”.

I see nothing wrong with the congressman’s comment.  He did not demean Muslims or even criticize the irrational hatred many of them have for man’s best friend. It is important to see that the only way a choice between dogs and Muslims could could up in America is by a group of Muslims saying  they would leave the country if Americans did not get rid of their dogs. In that very unlikely situation, I think most Americans would say “don’t leave mad, just leave.” And they would be right to say it.

The reaction from some on the left has been amusing to observe. Hakeem Jeffries called Fine’s comments racist, showing himself to be at best an ignoramus and more likely a lying scoundrel. Islam is not a race. (There are Muslims of various races, including millions of white ones.) It is a religion, a body of belief. As with any other body of belief, people are free to like or dislike it and to approve or disapprove of it based on its content. Race has nothing to do with it. It will be interesting to see if Jeffries yells racism the next time someone criticizes or jokes about evangelical Christians, since, you know, many of them are non-white.

Lincoln

 

Today is Lincoln’s birthday. Many people will be thinking about his greatness, his eloquence, his character, and his accomplishments. Some will feel gratitude and pride that this country once had such a man as its president. Some will be making angry or rueful comparisons between him and the vicious scoundrel now in the White House. A few may be taking time to read some of his speeches and writings. All these things are appropriate, but I think there is something more he would have wanted from us. From his example we should take increased devotion to his great cause, to a new birth of freedom, and to making our country once again the last best hope on earth. We have some troubles now, but nothing like the troubles of his time. Those who care about the liberal principles of liberty, individual rights, and a constitutional republic of the people should avoid depression or despair and bear down.

Stolen Lands Again

 

Leftists are fond of claiming that all of America is “stolen land” taken from the Indians and making “acknowledgments” about it. Conservatives observe correctly that this has not led to leftists handing things they own over to any Indians, and the charge of hypocrisy is accurate. However it misses the most important point. It is possible for hypocrites to be right in principle about something on which they are hypocritical. It is necessary to refute the claims, not just show the leftists are being phonies.

The notion of theft presupposes the notion of property. If there were no property, that is things that rightly belong to someone, there could be no theft. People acquire property rights to land in a wilderness by settling it – by building permanent dwellings such as a town or village on it or by farming , ranching, mining, or otherwise developing it. Moving through land on nomadic hunting trips, having a small village within miles of it, or marching across it in the name of the King of Spain does not acquire property rights to it. Some of the land in what is now the United States was fully settled by Indians, and any newcomers should have respected their property, and, if they wanted it, bought it from them (which often happened as when the Dutch bought Manhattan). Those who did otherwise were wrong. However most of the continent north of the Rio Grande was wilderness belonging to no one. It was not stolen and could not have been stolen.

It is interesting that the proponents of the idea of America as stolen lands seem mainly to be socialists and communists who generally deny the whole idea of property rights, showing that if one hates America enough, any excuse will do, and any inconsistency is acceptable. Some others are rich, posturing phonies who deserve to be called on their phoniness. It would be amusing to see what the defense would be if some Vermont Indians showed up in court demanding ownership of, say, a famous ice cream factory in the state, or some California Indians laid claim to a well known singer’s mansion. That would be worth paying to watch.