You Have To See It To Believe It

Though I follow politics closely, I don't share my political opinions on this blog very often.  Goodness knows there is enough talking-head chatter out there without my jumping into the fray.  But sometimes, a girl has to speak up. 

Watch this video, from ABC's The View:

Here is the letter I wrote to Barbara Walters in response (which I'm sure she'll never see, but it made me feel better):

Ms. Walters,

I'm a thoughtful, rational, conservative, born-again Christian.  I don't jump on every "boycott bandwagon" that comes along.  I don't get angry and bent out of shape every time my faith is insulted or criticized.  I can appreciate an open dialogue among people who disagree respectfully on difficult issues.

But when I watched Rosie O'Donnell say on your show--in all seriousness--"radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam, in a country like America", my mouth hung open.  Never mind that this is utterly false; it is insulting to a degree I'm not sure I've ever experienced from a television personality.  How on earth can she draw this comparison?  Radical Islam seeks to kill as many American civilians as they can possibly manage.  Radical Christianity, although clearly distasteful to Ms. O'Donnell, seeks nothing of the sort.  Have horrible things been done in the name of Christianity in generations past?  Yes.  Are there overwhelming numbers of "radical Christians" IN THIS DAY and IN OUR NATION seeking to commit mass murder on the grandest scale possible?  Unequivocally not.  In fact, I've been racking my brain trying to think what possible thing she was thinking of.  Radicals who kill abortion doctors?  That's a travesty, but it has happened only a handful of times, it has been denounced overwhelmingly by other Christians, and it has never, in any way, been sanctioned by the State.  NONE of that is true of radical Islam.  The comparison falls flat. 

Perhaps she means that America, a "Christian" nation, is sponsoring this war on terrorism, and innocent civilians are killed.  I'll venture that Ms. O'Donnell would be hard-pressed to find many Christians who take delight in the murder of civilians, regardless of their faith.  And even if she disagrees with the war, which it is her right to do, she cannot deny that the overwhelming motive of nearly all the war's supporters is to bring democracy and hope to an oppressed land, and to protect our nation.  NOT to kill, to plunder, to destroy--all of which are the clear motives of radical Islam. 

I find it hard to believe that you, a serious and respected journalist, would allow this sort of inflammatory, unsubstantiated hate speech on your program.  Does Rosie have the right to free speech?  Of course.  So does your show.  But just because you CAN say something doesn't mean you SHOULD.  If the public figures in America could learn that lesson, this would be a better place.

I hope you will seriously consider removing Ms. O'Donnell from the panel of your program. 

Don't worry about leaving a comment here; turning this into a bash-fest about Rosie O'Donnell will accomplish nothing.  But taking five minutes to write a letter to Barbara Walters just might.  You can click here, and then in the upper left-hand column click on "E-Mail Barbara".