Ranting

It is getting more and more difficult to find something interesting to talk about while sequestered here on the Embassy compound. Fortunately, there are occasional events in the world that lend themselves to opinions offered up from a Mideast perspective.

This particular event may be worthy of deep thoughts and insightful prose but, to peg the fun-o-meter, it is hard to beat a good old-fashioned rant.

So let's get it on...

We have reached an interesting temporal junction, at which two meaningful observations will be unfairly joined by the actions of a single idiot.

The two observations are 1) the 11 November remembrance of the victims of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and 2) the 10-12 November festival of fast-breaking, or Eid al Fitr, signifying the end of Ramadan.

The cause of the unfair joining is the hair-brained "Burn a Koran Day" scheme.

What, in the name of all that is holy, is up with the Wrong Reverend Terry Jones and his First Church of Bigotry down there in the Sunshine State? This clown is threatening to set Christianity back further in one day than Jim and Tammy Faye managed to do with years of self-aggrandizement.

How does the pique of a doddering fool warrant blanket condemnation of almost one-fourth of the world's population? Approximately 1.4 billion people are not going to be enamored of Jones' little gimmick. I might be less incensed over his incredibly bankrupt vision if it weren't for the fact that 26 million of that population live within a six-hour drive of where I sleep at night.

The more extreme of those 26 million joyfully launch rockets at us just for bragging rights in their little zombie circles. I'm a bit concerned about what they might do if actually pissed off.

Fortunately, 99.9% of the 26 M are not interested in either inflicting or absorbing mass casualties and, instead, are vigilant and steadfast in their efforts to prevent it. Just the same, I'd rather they not be miffed and thus possibly inclined to be a little less vigilant for a day or so.

For Jones, I would not be too surprised if "his god" phoned in a cancellation on the whole book-burning thing. I'm inclined to believe that any revelation that might rise from the ashes will be less about divinity and more about Darwinism. The guy needs to read up on Salman Rushdie or talk to some of the folks at the Dutch publication Jyllands-Posten. At the very best he will lose some sleep; at the very worst he will never wake up.

Since the whole thing is already well beyond common sense, we can only hope that whatever the next-best-thing to common sense happens to be prevails in this drama. If not, and some American soldier, tourist, or missionary is harmed as a result, maybe "his god" will talk him into mixing up a little drink that will whisk him off into whatever special hell his namesake Jim now resides.

Let's keep each of the afore-mentioned observations in the proper perspective and allow each the respect they deserve. Remember -- always remember -- the events of 9/11 and the early sacrifices of a global war on truly evil beings: violent zealots with no conscience and no respect for humanity. And give an appreciative nod for the personal sacrifices made each year by hundreds of millions of moderate Muslims, validating their spiritual beliefs through physical trials of hunger and thirst and culminating those trials with a three-day celebration of fellowship and appreciation for all that Allah provides.

Now THAT is a RANT!