There have been times in America's history when fanaticism has swept the nation, and people suspended their moral compasses for the emotionally-stirring allure of fear. At least twice, fear for the well-being of wealth have masqueraded as fear for freedom and democracy. Once, it was used to try to prevent the labor market from being downsized by the abolition of slavery. Calls went up to allow for the people to use democratic system of voting to settle this issue within each state, rather than having the federal government make the decision. These people were ignoring that this country was founded to respect the will of the many while ensuring the rights of the few. Half a century later, anti-semitic feelings in America were growing, just as they were in Europe, even throughout the Holocaust. In the minds of the people, refugees, especially the notorious Jewish refugees, would surely steal all of the money that the good, hardworking "natives" had rightfully earned. Twenty years after that, McCarthyism reigned supreme with the Red Scare. Although America had had a Communist Party since 1919, the members of this party, along with an incredible number of other people, were accused of treason by either being Communist, or having some indirect, laughably weak link to Communism. Once before, fear for life also brought about regretful actions. During the Second World War, Japanese Americans were placed in America's own concentration camps. Although these were not nearly as harsh as the ones set up in the Holocaust, suspicion and fear left a scar on the Japanese community that does not go away.
It is obvious that Americans are regretful of these actions. Any decent nation would be. Most of the Germans were, after the Second World War, for their actions. However, that does not erase the pain that is caused. It does not wipe the slate clean. There is no need to keep adding blots to America's image. America was not founded as a pure democracy, but as a balance so that the majority and the minority could live at peace. America was not founded as a pure capitalist country, but as a country with both capitalist and socialist aspects, so that the American Dream was possible.
Now, we again find ourselves at the edge of a precipice. Fear for life is a again stirring the people. In this War on Terror, some have begun to succumb to fear and hatred. Yesterday, there was a CNN program that highlighted the mosque controversy in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee. When the badly named "Ground Zero Mosque Controversy" started a rush of sincerely offended feelings, and some religious hatred, the residents of this small town became swept away by their fear. One, trying to not seem too much like a bigot, apparently, exclaimed about Muslims, "I didn't say to hate 'em. I'm just saying we don't need 'em here". Along with the "Ground Zero Mosque" controversy, the situation with planned mosque in Murfreesboro highlights a new trend to resist any construction of mosques in America. Apparently, America is not for sale to "terrorists". (Both of the controversial mosques have predecessors in the same area that have become too small for their congregations. The anti-mosque ralliers tend to gloss over that point.)
Although it may seem like a bit of a stretch now, if we look with both foresight and hindsight, it does not take long to go from denying people a place to worship to persecuting them openly. We should not fall for the same pattern that we seem to go through every few decades. Patrick Henry once had the courage to say, "...give me liberty or give me death!" We need to go back to the founding fathers, take strength from them, and use the principles that they founded this country on, and declare that no matter the fear, we shall not give up our liberty, nor the liberty of our neighbors to hysteria and fear. People died to make this country this way. We cannot dishonor them by undoing their work.
