Muslim-American: an Oxymoron

          The Washington Post reported recently on a call for the resignation of Bob FitzSimmonds, a Virginia GOP official, for questioning whether or not Muslims have contributed to American society.   FitzSimmonds had called “pure nonsense” a statement by President Obama that praised Muslim-American contributions to “building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy.”

          “Exactly what part of our nation’s fabric was woven by Muslims?” asked FitzSimmonds.  Rather than castigate him for asking such a politically incorrect question, as did his detractors, I challenge anyone to come up with facts to support Obama’s claim.  Further, I challenge anyone to demonstrate just how Muslims have strengthened the core of our democracy.
          What is the core of our democracy?  The best answer to that question can be found, I think, in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  We need go no further than the First Amendment which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of religion.   Muslims are free to follow the Quran, just as Christians and Jews are free to follow the teachings of their sacred texts.  But there is a big difference between the Quran and the Bible in their treatment of non-believers.  The Quran, I submit, is antithetical to the spirit of freedom and democracy in that it is intolerant of all other religions.  We see examples of Islamic intolerance in the persecution of Copts in Egypt, the expulsion of Christians in Mosul, Boko Haran’s slaughter of Christians in Nigeria, and the unbending commitment of Hamas to the destruction of Israel.  Hardly evidence of a religion of peace.
          To be sure, the majority of Muslims are not jihadists, and there are prominent Muslims who make positive contributions to society.  But even in this country most Muslims would prefer Sharia law to our system of laws and institutions.  We only have to look at how Muslims treat their women to make the point.
          There are no observable Muslim communities in Northeast North Carolina that I know of.  But for twelve years I lived near a large cluster of Muslims in Southfield, Michigan.  I can personally attest to the fact that those Muslims were insulated, by choice, from their neighbors.  They did not participate culturally, socially, or politically in their local community and did not, from what I saw, contribute anything positive to the “fabric of our nation” or the “core of our democracy.”  I would bet that this is the rule rather than the exception in other Muslim communities around this country.
          What troubles me the most about Muslims is what they preach in their mosques and teach in their schools.  Everything I’ve read on the subject tells me that these institutions do not promote freedom of religion and freedom of speech.  In fact, we rarely hear a Muslim-American speak out against Islamic extremism abroad or in favor of assimilation here at home.  Somehow, I would love to be convinced that “Muslim-American” is not an oxymoron.

Managers Good and Bad

          During my 30-plus years in the world of business and industry I reported to over a dozen managers and observed many others.  Some were good, some were poor, some were just plain awful.  I learned from all of them.

          Among the good ones was one executive who gave me valuable advice on how to improve my writing skills.  Another challenged me to solve problems creatively (“thinking outside the box” in today’s vernacular).  Yet another deliberately assigned me work I was not qualified to do, so that I would experience what it means to “sink or swim.”  I never forgot these lessons.
          The bad ones included a consummate salesman who, as the saying goes, could sell snowballs to Eskimos.  He had risen through the ranks on the strength of his personality, but he had no expertise beyond his ability to shake hands and make speeches.  He hired an MBA to “do the numbers” for him so that he would look good.  When it became clear that he was nothing more than a smiling impostor, he was fired.  Ironically, the MBA was promoted in his place, but immediately proved that an ability to manipulate numbers is not much help when you have the people skills of a clam.
          Another manager was brought in to inject new life into a moribund division.  I really liked this guy.  But he never quite understood that a mandate is not a free hand to  change the nature of the business.  When he made up his own rules, spent huge sums without authorization, and exposed the company to potentially ruinous liability, he was sent on his way. 
          And then there was one guy who was worse than all the mediocrities and abject failures I ever knew put together.  No words can adequately describe this miserable human being:  arrogant, brutish, mean-spirited, abusive, these are just a few that come to mind.   Everyone who worked for him despised him.  A narcissist of the first rank, he spent lavishly on himself and demanded that his vendors pay tribute.  But that’s not what did him in.  Personality aside, he proved to be unethical, dishonest, without any scruples whatsoever in his business dealings.  When top management found out he had refused to honor a contract, he was fired on the spot.
          I’m retired now, so I don’t have to deal with losers like these anymore.  But wait!  Don’t they remind us of some of our leaders in Washington?  If only we could fire them on the spot, too, for overspending taxpayer money, for masking incompetence with smiles and oratory, for refusing to enforce the laws of the land, for abusing political opponents, for shameless mendacity, for trying to fundamentally change this country into something our Founders never intended.
          One of the worst aspects of our federal government is our inability to get rid of the crooks, the incompetent, and the corrupt.  Look at the IRS and the VA.  As for our elected officials, we only have ourselves to blame for voting them in. 

Parades and Heroes

            Fourth of July fireworks over the Albemarle Sound reminded us that we have a lot to celebrate in this country.  And we have every reason to honor the heroes who marched in our parades. 

            When I was a little boy I couldn’t wait for the parades.   Our small Rhode Island town featured two bands in our parades, an award-winning Boy Scout drum and bugle corps and an excellent brass band that practiced in a tiny meeting hall up the street.  When the windows were open on hot summer evenings, the sound of trumpets and trombones would cascade down the hill to entertain me.  My grandfather had played the cornet in that band and had also briefly served as the town sheriff when the meeting hall long ago doubled as a jail.
            One of the earliest parades I can remember honored the town’s last surviving veteran of the Civil War.   These days parades honor the last survivors of World War II.  It won’t be long before they are all gone.  One of them is my good friend and former neighbor, Fred Fletcher. 
            At the age of 19 Fred joined the Army Air Corps and was sent to England where he became a bombardier on a B-17 flying missions over Germany.  On June 19^th, 1944, his plane was shot down over France.  Fred parachuted to safety and was found by a French farmer who hid him for days in his barn.  Eventually, the Germans found Fred and held him in the magnificent medieval cathedral of Chartres.  He was later transported to a German POW camp where he managed to survive until he was rescued after the war ended.
            Fred came home, married Cel, his childhood sweetheart, and went to MIT on the GI Bill and got a degree in chemical engineering.  He and Cel then devoted their lives to raising  three sons, followed by four daughters.  It wasn’t until after they retired to Lake Canandaigua that Fred finally did something for himself: he bought a sailboat and named it “After Seven.”
            Last June my wife and I helped celebrate Fred’s 90^th birthday.  He was surrounded by his seven children and a passel of grandchildren and great grandchildren, plus many friends like us.            Next year Fred and Cel will celebrate their 70^th wedding anniversary.  I mention the anniversary, because such a milestone is very rare; seventy years of married life sets a standard that few can ever hope to match, not only for longevity, but also as examples of commitment and fidelity.  Having seen their children grow up, I can say that they had superb models to emulate.   Among other reflections on their parents’ values, there has not been a single divorce in this large family.
            As we celebrate our country’s independence in this month of July, we can honor the heroes that have made this country great.  Some became heroes through their valor on the battlefield, but many others, like Fred Fletcher, earned the honor through a life of dedication to their country, their families, their communities, and the ideals passed on to us by our Founders.          Here’s to you, Fred, and all our heroes.  Thank you.