Tom Tancredo Speaks About Speaking!

[Annie]

I think I've changed my mind on what he said. He was right.

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_2880546

guest commentary
Bigger sins than offending
By Rep. Tom Tancredo
R-Colo.
DenverPost.com

By now, many people in America - and likely around the world - are familiar with my statements regarding a possible response to a nuclear attack on U.S. cities by fundamentalist Islamic terrorists.

Without question, my comments have prompted strong reactions from many quarters, but they have also served to start a national dialogue about what options we have to deter al-Qaeda and other would-be Islamic terrorists.

Many critics of my statements have characterized them as "offensive," and indeed they may have offended some. But in this battle against fundamentalist Islam, I am hardly preoccupied with political correctness, or who may or may not be offended. Indeed, al-Qaeda cares little if the Western world is "offended" by televised images of hostages beheaded in Iraq, subway bombings in London, train attacks in Madrid, or Americans jumping to their death from the Twin Towers as they collapsed.

Few can argue that our current approach to this war has deterred fundamentalists from killing Westerners - nor has it prompted "moderate" Muslims and leaders of Muslim countries to do what is necessary to crack down on the extremists in their midst who perpetuate these grisly crimes.

That being the case, perhaps the civilized world must intensify its approach.

Does that mean the United States should be re-targeting its entire missile arsenal on Mecca today? Does it mean we ought to be sending Stealth bombers on runs over Medina? Clearly not.

But should we take any option or target off the table, regardless of the circumstances? Absolutely not, particularly if the mere discussion of an option or target may dissuade a fundamentalist Muslim extremist from strapping on a bomb-filled backpack, or if it might encourage "moderate" Muslims to do a better job cracking down on extremism in their ranks.

People have accused me of creating more terrorism by making these statements. Indeed, we often hear that Western governments bring these attacks on themselves. Just days after the London subway attacks two weeks ago, for example, Tariq Ali, a prominent British Muslim activist, was quick to suggest that London residents "paid the price" for British support in the Iraq campaign.

A professor in Lebanon, Dr. George Hajjar, went even further, proclaiming, "I hope that every patriotic and Islamic Arab will participate in this war, and will shift the war not only to America, but to ... wherever America may be." Hajjar went on to say that "there are no innocent people," and referred to the victims of the attack as "collateral casualties."

These are fairly "offensive" statements, to be sure, but the sentiments expressed by Ali and Hajjar are sadly commonplace in the "mainstream" Muslim world, where justification for terrorist attacks like the ones that rocked London, New York and Washington is never in short supply.

Fundamentalist Muslims have advocated the destruction of the West since long before the attacks of Sept. 11, long before the Madrid, London and Bali attacks, long before the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, long before the attack on the USS Cole and the 1993 WTC bombing.

In many respects, the decision of "moderate" Muslims to acquiesce to these actions and even provide tacit justification for them is just as damaging to global safety and security as the attacks themselves.

Until "mainstream" Islam can bring itself to stop rationalizing terrorist attacks and start repudiating and purging people like Ali and Hajjar from its ranks who do, this war will continue. As long as this war goes on, being "offended" should be the least of anyone's worries.

Republican Tom Tancredo represents Colorado's 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

[William Joyce]

Tancredo for President. Period. He is the only member of Congress to take a conservative stand on immigration, which is the real issue facing our country.

 

[pegwinn]

Tancredo for President. Period. He is the only member of Congress to take a conservative stand on immigration, which is the real issue facing our country.

He needs to get more name recognition. Right now Chillery would clean his clock. Sad but true.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

He needs to get more name recognition. Right now Chillery would clean his clock. Sad but true.

Whatever. Shrillery will never be president. Are you kidding? All the trash on this woman will come to light to matter who wins and she will go down in flames. I bet they don't even run her.

 

[pegwinn]

Whatever. Shrillery will never be president. Are you kidding? All the trash on this woman will come to light to matter who wins and she will go down in flames. I bet they don't even run her.

Never underestimate the stupidity of the average american. The dems did it by assuming people were stupider than they really were and lost two white houses as a result. IF we begin assuming that the average american is getting smarter, we'll lose.

 

[William Joyce]

Whatever. Shrillery will never be president. Are you kidding? All the trash on this woman will come to light to matter who wins and she will go down in flames. I bet they don't even run her.

But don't count out Clinton cleverness. These people know how to do the impossible. Yes, most Americans hate Hillary. But she has support. And did you catch her making noises about immigration? If she'd kept that up, she coulda stole a buncha votes. But I saw something recently where she's back to kissing Hispanic butt.

Here:

http://www.nationalvanguard.org/story.php?id=5535

"La Raza," btw, means "The Race" in Spanish. Gee, think Hillary would address a white-power group? Or anyone in the GOP, either?

 

[Bullypulpit]

Mr. Tancredo is simply another right-wing nut out to exploit the 'war on terror' and the xenophobia it has spawned. He prefers to ignore the fact that moderate Muslims, a majority of muslims, take an active stance against those who shroud themselves in the mantle of religion to justify their attrocities. They are as outraged about the hijacking of their religion as moderate Christians in this country are about the hijacking of their religion by extremist elements in this country.

Mr. Tancredo's comments, like the braying of an ass, signify nothing.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Mr. Tancredo is simply another right-wing nut out to exploit the 'war on terror' and the xenophobia it has spawned. He prefers to ignore the fact that moderate Muslims, a majority of muslims, take an active stance against those who shroud themselves in the mantle of religion to justify their attrocities. They are as outraged about the hijacking of their religion as moderate Christians in this country are about the hijacking of their religion by extremist elements in this country.

Mr. Tancredo's comments, like the braying of an ass, signify nothing.

Where is the active stance against the "radicals" amongst the moderate islamists?

Active stance? That's oxymoronic in and of itself.

 

[pegwinn]

Mr. Tancredo is simply another right-wing nut out to exploit the 'war on terror' and the xenophobia it has spawned. He prefers to ignore the fact that moderate Muslims, a majority of muslims, take an active stance against those who shroud themselves in the mantle of religion to justify their attrocities. They are as outraged about the hijacking of their religion as moderate Christians in this country are about the hijacking of their religion by extremist elements in this country.

Mr. Tancredo's comments, like the braying of an ass, signify nothing.

I bolded the part that I would really like to see additional info on. No hurry, I know that it will take some time. I don't see Mr. T as being anything other than a political player. But, I like the soundbyte.

 

[colehart]

Ya know I'm really tired of hearing about "moderate" muslims. It's time they took a stand and started helping fight the "so called radicals". Sitting on the side line and being outraged is a do nothing approach. If we get hit again, I say lets give'em all a wake up call and say enough is enough. If that means wiping out everything they hold sacred, then do it!

 

[Hobbit]

Mr. Tancredo is simply another right-wing nut out to exploit the 'war on terror' and the xenophobia it has spawned. He prefers to ignore the fact that moderate Muslims, a majority of muslims, take an active stance against those who shroud themselves in the mantle of religion to justify their attrocities. They are as outraged about the hijacking of their religion as moderate Christians in this country are about the hijacking of their religion by extremist elements in this country.

Mr. Tancredo's comments, like the braying of an ass, signify nothing.

Bully seems to be scared off by facts, so here it goes.

Fact 1: "Moderate" Muslims haven't done crap. The only Muslims to actively combat terrorism are all in Iraq fighting for their freedom, and wouldn't be if people like you had their way.

Fact 2: Most of the more horrible terror attacks have been performed by Arab Muslims between the ages of 18 and 24, and most terrorists have been sneaking through our incredibly lax border security. There's nothing racist about that. It's all fact.