A dour prediciton

Someday, an Orthodox Jew will elected President of the United States, and if he decides to take the oath of office on a book of the Hebrew Scriptures, a tanach, cultural Conservatives will go wild. "That's not our holiest book," they'll scream. "Our holiest book is the Bible, which includes the New Testment! America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, -the whole book - don't serve as president!"

How do I know this is what will happen? It already has. Keith Ellison, a Muslim recently elected to Congress, wishes to take his oath on the Koran, and the haters of freedom have let him know that this is a grave offense against their sensibilites. As usual, GOP Jews are leading the charge; as usual they don't seem to understand that whenever this country commits itself to protectiving the perogratives of a minority, it is committing itself to protecting us.

Sidenote: I feel bad for Ellison. He has to put up with so much crap. Earlier this month a very stupid CNN reporter (yes! CNN!) named Glenn Beck said to him: "...may we have five minutes here where we're just politically incorrect and I play the cards face up on the table? ...I have to tell you, I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, "Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies."

This is very much like saying to George W. Bush: "Hey, you're white, and a man. You're from the midwest, and you even have a little bit of an accent. I feel like saying to you, "Sir, prove to me you are not going to blow up a federal building." Or, imagine if someone had said to Joe Leiberman, "Sir, prove to me that you're not going to steal lots of TAP and Pell grant money."