Keith Ellison sworn in using Jefferson's Quran

[madame_zora]

Here's hoping that America gets the wake-up call that the bush administration so desperately needs. Today, Keith Ellison, Democratic congressman from Minnesota was sworn in using the Quran rather than the Bible. To make it even more interesting, he used Thomas Jefferson's own copy, which was a nice touch. Not meant to be the big news story it turned out to be, Ellison is a Muslim, and it just makes sense. He is also the first black congressman from his state.

Ellison uses Thomas Jefferson's Quran - Yahoo! News

So, if you asked me if America's ready for change, I'd say no- but then there will never be a good time, given the socio-political climate in which our country has become bogged down in the last six years. So, if we enjoy a time of renewed interest in civil liberites, it is likely not to be enjoyable for those who prefer the status quo. Not surprisingly, the majority of those are people who benefit from the status quo, but that's just coincidence, right?

Now, that we are even HAVING these discussions about the religious views of our politicians is illegal, but that has stopped nothing. A manager hiring an employee for McDonald's couldn't ask that question, or deny him rights if he didn't happen to agree with his religious choices. Time for Washington to get a clue:

Discriminatory Practices

II. What Discriminatory Practices Are Prohibited by These Laws?

Under Title VII, the ADA, and the ADEA, it is illegal to discriminate in any aspect of employment, including:

• hiring and firing;
• compensation, assignment, or classification of employees;
• transfer, promotion, layoff, or recall;
• job advertisements;
• recruitment;
• testing;
• use of company facilities;
• training and apprenticeship programs;
• fringe benefits;
• pay, retirement plans, and disability leave; or
• other terms and conditions of employment.

Discriminatory practices under these laws also include:

• harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age;
• retaliation against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination, participating in an investigation, or opposing discriminatory practices;
• employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities; and
• denying employment opportunities to a person because of marriage to, or association with, an individual of a particular race, religion, national origin, or an individual with a disability. Title VII also prohibits discrimination because of participation in schools or places of worship associated with a particular racial, ethnic, or religious group.

Employers are required to post notices to all employees advising them of their rights under the laws EEOC enforces and their right to be free from retaliation. Such notices must be accessible, as needed, to persons with visual or other disabilities that affect reading.

Discriminatory Practices

 

[Pecker]

I put my left hand on my cane.

 

[madame_zora]

I put my left hand on my cane.

And what a big cane it is!

 

[DC_DEEP]

Now, that we are even HAVING these discussions about the religious views of our politicians is illegal, but that has stopped nothing. A manager hiring an employee for McDonald's couldn't ask that question, or deny him rights if he didn't happen to agree with his religious choices.

I have to disagree with you here, pet. Having discussions is not illegal. Unless I missed something in your linked article, no one ASKED Ellison about his religious beliefs - he volunteered the information. The views of Rep. Goode, cretin from Virginia notwithstanding, I didn't get the sense that there were any difficulties in his being sworn in with the holy book of his choice.

Now, if his "muslimhood" had caused any real delays or difficulties in his swearing in, that would have been illegal.

Title VII does not make it illegal to discuss his religion; it only makes it illegal to discriminate, employment-wise, because of it.

Post script: In your post of the Title VII info, did you notice what IS glaringly omitted from those discrimination prohibitions?

 

[Onslow]

The United Skates discriminates? You're kidding! (let me feign shock)

Wherther or not the country is ready for change its going to get it. It's happening and has happened slowly over the years. Interracial marriages are less frowned upon now, gays are allowed here and there on a more regular basis, Jewish people are occasionally allowed to join WASP clubs (as long as thye Anglo'd there name), men are allowed to wear red socks without fear of attacks from the KKK, one legged men are allowed into movie theaters and restaurants (though I might have been kept out for othere reasons), Italians are allowed to become top level officials in congress (political and sexual congress), children with handicaps are able to go to regular schools instead of being seperated into institutions.

Changes that I have seen, have been more freedoms for queers, people of different backgrounds religiously being accepted together, people of different ethnic background more accepted, single women having children without the albatross of marriage, women and minorities slowly rising up in the ranks of the work force and other areas as well. A child is more likely to be heard these days as opposed to 40 years ago when they were still disregarded. Other changes have happened too.

More change is still coming Jana my dear, just hold on as the road will be very bumpy.

 

[madame_zora]

Onslow, for a crotchety old sot, you really are quite a dear, you know!

DC, you are right that conversations are not illegal, and I did a piss poor job of explaining what I meant. As usual, I swing from a specific subject to a generalisation without pointing that out. What is, or should be illegal is the extent to which people consider ANY politician's religion when electing them to office thesedays, there was a time (like most of my life) where that has not been the case. I find this environment morally reprehensible.
Yes, we've known the religions of our politicians, but it has rarely been the basis for which they've been hired (Nixon, Kennedy).

Yes, I know what's missing- gay rights. Hopefully, Onslow's right, and it will come along in time. I know you don't think much of her, but I'm waiting to see what Pelosi and the Democratic congress bring to the table.

 

[DC_DEEP]

<...>
I know you don't think much of her, but I'm waiting to see what Pelosi and the Democratic congress bring to the table.

Ah, babe, I do try to be hopeful, it's just that I've been disappointed far too many times - and I want those numbskulls, who always accuse me of being a leftist democrat, to understand that I don't "hate republicans," I demand a higher standard from any elected official. Not perfection, just a higher standard. It isn't that I don't think much of Nancy, in fact I'm hoping beyond hope that she will prove me wrong. I'm just remembering back to the state of affairs before the repugs took over all three branches, and the whole reason that repugs, in order to leverage their ascent to power, were pointing out the corruption of the democraps, and claiming that they would clean house once there. I have yet to see a mop or dustrag in Washington in the last 30+ years.

On another subject, I'll go back to your Pelosi thread and post the Washington Post article I referenced. It sorta makes me laugh with tears in my eyes, because it's funny, tragic, and frustrating, all at the same time.

 

[Lex]

Zora--thanks for posting this. Mrs. Lex and I chatted about this with our neightbor last night over dinner. Who even knew Jefferson owned a Quran? They walked it across the street from the Library of Congress.

Awesome I say.

 

[HUNGHUGE11X7]

Here's hoping that America gets the wake-up call that the bush administration so desperately needs. Today, Keith Ellison, Democratic congressman from Minnesota was sworn in using the Quran rather than the Bible. To make it even more interesting, he used Thomas Jefferson's own copy, which was a nice touch. Not meant to be the big news story it turned out to be, Ellison is a Muslim, and it just makes sense. He is also the first black congressman from his state.


Yes I for one would love to see a change of consciousness in this country but I don't know about that after hearing what one of the congressional mmbrs said. Then this morning I was listening to NPR as I was taking someone to work and I hear this ignoramus call in saying So what if he was sworn in with the Qur'an of Thomas Jefferson that doesn't mean he (Jefferson) was muslim and we should think about this before we ALLOW these muslims into our government. He went on to say our country was founded on "CHRISTIAN" principles which told me he knew nothing about our founding fathers except what he learned in his remedial History of America class. An examination of our symbols will debunk this theory.
I may be mistaken but I am sure we were founded on FREEDOM OF RELIGION !
Americans need to understand that the Qur'an is like the Bible to the muslim faith and just as we hold no faith in their religious text they need not hold any in ours.
Muslim and Christianity are not wrong or evil at their root but when BOTH of them are taken to the extreme like the radical right has done in our country and the fanatical muslims in the middle east then religion becomes evil.
One should note that the people that follow both beliefs devoutly denounce these extremists and view them as dangerous for the livelihood of their religions.


:banana:
HORSE

 

[mindseye]

Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson's home (Monticello) is in Virgil Goode's district. I suspect that Ellison's choice to use Jefferson's Koran was intended to make a statement.

I think Goode would be even more up in arms if someone swore themselves in on Jefferson's Bible!

 

[Shelby]

I fear that our rush to embrace multiculturalism, our great desire to be tolerant of intolerance, will ultimately prove to have been a mistake.

Holland seems to be experiencing that now.

 

[madame_zora]

Yes I for one would love to see a change of consciousness in this country but I don't know about that after hearing what one of the congressional mmbrs said. Then this morning I was listening to NPR as I was taking someone to work and I hear this ignoramus call in saying So what if he was sworn in with the Qur'an of Thomas Jefferson that doesn't mean he (Jefferson) was muslim and we should think about this before we ALLOW these muslims into our government. He went on to say our country was founded on "CHRISTIAN" principles which told me he knew nothing about our founding fathers except what he learned in his remedial History of America class. An examination of our symbols will debunk this theory.
I may be mistaken but I am sure we were founded on FREEDOM OF RELIGION !
Americans need to understand that the Qur'an is like the Bible to the muslim faith and just as we hold no faith in their religious text they need not hold any in ours.
Muslim and Christianity are not wrong or evil at their root but when BOTH of them are taken to the extreme like the radical right has done in our country and the fanatical muslims in the middle east then religion becomes evil.
One should note that the people that follow both beliefs devoutly denounce these extremists and view them as dangerous for the livelihood of their religions.


:banana:
HORSE

Hey Horsey, how's tricks?

I heard some similar hubbub from some disgruntled commentators saying similar things about "not letting those Muslims in OUR country". As I recall, our forefathers stole it from the natives they found here- not too glamourous. That's what I had in mind when I wrote "illegal".

Jefferson, and all six of the first presidents were Deists, but not too many common folk even know what that means. Of course, most of them have rewritten history so that they can believe Washington was a devout xian, which is just false.

Freedom of and from religion was hard fought for, and something we should embrace. Sadly, bushco has sent us back 50 years, if not more. I despise where we are now, and I resent the realisation that we will have to fight so many of these battles all over.

I agree wholeheartedly about fundamentalism in ANY faith- so do most who practise those religions.

 

[madame_zora]

I fear that our rush to embrace multiculturalism, our great desire to be tolerant of intolerance, will ultimately prove to have been a mistake.

Holland seems to be experiencing that now.

Yeah, I think you are right there. Tolerating intolerance HAS been a grievous error. I don't think many of us envisioned how bad it would get because it seemed so preposterous in 2000.

 

[swordfishME]

I fear that our rush to embrace multiculturalism, our great desire to be tolerant of intolerance, will ultimately prove to have been a mistake.

Holland seems to be experiencing that now.

Keith Ellison is a detroit born american, with american parents who converted to Islam in college. I dont think his election qualifies as having made congress more multicultural.