Exercising Freedom

I’m speaking out because I think it’s important we take a stand. When media outlets are more concerned with terror acts causing “Islamophobia” than they are about the reality of what’s happening we’re getting it backwards. The truth is we cannot be friends with everybody. There are groups that would rather see us dead than let us mind our own business and live our life in freedom. Meanwhile, in our own country, we are fighting against Christians publicly displaying religion and preaching tolerance toward Muslim religion. We are electing Muslim leaders to our government and ignoring Christians and other religious groups being persecuted worldwide by Islam. We must speak out. 

I recently had a very minor, but personal, experience with a Muslim while returning from Zimbabwe by myself last month. I was on a British Airways flight from London to DFW and the man did not want me to sit on his row. He had the aisle seat, there was a young man in the middle seat (who was ex US military, returning from the embassy in Afganastan, which definitely made me much more comfortable!) and I had the window. They were both seated and the Muslim man refused to let me sit down. The line was backing up behind me as I was blocking the row during our confrontation until finally the guy in the middle elbowed him and basically forced him to get up so I could sit down. When the meal came I considered not ordering the free wine so as not to offend the Muslim man, but then I thought, “I am on a British owned airplane flying to the United States, I will have a glass of wine if I want to”. So I ordered it and he leaned forward and stared at me. Afterward, every drink I took he leaned forward and stared at me. Later I took my jacket off and as I took it he leaned forward and stared at me. It was very uncomfortable but it made me realize how important our freedoms are. I have never been so determined to exercise my free will. And it makes me realize if we continue to turn our heads and let this religion take roots and take leadership roles in our country we are headed for oppression. Not only that, but increased and unspeakable violence, which is already happening worldwide. We’ve got to take a stand for our freedom and quit trying to quiet those who are exercising their rights and support them and condemn openly not only the acts of terror but the stripping away of our rights to practice our religion openly.