The White House is considering calling Terry Jones, the Florida preacher who is set to burn a stack of holy Qurans on Saturday. Jones said today he might reconsider if the White House called him. They areconsidering making the call. My gut instinct is they should not. The White House should never negotiate with terrorists and fanatics.
I recognize there is more at stake here than making some sort of testosterone laden statement about not being pushed into a corner by bullies. This is precisely why President Obama is better suited for the job than I am. If somebody can stop this unproductive and destructive event from occurring with a single a phone call, it probably should be made. However, Terry Jones and those who back him are no better than any other fanatical group that spews hate and tries to force the U.S. into a corner.
Terry Jones has a right to free speech, but he needs to be held accountable for what he says and does. A man of faith should know better. The fact he doesn’t makes him no better than the extremists he supposedly is out to stop. If you call, Mr. President, make sure you don’t negotiate. That would set a bad precedent.
This entry was first published as a Des Moines Register blog entry.
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