Candidate Romney has a problem. A (hopefully) small number of his base supporters happen to be anti-Muslim extremists. Such people applaud the crude, hate-filled video attacking the Prophet Mohammed that damaged our foreign policy and contributed to Americans deaths in Libya.
But that is not his problem — I guess he feels that a vote is a vote. His problem is that it is getting harder to cater to his fringe supporters without everyone knowing. Perhaps he forgot that when he vehemently objected to the following diplomatic statement.
In addition to a strong condemnation of the violence, a State Department memorandum from the Egyptian Consulate also deplored, “The continued efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims — as we condemn efforts to offend the beliefs of all religions”. This sounds like a very reasonable and balanced statement.
Candidate Romney, however, in a seeming rage referred to that part of the State Department text as “a severe miscalculation… a mixed message… akin to apology.” Presumably, the “mixed message” part refers to the United States asserting that it does not approve of religion-baiting. It is ironic that our diplomats in Egypt were simultaneously being attacked by angry mobs and by the Romney campaign.
So, Candidate Romney: Should we not regret the hatefully offensive provocation which led to so much tragedy? Were the makers and distributors of the video not misguided? Should we not condemn religious bigotry in general, no matter toward whom it is targeted? If we had not added a call for civility and tolerance in our formal message, would this not have been seen as the USA approving a propaganda attack on Islam? How much tragedy then? And how will the Islamic world interpret you renouncing the State Department language if not as an endorsement of the drivel in the video?
Republican damage control has tried to frame the outburst as a freedom of speech issue. Of course, we have the constitutional right to say reprehensible things that harm our national interests and offend common decency. But, our government also has the responsibility not to endorse such dangerous rubbish through silence.
— Michael Basinger, graduate student
