Like every American with any sense of decency I find the idiot minister in Florida and his hateful and bigoted plan to burn Korans on the anniversary of 9/11 repulsive and sickening.

There's been way too much pointless jaw flapping about this nonentity and how he plans on making a jackass out of himself for all the world to see.  The only reason this is on the radar screen of people around the world is because our media has elevated this caveman and his bigotry because of their own unrestrained desire to peddle freakish, extreme behaviors and events as "news". 

I agree with Josh's point on the front page of TPM that the anti-muslim bile that has been spewed for years by "conservatives" and Republicans helps to generate the shameful conduct of people like the idiot Jones in Florida.  The idiotic bigot Jones has every right to burn Korans if he wishes and none of us have any right to stop him.  So what are decent Americans to do?

It seems that most Americans' response to this is the same as their response to everything else: keep watching tv and going about their business and doing nothing even as a complicit media helps to elevate a single bufoon to worldwide prominence that brings nothing but dishonor and disgrace upon the people of the United States and provides fuel for the fire of the idiotic, bigoted counterparts of Jones in the Islamic world to fan the flames of hatred and violence even more than would otherwise be the case.

I have a suggestion.  It would be nice if it caught hold, but I doubt that it will since this is sort of like being a Who trying to get Horton's attention.  Nonetheless, I want to put it out on TPM and pray that someone in a position to pull something like this off might see it and act.  It could be some variant of this or some other highly visible means of a show of opposition to bigotry and hatred against Muslims everywhere.  So here's my suggestion:

If our leaders (the President would be the ideal one for this) would ask the clergy of every responsible, mainstream religious organization and leader in the nation but especially Christian and Jewish denominations to immediately call for their congregations and nonbelievers who are not bigots and haters to hold demonstrations in every city and town in the United States on Saturday at a given time in opposition to the bigotry and hatred against Muslims we have seen perpetrated in this country for far too long.  The National Council of Churches, The Bishops and Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, The Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints, and other organizations of a similar nature could easily and quickly respond in support.  I'm not sure what the Jewish counterpart or counterparts to these Christian organizations would be but they should be a part of  it. 

With our instant communications, each pastor, rabbi, priest, Bishop, Cardinal, etc... locally and nationally could easily, quickly and effectively call upon the good people of the country via the local and national media to assemble and demonstrate by their visible presence their opposition to the vile bigotry and hatred of Muslims that has gone on for far too long.  It would catch fire just as instantly as the Koran burning story did and immediately eliminate the idiot Jones from the front pages. 

Lots of preparation would not be necessary nor would lots of speeches.  Just assemble.  Be seen.  Have the religious leaders say a prayer for peace and publicly proclaim their love and affection for our muslim brothers and sisters here at home and abroad and have a minute of silence to mark the end of anti-muslim bigotry in the United States.  That is all that would be necessary.  The silence would be deafening.  Even if only a fraction of the faithful showed up on short notice there would be millions of people involved.

To highlight the point they could call on everyone to wear something green which I understand is the color of Islam.  That way, all the Muslim people around the world could literally see our solidarity with them even if they don't understand our language.

Such a thing would speak volumes and be a powerful, powerful statement on the part of our country.

It is difficult to keep people united and in harmony.  Humans are such a problematic lot.  But if, at this time, we could unite just for a short period of time around one simple idea that allows us all to say to ourselves and our neighbors that in America we reject bigotry in all its forms but specifically and especially on this day we reject religious bigotry against Muslims and will not allow a small band of criminals who attacked all our citizens of every religion to cause us to turn on one another it would be meaningful and send a powerful message around the world.  What better way could American citizens show their resolve, their unity, their committment to a brighter future for all people?

If they chose to, our religious leaders could eaisly pull this off by Saturday.  It doesn't need to be complicated.  It doesn't need to be extremely involved.  But it needs to be done and it can be done literally overnight.  This mobilization against bigotry would be a powerful statement carried around the world to our friends and enemies of just what the attitude of a huge number of Americans really is and it would put the lie to the illlusion that the idiot Jones represents our people in any significant way.

All they have to do is to call for all their members and all the other good people of the nation to go to assemble outside for the world to see them at a designated time (let's say noon on Saturday) to demonstrate to the world that the vast, silent majority of Americans reject bigotry in all it's forms but specifically we reject anti-muslim bigotry and hatred and stand fast on the side of tolerance and acceptance of all beliefs and all people.  It could, but it doesn't have to be held in one big place in each city.  It could be thousands of small places like in front of every church and temple.  It could be a mix of demonstrations large and small in places easy for people to get to where few or no special preparations would need to be made.  Imagine what it would be like if our media were reporting to the world that millions of people at tens of thousands of locations across the United States came together for the purpose of making this one simple statement: we love our muslim brothers and sisters as we love ourselves.

I would add they should invite all the muslims in their communities and honor their presence and hold their hands and put their arms around them and offer prayers of Thanksgiving for them! 

But it would take a spark to light this fire and it would have to be a spark from someone with a platform far more prominent than mine.  And it must happen very quickly.

Are you listening Mr. President? 

How about all you thousands of preachers and Bishops and Cardinals and Rabbis?