As I’ve alluded to…the neoconservative warmongers who have hijacked the Republican party generally don’t actually believe in things like the constitution or freedom (at least not when applied to anyone they hate or disagree with).  Keeping with that trend, New York Republican Peter King is practically begging the Metropolitan Transit Authority to reject ads for a website about Islam.  Each ad says something like, “Q: Head scarf?” or “Q: Prophet Muhammad?” on one side, with a website address and the phrase, “A: You deserve to know,” included on the other side.

So, why does King want the ads rejected?  “I have no problem with the ad itself, but I have a very, very real problem with those behind it,” he said.  Ah…of course.  I forgot that religious speech is no longer constitutionally protected once a congressman has a problem with the people making it.  After all…this would otherwise be a first amendment issue, right?  “I’m calling on the MTA not to have these ads, not to go forward with them, and I don’t see this as a free speech issue at all.”

Not a free speech issue?  A government official attempting to stop the promotion of a religion is not a free speech issue?  I’m guessing that his rationale is that no “law” is being passed to stop the speech, so it’s “technically” not unconstitutional for him to request as a citizen that the ads be rejected.  This is the problem with our country, though.  Our elected officials have very little respect for the spirit of the constitution and instead are constantly looking for the loopholes.

Look, if the people advertising this website have actually done something wrong as King implies…fucking arrest them!  If not, then leave them the hell alone!  Currently, though, all they are doing is promoting Islam.  The real thing, too…not the terrorism-equals-jihad Osama bin Laden style.  No, the guys running Why Islam actually seem to recognize that terrorism is antithetical to the teachings of the Qur’an.

So back off Peter King.  The worst that could happen is that some oversensitive New York rednecks get pissed off about the existence of Muslims.  On the other hand, maybe some Islamic extremists will actually learn something from this website about their religion of peace.