All Means All

The Anti-Defamation League's website says it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all." They just issued a press release concerning the proposed Cordoba House community center in downtown Manhattan. They're against it.

The group's rather torturous justification goes like this: yes, we know Muslims have the same religious freedom as everyone else. Yes, we know the people who are building Cordoba House are not even close to the people who destroyed the World Trade Center. And yes, we know that opposition to the center is mostly being driven by paranoia and bigotry. Nevertheless, we're against it because it would hurt people's feelings. Freedom will just have to take a back seat this time.

Did the ADL forget the part of its mission statement about "civil rights for all?" Or did they compromise their principles in an attempt to win the support of people who react not out of logic and reasoning, but out of blind fear and hatred?

It's the latter. The ADL has a long history of standing up for what's right, but they've given themselves a very large black eye with this one. Advising a religious minority to compromise on their freedom so as not to ruffle the feathers of the majority, telling them not to rock the boat - hmm, where have we heard that one before? Oh yes, it's how Jews have been told to get along with our Christian neighbors for centuries. And we know how well that turned out, don't we?

When a religious minority is told not to worry, they have to give along to get along, that endangers religious freedom for everyone. And the ADL, of all people, should know that very well.

While their intentions in sparing 9/11 victims' families feelings may be good, they're going about it entirely the wrong way. People's feelings get hurt all the time, but that's no reason to throw away freedom. By that logic, person A can advocate that person B not be allowed to speak because A's feelings would be hurt by what B has to say.

"Civil rights for all" means just what it says. All means all. The ADL should reconsider.