Progressive Democrat Issue 55: FIGHTING BACK AGAINST RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM

The Rightwing war on reality is a real war and there are casualties. From the Lawrence Journal-World:

Paul Mirecki, the Kansas University professor who's under fire for a verbal outlash against Christian fundamentalists, was treated at a hospital for injuries this morning after being beaten by two men on a roadside in rural Douglas County.

It wasn't immediately clear if the beating had anything to do with the controversy that has propelled Mirecki into the headlines in recent days.

But reached by his cell phone this afternoon, Mirecki said he'd never met the two men who beat him.

"I didn't know them, but I'm sure they knew me," he said. "I was on the way to breakfast and a bad situation developed."

Later it became clearer that the attackers had targeted him for his beliefs. In short, religious extremists (terrorists?) attacked a renowned scientist for his support of science. This is what Bush America is coming to. We need to respond and that response is in full swing. This is from a Daily Kos diary from awhile back:

As you've probably seen on the top of the recommended diary list, today a pair of 'Christians' stalked and attacked Professor Paul Mirecki, the Chair of Kansas University's Department of Religious Studies. He currently sits in hospital recovering from his savage beating. [UPDATE: He's since been released from hospital and is doing fine]

Why did they attack him? Because he's running a class about how intelligent design is scientific quackery.

I'm sure the media will downplay the attack as just being a pair of lone lunatics, but let's not fall for that - this is a terrorist act as defined by the Patriot Act, not to mention a hate crime. Quite frankly, I'm not going to stand for it. So I'm fighting back, and you can too. Here's how:

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State have been part of the pushback against Intelligent Design, and though I'm sure other groups are just as deserving, I'm choosing them to be the recipients of a donation drive in Paul Mirecki's name.

The goal? Let's raise $5,000 in donations.

If there's another attack on an evolution defender, I'll donate another $50. And another. And another. If a right-wingnut goes on TV and defends the attack, I'll donate another $20. If they claim it was "just the work of a couple of lunatics" or that it "hasn't been proven it's religiously motivated" (it has, just so you know), I'll go in for another $5.

My plan is to ensure that every time a religious fundamentalist thinks it might be fun to attack someone who isn't, that they think twice because they know that act will raise money for the 'enemy'. And I invite you to take part - even if it's just $5, the minimum donation allowable.

NOTE: When you make your donation, be sure to use this link, which allows you to make a contribution in the name of a third party.

Make that contribution in the name of Paul Mirecki, and so we can be sure he KNOWS we support him, put the following details in the form where it allows you to have a letter sent detailing your contribution:

Name: Paul Mirecki
Address #1: The Department of Religious Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Kansas,
Address#2: 1300 Oread Avenue, 102 Smith Hall,
City, state, zip: Lawrence, KS 66045-7615

Let’s join in this campaign and take a stand against religious extremists. We cannot let this happen in America. But there is one more thing, and this relates to the terrorism advocate Ann Coulter. Mere days before the attack, this is what Ann Coulter (the same woman who said that the WTC bombers should have bombed the NY Times building) said an interview she had with Bill O'Rilley (the terrorist advocate who called for the bombing of San Francisco): (from Media Matters)

[Coulter] complained that several conservative pundits have security details when going to speak at college campuses and stated, "No liberal has to have security. Though I'd like to change that." She also claimed, "I think what mostly encourages violence is [liberals'] incapacity to formulate an argument." As Media Matters has documented, Coulter has said, "I think a baseball bat is the most effective way these days" to talk to liberals.

Ann Coulter is advocating that people attack you and me with baseball bats. And someone seems to have taken her up on that and attacked Paul Mirecki. Ann Coulter has called for beating up liberals and for bombing the NY Times building. And yet she is still considered a major pundit by the Mainstream Media! COMPLAIN! This is a woman who advocates bombing NYC and beating up liberals and people are LISTENING to her.

Contact her employers at United Press:

Tobin Beck, Executive Editor United Press International: tbeck@upi.com
Letters to the editor: Phone: (202) 898-8000
Fax: (202) 898-8057
Address: 1510 H St NW 6th Fl Washington, DC 20005

CNN frequently picks up her columns and has her as a guest on shows. Please complain to them telling them that they are allowing this woman to advocate hate crimes and terrorism.

MSNBC also brings her on a lot. Complain to them as well:
viewerservices@msnbc.com


Since when is it considered acceptable for the mainstreet media to air calls for bombing and beating Americans? Yet that is what Ann Coulter does.