Democrats Hysterical Over House Radical Islam Hearings

Democrats are hysterical over Rep. Peter King’s hearings on radical Islam in America. Some of it has been amusing such as Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee quoting herself and rambling on about a breathing Constitution. Others would be powerful, such as Rep. Keith Ellison’s speech, if only they were factual. And other Democrats have just gone off the deep end such as Rep. Al Green declaring the KKK was a bigger terror threat than al Qaeda. In the end, the Democrats want to portray King’s hearings as the new McCarthy hearings. Nothing could be further from the truth.

King’s hearings are necessary because we have had shootings here in the United States performed by radical Muslims. The Ft. Hood shooting for example was committed by a radical Muslim who shouted allu akbar before firing. The recent military shooting in Germany was committed by a radical Muslim. There have been al Qaeda terror cells broken up by the FBI. There have been radical Islamic clerics holding meetings throughout the country. While I believe it is their right to hold such meetings, if they are organizing terror cells who plan to commit acts of terror that isn’t quite the same as holding a Muslim revival meeting.

The Democrats are howling about Sen. Joe McCarthy, whom they’ve spent the last half century demonizing for no good reason. Sen. McCarthy has been accused of just about everything, even though the evidence he presented was largely correct. If there was a Congressional committee that engaged in falsehoods, it was the House Un-American Activities Committee which had been created by progressive Democrats during the second World War. HUAC did a fair amount of accusing without any evidence while McCarthy never named names unless there was a direct tie to the Communists in America. Interestingly Sen. McCarthy is often tied to HUAC by the liberal press despite the fact that he never served in the House and therefore was never on any House committees.

Rep. Ellison wept yesterday during his speech opposing hearings on radical Islam. I’m sure it was very touching on the news last night. However, Ellison didn’t exactly present the facts correctly, as more than one news outlet has noted. He claims that 40% of terror cell break ups happen thanks to Muslims, unfortunately that isn’t true. He cites a Muslim who died in the 9-11 attacks, claiming he was accused of being part of the terror plot. In fact, the opposite was true.

Perhaps the most absurd of the Democrats rants (besides Rep. Lee’s, which is just a bunch of crazy rambling, par for the course for her) was from Rep. Al Green who claims the KKK is a bigger terror threat than al Qaeda. If this were 1950 I would agree with him 100%. Back in the 50′s the Klan was still around and thanks to FDR and the Democrats there wasn’t a Federal anti-lynching law. They were certainly a major terror threat. Unfortunately for the Congressman’s argument, they aren’t a terror threat anymore. The Klan barely exists and when they rear their ugly head they’re opposed and mocked across the board. Al Qaeda on the other hand killed 3,000 Americans and tore down the two tallest buildings in the country. Their brand of radical Islam is gaining a foothold in America. I dare say in 2011 al Qaeda is by far the bigger terror threat.

There are legitimate reasons for the House to investigate radical Islam in America. It’s no different than the House investigating gang activity or any other form of dangerous association. Like it or not, there is a sect of Islam that wants to attack the United States and its interests in a violent manner. I see no reason why Congress shouldn’t investigate. This isn’t HUAC lobbing unsubstantiated links between Hollywood and the Communist Party. If it dips into that territory then the investigation ought to stop. But there is no reason whatsoever why Congress shouldn’t investigate this subject. This isn’t a matter of freedom of religion, it’s a matter of public safety.