In recent years, what you do and what you say get out there into the marketplace faster and the watchdogs are quicker to respond. Some would say the politically correct folks are too apt to pounce on whatever offends them. Other would say the system is working because reckless talk and actions are being promptly spotted, pointed out and dealt with. The Internet, of course, lets tens of thousands of groups monitor events, blogs, web sites, press conferences, C-span and 24-hour news stations, then instantly fire off their reactions to tens of thousands of media people and all those with computers. I am fed all day by special interest groups reacting and reacting. Of course, it takes an understanding of context to perceive why responses can be so vociferous, swift and uncompromising. Still, its a significant advancement from the past when there was little more than the U.S. mails to transport a press release to targeted people in the media. Such reactions were a week or more in arriving and thus weakened in their force.I appreciate the alacrity of Jewish and Muslim leaders and others on Wednesday and Thursday to come out hard against Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va., for using the election of a Muslim, Keith Ellison of Minnesota to Congress, as the red flag warning to America that its the first sign that the America we know and love one day will be another part of the Islam world. The Democrat is the first Muslim to be elected to Congress and has announce he would take his oath office in January with his hand on the Quran, rather than the Bible. In fact, this seemingly is not even an issue because all members of Congress first take their official swearing-in without any religious text. Subsequent ceremonial swearing-ins have been done on the Torah (for Jews), Bible for Christians and others or on no text at all for others. In a letter to hundreds of constituents, Goode, said, The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by voters of that district and if Americans citizens dont wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration, there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran (Quran). He wants illegal immigration abruptly ended and legal immigration reduced. I fear that in the next century, we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped, Goode said. Such blatant, straight-forward stuff like that makes for an easy target.Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., wrote Goode, first pointing out that the U.S. Constitution has no religious test as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. Pascrell told Goode that he should know about the official swearing-in procedures where no text is used. Keith Ellison serves as a great example of Muslim-Americans in our nation, and he does not have to answer to you, to me or anyone else in regards to questions about his faith, Pascrell said.Aptly the Council on American-Islamic Relations quickly responded: Rep. Goodes Islamophobic remarks send a message of intolerance that is unworthy of anyone elected to public office. There can be no reasonable defense for such bigotry. Jewish groups, as well, lambasted the Goode remarks, calling it bigotry and pointing out how the dozens of Jews in Congress ceremonially took their oath on Jewish texts, not the Bible with its New Testament.In another quick response to a topic, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs Thursday sent a letter to the new U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, stating distress over recent reports that military leadership has actively violated the religious freedoms of military personnel. The say those studying in academies are being proselytized by zealous Christians in positions of authority within chains of command. Specifically criticized is Christian Embassy, Campus Crusade for Christs outreach to diplomatic, political and military leaders. Cited is a Christian Embassy video shown to military personnel that promotes evangelical Christianity. High-ranking military officials, wearing military uniforms, identified by military rank and depicted in military offices, expressly endorse Christian Embassy and its sectarian religious viewpoint, the Jewish Council noted in its letter to Gates.Executive director Steve Gutow rightly questioned the Pentagon giving Christian Embassy office space and such easy promoting of its work to military personnel. We believe strongly that the United States military has an obligation to protect the religious freedom of all military personnel, he said, noting that, little by little, such things may accumulate to create an environment that is hostile to those of minority faiths.We in the press, the historic watchdogs and surrogates of the people, recognize the great value of those with the eyes and ears to spot conduct that serves to undermine hard-gained and fundamental American rights. Those seeking an advantage or locked into narrow mindsets continue to develop new strategies that must be monitored. May vigorous vigilance and quick reaction continue to slap down the self-serving and overzealous.

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