Guest Column: Keenum's column 'thinly veiled facism'

By Daniel Clay Tribble

Editor’s Note: The News Courier allows opinion pieces written by people from the community. These are written as “guest columns.” The News Courier encourages views from all Limestone County citizens and not solely one group.









I am astounded by the level of ignorance and vitriol in Larry Keenum’s column published Wednesday.

These two things, unfortunately, walk hand in hand in this country. To begin with, you (Mr. Keenum) end each of the first four paragraphs of your letter with these four words: “a nut in a robe.” The soldiers murdered at Fort Hood, and the others who were injured, were attacked by another soldier. Until the Department of Defense chooses to officially declare this an act of religious terrorism, then it should be characterized as nothing more. However you have chosen to attack the customs of the religion of Islam, rather than the attacker himself. I doubt very much that your Muslim students, or their parents, appreciate the stereotype.

As to the reference to Archie Bunker in the groundbreaking CBS sitcom “All in the Family,” all I can say is, are you kidding me? Obviously, you missed the point. Archie Bunker was not a character; he was a caricature.

He was a caricature of all of the opinions you have expressed in this letter. He was a bigot, lost in an evolving America that was extremely divided. As society has done for many hundreds of years, “All in the Family” was a way for American society to work out its feelings about things like the Civil Rights Act, the push for gender equality, and the deep divide between young and old over the Vietnam War.

At one time this was done on the stage, in the 1970s it was done through the medium of television, and today we use the Internet.

You are allegedly an educator, Mr. Keenum. I am sure you have access to many scholarly databases where you can read a critical analysis of the show, and see how its writers used Archie Bunker as an example of what America needed to overcome. I have to wonder if you ever really watched the show at all.

I do not intend to address the ignorance of the following paragraph, where you make suppositions about the intent of our founding fathers when writing our constitution. I'll just suggest that you add “The Federalist Papers” to your reading list. It makes their ideas about what an American government should and should not do fairly clear.

You mention immigrants and the poor frequently. I suggest you read a famous passage by Emma Lazarus inscribed on the Statue of Liberty:

“ … Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

I believe it welcomes immigrants and the poor of all nationalities. There is no list of requirements, no tests to be passed; there is only a simple appeal to the Christ-like sentiment to embrace, as brothers and equals, the lowest of mankind, no matter what they look like, what language they speak, or where they happen to have been born.

“Americans believe in God.” This statement runs the gamut of logical fallacies. Take your pick as to which one you would like to apply.

America was not, in fact, founded by Christians on Christian principles. America was founded by a group of men, many of whom were Deists. America is not, and never has been, a theocracy. A friend of mine said it best, “If you want to live in a theocratic nation, might I suggest Iran.”

If you plan to live and prosper well into this new century, it is my advice to you that you learn to speak Spanish. Or perhaps Chinese.

Your tirade against welfare is willfully ignorant and racist. Last time I checked you were not the king of America so please refrain from the use of the “royal we.” I have tattoos and piercings. However I don't recall granting you the right to speak on my behalf. The funny thing is, according to the constitution, I am just as American as you are.

Elections are one of my favorite things. You are right. It would take many elections to accomplish the goals that you have outlined in this guest “editorial.” Do you know how many elections it would take to have you, and your corresponding ignorance, removed from the board of the Athens City School System, Mr. Keenum? In case you are as bad at math as you are at history and constitutional law, I'll help you. One. The answer is one.

Indians. 1879. Whatever .

As to the rest of your letter, it amazingly goes downhill from there. I see nothing but name calling and thinly veiled fascism.

So, thank you veterans. Thank you for giving Mr. Keenum the right to air his opinion in a public forum. And, thank you for my right to respond. I understand that it is a right bought and paid for in blood.

I hope I don't have to visit Mr. Keenum's America, and I certainly hope no one had to die for it. Because in my America no one has to fear any god, or wave any flag, to prove their patriotism.

Your willful disregard for the lowest among men, the earth upon which we live, its creatures, and your intolerance shames the city of Athens, Mr. Keenum. It shames you, and it shames me.

I would like to think that I have friends at the paper, but in this instance I believe The News Courier's decision to print this rubbish shames us all. The first amendment guarantees everyone the right to free speech, and to a free press. But the Supreme Court has drawn the line at hateful speech that could incite violence.

Your letter walks a fine line.

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross.” —Sinclair Lewis



Daniel Clay Tribble is an Athens native who lives in Auburn.

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