Planned Burning of Korans

It is with great anger and disappointment that I write this. A pastor in Florida and his small congregation are planning to burn a great number of Korans.
Several American officials, including the Attorney General, Eric Holder, and General Petraeus have warned him that this is not only reckless, but dangerous. Rev. Terry Jones continues to say that while he has considered it and he and his congregation have prayed about it, they believe this to be the right course.
While I believe they have every right to do this - just as I have the right to go out and have a bible bonfire - I find this to be offensive, stupid, and wrong.
If he had said that this was their constitutional right, I would still be angry and upset, but I would have little to say on the matter, since it truly is their right - just as the people of New York City have the right to build a Muslim Outreach Center complete with mosque, three blocks or closer to Ground Zero.
We have a right, in this country, to do anything we like, say anything we like, as long as it does not create a "clear and present danger."
But what Jones quoted was not his country's promises, but those of his religious leader. And in that sense, he is quite wrong.
He told ABC News that he believes God wants him to do this. And I cannot think of anything less true.
The God that he follows was described by Jesus Christ, whose beliefs and ideals spoke of peace and kindness, not violence.
By citing Jesus and God as his reasoning, he has in fact, proven himself incorrect. Jesus would not condemn another religion - especially not a religion so similar to the one he founded.
Islam is not by nature a violent, evil, or wrong religion, any more than Christianity or Judaism is. It is extremists that make headlines, and extremists who misread their religion and use it to cause harm. Do we burn Torahs and Bibles to protest Israel's continuation of its violence with Pakistan, or to protest the use of the Bible to justify killing doctors? No.
And while Jones is within his rights to burn these books, I sincerely hope that he realizes how insulting, unnecessary, and violent the act he is planning is.
The thought of burning a book - any book - is repulsive to me. And I wonder what Jones would say if I burned an American flag in front of him. Is that not also my right? And while I would cause fury among those I disagree with - Tea Partiers, for instance - I would also anger people who have nothing to do with what I would protest - like veterans. The burning of the Koran is the exact same case. And in this particular instance, it will only serve to increase the motives and self-righteousness of Al-Qaeda and other Islamic extremists. Muslims do not deserve this slight, and it will prove no points - only harden the belief that America is anti-Islam.

Feminism

I was reading about Ruth Ginsberg's speech - the one her husband wrote and that she delivered in his place - on Slate, and they brought up Sarah Palin.
Now, I cannot stand that woman (Palin, not Ginsberg - I love Ginsberg).
She labels herself a feminist, and I cannot think of anyone who is LESS of one.
She is against abortion - THE women's right - and LGBT rights. She continually voted against healthcare measures in Alaska that would have helped thousands of lower-income children get coverage.
The brand of feminism that Palin promotes in not feminism - she only takes one facet of it (motherhood) and even then she takes away the choices inherent in it.
Real feminism is the fight for the rights of all, no matter their gender.
Despite many people's beliefs to the contrary, the feminist movement is not over - women make about 80 cents for a man's dollar, LGBTs have almost no rights in the legal or social system, and pro-lifers continually wreak havoc and violence on those who make the difficult choice to have an abortion - and with people like Palin gaining popularity through false labels and skewed values, it does not look to be over any time soon.