Burning the Koran

I was sitting here contemplating what possibly could motivate a religious leader to stage a public burning of another faith’s most holy book when a letter to the editor was delivered to my desk.

I won’t tell you the writer’s name, to protect the guy against himself, but he provided a name, address and phone number and wrote the letter by hand. Why, he asks, is President Obama acting as he does? Here is his answer:
“He is promoting a new world order, a one-world government run by the United Nations; a world bank; a world court; and an army in the United Nations to enforce their dictates! Freedom of mankind in all other sovereign nations will be lost. He has subordinated our inspired Constitution in every act. He will invite an invasion over our southern border before the November election and declare martial law and stop the voting to keep in power.”
If this was a unique bit of drivel I wouldn’t be writing this blog. But I get a few letters like this every day.
I disagree with some things President Obama has done, but I agree with others. Like most politicians I’ve known, he seems to have a vision of what he believes is best for the country, and he would really, really like to be re-elected.
But the nation now has so many disinformation wind-tunnels pumping hate and mistrust that some people who write us letters are convinced the president willfully seeks to destroy the nation. Others are certain the nation is in a war against Islam.
Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., didn’t have to paddle too hard to catch the wave of hatred that led him to think burning the Koran was the Christian thing to do.
Can we counter all the hate and suspicion before it gets out of control?