Where credit is due

Most Hollywood types and other cultural elites are some of the more scathing critics of the Christian religion, specifically its "fundamentalist groups." A lot of this bluster, however, seems pretty shallow given that calling out extreme sects of a certain other religion (i.e. Islam) is rarely heard.

I guess that's why I find Bill Maher a refreshing exception. Despite Maher being left-of-center politically and one who's not shy in spewing inflammatory rhetoric about people of faith and political conservatives, he seems to have the ability other elites either don't possess or are too gutless to convey. That is, radical Islam is a persistent threat to the West's way of life. 

As such I point you to a discussion Maher had with guest panelist Louise Mensch, a former member of the British Parliament, on his program Real Time.

MENSCH: And when this awful terrorist attack happened and people lost their lives, including an American and a British policeman, partisans rushed out in the streets and said it was an illegal immigrant that did it. Trying to turn people against our Muslim friend and neighbors. Well, you are not going to do that. You are not going to do that!

[APPLAUSE]

MAHER: Well let's not pretend that it has nothing to do with Islam the religion.

MENSCH: It doesn't.

MAHER: It has nothing to do with Islam?

MENSCH: It has nothing to do--

MAHER: That's very interesting.

MENSCH: It has nothing to do with Islam the same way Timothy McVeigh had nothing to do with Roman Catholicism

MAHER: Because every time some bomb goes off, before it goes off, somebody yells, 'Allahu Akbar.' I never heard anybody go, 'Merry Christmas!'

[LAUGHTER]

MAHER: This one's for the Flying Nun! [Bullet sounds]

Mensch's chanting points have become all too common among her ilk, which is why Trump's tough talk on ISIS resonated with the electorate. Let's hope this issue isn't bungled in the motif of the health care debate.

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