Seriously, folks. Sophia Nelson of Essence magazine asked the question on MSNBC (to all three of its viewers): Has the word "Muslim" become the new "n-word?" Absurd? No doubt. To assume that these terms are one of the same would be to assume that Muslims have endured the same persecution and systematic oppression as blacks did in this country for many years. While I cannot speak from the perspective of a black American, I would be appalled to think that people in this country could compare the experiences of blacks throughout history to the current experiences of Muslims in America. Thankfully, we no longer have a system of laws that is specifically targeted toward any specific group based on the concept that one race is genetically superior to another. In the case of Muslims in America today, in the wake of this Victory Mosque controversy, there is no law stopping them from building this mosque .. and you will find few who believe there should be. Muslims are free to worship in this country as they please. What they are NOT free to do is to kill 3,000 Americans by hijacking airplanes and ramming them into buildings or fields. What is not appreciated (though legal) is to then build a victory mosque at the site of their conquest.

That leads me to this story, which happened yesterday in New York City. We are still learning the details .. but there was an incident where a white male stabbed a taxi cab driver after asking the driver if he was a Muslim. The man has been charged with four counts, including attempted murder and hate crimes charges. Now I am not a fan of hate crime laws, but the attempted murder charge works just fine. This behavior is absolutely unacceptable. You can rant and rave and believe anything you want about the serene, peaceful religion of Islam, but the second you act to harm that person's life or liberty - that is when you have crossed the line. Muslim, Hindu, purple or gay .. nobody can stop you from entertaining bias, prejudice or even racist thoughts. Even if you verbalize them, as long as they are not threatening, that is protected by the First Amendment. But the second you seek to act on those thoughts or words is the second that you have violated somebody else's rights. And you will pay the consequences. Lock this idiot up. Make sure he's in a cell block with some nice gentle Muslims. No matter how incensed he is over a mosque or what-have-you, there is never, ever a time when it is OK to hurt someone because of their religious beliefs.

Now something about this story isn't passing the smell test. You can be the judge, but The Politico is reporting that the man who attacked the Muslim cab driver works for pro-NYC mosque organization. There's certainly more to come here.