Congressional Bigotry?

Melissa Rogers provides an excerpt from what should be a controversial letter from Rep. Virgil Goode (R. VA). With Keith Ellison (D. MN) about to take office, Goode calls not only for staunching of illegal immigration but reductions in legal immigration that would most specifically keep out Muslims. He fears that Keith Ellison won't be the last Muslim in Congress, but if we don't stop them from coming in to the country, there might be more! Oh. my! He can put up the Ten Commandments on his wall and swear on the Bible, but Mr. Goode's "Christianity" seems at odds with the biblical position of welcoming the stranger. Here is the excerpt:

Thank you for your recent communication. When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand. I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way. The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will
likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran. We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country. I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.

The Ten Commandments and “In God We Trust” are on the wall in my office. A Muslim student came by the office and asked why I did not have anything on my wall about the Koran. My response was clear, “As long as I have the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, The Koran is not going to be on the wall
of my office.” Thank you again for your email and thoughts.

I hope that other do not take up the "Virgil Goode position on immigration," because it would stand contrary to what I believe is the true American spirit of welcome. If this isn't bigotry, what is? Melissa is oh so correct when she writes in response: "It's one thing when a right-wing columnist says things of this nature. It's quite another when a sitting member of the U.S. Congress does so."

Oh, by the way Keith Ellison isn't an immigrant, he's a born in America convert to Islam.