Fire Chief Pettus, other firefighters, lead Linden Homecoming parade

Let’s Be More Like George W. Bush. Seriously.

Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman

Demagoguery has always flourished during times of national unease. And so it is not surprising that while Americans grapple with the consequences of war and recession, media personalities and future presidential hopefuls are preying on their fears.

For the past several weeks, talk radio and cable news has been abuzz with the controversy regarding the proposed Islamic center in lower Manhattan, not far from the site of the 2001 terrorist attacks that killed thousands of people and destroyed the World Trade Center.

Because of the hyperbole with which this topic has been discussed in the media, it is understandable—though regrettable—that many Americans have a negative reaction to the proposal. It is extremely unfortunate, however, that some of our would-be leaders are using this moment to fan the flames of division and intolerance.

The question of whether Muslims in New York have the right to build an Islamic Center near Ground Zero isn’t really a question at all: Of course they do; this is America. Religious freedom is one of the foundations upon which this nation was built. Every American has the right to worship how and where they see fit.

This principle, enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution, is one of many that make me proud to be an American. But others apparently think it should be revisited. For example, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich recently suggested that when it comes to religious freedom, America should follow the lead of Saudi Arabia.

“There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia,” Gingrich said.

Gingrich is clearly hoping to ride this issue all the way to the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, though I don’t know that suggesting that America take its cues from an Islamic theocracy is the best strategy.

Not all opponents of the New York mosque are making as radical a case as the former House speaker. Some have acknowledged that Muslims have the right to build a mosque in lower Manhattan, but say they should have the decency to refrain from exercising that right because of the attacks of nine years ago.

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Fire Chief Pettus, other firefighters, lead Linden Homecoming parade

By Felix Hoover

For Your News Columbus

Oct. 1, 2010

Photo by Terry Gilliam

Even with the city’s top fire official on hand, Linden McKinley STEM Academy couldn’t cool down the visitors from Brookhaven, who handed the Panthers a 44-8 Homecoming loss Friday night.

The Bearcat’s Donivan Lipsey was ablaze as he rushed for 137 yards, gained 57 yards receiving and scored four touchdowns.

Fire Chief Ned Pettus Jr., a 1969 Linden grad, served as grand marshal for the school’s Homecoming Parade. He was also invited to introduce this year’s Homecoming Queen and King..

The senior class asked Pettus to take part in the special night to show appreciation for the honor he has reflected on the school as the city’s first African-American fire chief and to thank him and other local firefighters for paying back to the school. Several of the firefighters tutor Linden students in reading,

Pettus is among nearly 40 firefighters who attended Linden, according to a list supplied by Lt. David Sawyer, who’s among that group.

Many of them were attracted to the field because of the city’s strong affirmative-action recruitment program, Sawyer said. The effort continues with Fire 20/20, a recruitment and retention program.

Sawyer clicked off several features of firefighting, including good salary, self-esteem, achievement, benefits, self-confidence and the opportunity to give back to the community.

“It’s not a boring sit-in-an-office type job,” Sawyer said.