I saw a thing on the news the other night about a recently-surfaced video of some Taliban dudes beating a woman because she was alone in the company of a man who was not her husband. The report featured two interesting points: First, they quoted a Taliban member as saying that the woman got off easy, and should have received some much more severe punishment; and second, they quoted a human rights expert with knowledge of the region as saying that the Taliban, and Muslim hardliners in general, value women's lives less than the lives of dogs.

To those jerks I say, send us your women. We'll take 'em. And then all you men-lovers can, uh, shall we say, “cuddle” with each other and your dogs.

What is with people? Did I miss a meeting where we agreed it was still the 1600s? Why is it the woman's fault that a guy wants to get nekkid with her, and apparently can't be trusted not to if they are alone together? Perhaps if you, I don't know, civilize your society, empower your women, and educate your men about basic human rights (women have those, you know), you might not come off as such a bunch of backward dolts.

I mean, next thing you know, they'll be saying Jews should be wiped off the planet. Oh wait, they think that too. I'm all for live-and-let-live, but when the basis of your society is a bastardization of your religion to the point that you seek to deny pretty much everyone but you and your pals their own way of life, I just don't know how to even deal with you. The frightening thing is, these nutjobs are rooted firmly in the Dark Ages, but they have cellphone cameras and hand-held rocket launchers.

What is it in the human psyche that causes people to participate in groups whose raison d'être seems to be putting other groups of people down? You look at your average mopes in the Klan and whatnot, and I suppose you have your answer: They're mopes. And they need to make themselves feel better about being the troglodytic losers that they are by subjugating other people. Real classy. The funny thing is, it's so transparent. Everyone knows they're dopes who are putting on a faux show of self-importance.

And just to be clear, I'm not singling out Muslims as unique in this. They just happen to be the flavor of the month in religious hardliners. Put the Klan in charge of a country, and it'd be just as scary, only with Christians. There are, without a doubt, many many thousands of Muslims who live in this country, contribute to our society, pay taxes, and support freedom. No one in America agrees with everything that goes on here culturally, governmentally, or what have you. What we agree on, though, is that liberty and freedom are the overarching ingredients. Disagree with the way things are going? Speak up! Organize if you feel so inclined. But don't trample everyone else with your myopic worldview. I suppose what we have in the Free World is a minor miracle (or maybe a major one).

I only hope that that miracle will spread (and soon) to some folks who desperately need it.