Turn of Phrase - The Real John McCain Returns

Senator John McCain, (R - AZ)
Photo: Johannes Simon / Getty

"What makes America exceptional among the countries of the world is that we are bound together as citizens not by blood or class, not by sect or ethnicity, but by a set of enduring, universal, and equal rights that are the foundation of our constitution, our laws, our citizenry, and our identity.

When anyone, not least a member of Congress, launches specious and degrading attacks against fellow Americans on the basis of nothing more than fear of who they are and ignorance of what they stand for, it defames the spirit of our nation, and we all grow poorer because of it."

- From Senator John McCain, in his eloquent defense of Huma Abedin, Sec. of State Clinton's Deputy Chief of Staff, who faces unsupported allegations that she used her position to exert a pro-Islamist influence over American foreign policy.

In remarks he made on the floor of the U.S. Senate, McCain completely dismissed a letter composed by Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann and four other Congressmen, in which the lawmakers questioned Abedin's loyalty and alleged she has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood organization.

McCain's speech, which you can view a clip of on Politico, is refreshing on two levels.

Lowe's Lacks "All-American" Courage of Conviction in Facing Down FFA

Home improvement mega-chain Lowe's has pulled its advertising dollars from the TLC series All-American Muslim. The program, which follows the everyday lives of five American Muslim families living in Dearborn, Michigan, has been thrust into a spotlight of controversy generated primarily by an ultra-conservative group, the Florida Family Association (FFA).

According to its website, members of the FFA believe the TLC reality show is "clearly designed propaganda" intended to portray "ordinary folks" in the Muslim community while excluding the more dangerous Islamic fundamentalist elements. In light of an FFA email campaign and increasing media heat, Lowe's felt it was best for their business to simply back away from the show.

The conclusion that rational viewers draw from All-American Muslim is that the joys and challenges of these families are not so far from those of mainstream America, and it is precisely this we-are-more-the-same-than-different message that the FFA finds so controversial.

The Jaafar family from TLC's
All-American Muslim.

For hate-driven groups like the FFA, a more accurate portrayal of Muslims in America would have to include footage of scruffy young Muslims piling into white Toyota pick-up trucks late at night, and driving to the secret back entrance of their neighborhood mosque where they pick up guns and strap their torsos with bombs, after a silhouetted rendezvous with a long-bearded, beady-eyed local Imam.

Sorry to disappoint you FFA, but all Muslims are not terrorists any more than all Christians are bigoted assholes.

But I digress...my primary objective is not to focus on the FFA - which has aggravated me mercilessly since its inception in 1987 - but to talk about my disappointment with Lowe's Home Improvement. With regard to the decision to yank advertising from All-American Muslim, the company said Lowe's thinks it best to "respectfully defer to communities, individuals, and groups to discuss and consider such issues of importance." That would be fine with me if they hadn't also said they have a "strong commitment to diversity and inclusion."

Lowe's - what do you think a "strong commitment" looks like?

• A strong commitment to diversity and inclusion means you stand up for those values when they are challenged by small-minded bigots, even if those bigots are reasonably well-organized and vocal. 
• A strong commitment to diversity and inclusion means you vociferously object to those who attempt to stereotype and mischaracterize minority groups out of fear and ignorance.
• A strong commitment to diversity and inclusion means you don't let your company policy "mouth" write checks your advertising dollars "ass" can't cash.

I am absolutely certain that many of the fine people employed by Lowe's Home Improvement have a genuinely deep and abiding commitment to diversity. Having reviewed the employment section of their website, I also have every reason to believe that the Lowe's corporation (i.e. decision-making company leadership) understands the value of a fostering a culture of inclusion. But a company with a "strong commitment" to respecting and appreciating the wide scope of cultures, lifestyles, and individuals that comprise our society would not have made the decision Lowe's made to pull advertising from a TV show, simply because a handful of unfounded questions and accusations were raised by a group of narrow minds.

If Lowe's wants to show real conviction to diversity and tolerance, they will apologize for their mistake, put their money where there mouth is, and re-commit to advertising on All-American Muslim. I guarantee the positive press from this genuine act of redemption would pay dividends - that's the All-American way.