A logical fallacy

If you are wronged, you should wrong back as two wrongs make a right, right?

This is a logical fallacy, assuming that if a wrong is committed, another wrong will cancel it out.

For many years now, extremists of the Islamic faith have waged war against "infidels."

Actions of a few of Christian faith made headlines last week as well.

A preacher in Gainsville, Fla., last week began discussing his desire to burn the Quran.

Those plans were squashed only days before the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

But still, some had to make a point.

And in my mind, it was the wrong point.

An unidentified man walked through lower Manhattan Saturday, ripping pages from the Quran and burning them.

The man stated, "If they can burn American flags, I can burn the Quran. (Americans) should never be afraid to give their opinions."

Another small group of people tore pages from the Quran in a protest outside the White House Saturday, denouncing what they referred as the "charade of Islam."

One of the protesters, a resident from Indiana, said, "The Twin Towers were taken down because of the Quran and other religious teachings."

These are examples of two wrongs not making a right.

A man in Amarillo, Texas, attempted to also burn a copy of the Quran Saturday, but was thwarted by a skateboarder, who grabbed the book from him and gave it to a local Muslim leader. This incident took place during a rally against the burning of the Quran.

This, in contrast, is an example of a wrong being righted.

I consider myself to be a Christian. I grew up in the Methodist Church and was baptized when I was 12.

As a Christian, I believe in living. Period. I think God wants me, as a person, to live my life as best as I can.

Like others, I will slip from time to time. But, from my point of view, I will continue to get right back up and move forward.

I say this because I believe there are extremists in every facet of life, in all walks of religion.

Extremists don't exist solely in the world of Islam. They exist in all faiths, whether we like it or not.

Again, through my eyes (and not necessarily anyone else), two wrongs don't make a right.

Sure, we see on a daily basis, groups of Muslims in other countries setting fire to the American Flag.

Does that make it right? No. Can we as Americans do anything about it? If we believe in Freedom of Speech, we shouldn't.

It isn't right. I don't go around burning the flags of other nations, nor do I intend to. Because, in my mind, it isn't right.

It makes me sad to see this. I don't want to see our flag burning, period.

Is the burning of books or the tearing out of pages from books that many may consider sacred and hold dear to their hearts, right?

In my mind, no it isn't. The burning of books is the burning of knowledge.

Many have compared these incidents to witnessing Americans burning flags in protest or placing a crucifix in a jar of urine and calling it art.

Americans burning the flag? This has never been a statement against the country and is just silly and ignorant.

Placing a crucifix in a jar of urine? Just bad art that will eventually, through the sands of time, smell bad.

Again, two wrongs don't make a right.

It seems logical to me.