State Senator Circulates Flier Suggesting Muslim
Extremists Be Buried in Pigs' Blood, Swine Entrails
Massachusetts Democrat puzzled by offended reaction,
claims bigoted rumor is "historical fact"

From today's Globe: "Flier from senator angers Muslims"

Senator Guy W. Glodis has angered Muslims and a civil rights group over a flier he sent to fellow senators that says terrorist attacks could be deterred if convicted Muslim extremists were buried with pig entrails.

The flier, which Glodis's 39 colleagues received Wednesday, said an execution of Muslim extremists in the Philippines was ordered by General John Joseph ''Black Jack'' Pershing before World War I, in which the terrorists were shot with bullets dipped in pigs' blood, then buried with ''pigs' blood, entrails, etc.'' According to the flier, contact with the blood and entrails of pigs ''instantly barred'' Muslims from paradise, dooming them to hell. It said news of the burial deterred other terrorist attacks for ''the next forty-two years.''

''Maybe it is time for this segment of history to repeat itself, maybe in Iraq,'' the flier concluded. ''The question is, where do we find another Black Jack Pershing?''

and

The flier merely recounted historical fact, Glodis said, and should not have offended anyone. ''If some of my colleagues are so weak-kneed and politically correct and cannot accept historical fact, I suggest they lodge a formal complaint with the secretary of the Army,'' Glodis said.

The article goes on to cite the complaints of various Muslim and other civil rights groups, as well as calling the "history" behind the flier into question. But even if this dubious event was "historical fact" it was a historical atrocity--being promoted in the flier as sound future policy.

(Update: thanks to August for finding the flier and the story behind it on this urban legends site--it is, of course, total made-up bullshit inspired by nothing more than bigoted wishful thinking).

The Globe also notes that a few other senators have defended the flier on First Amendment grounds. But while it might be Glodis' First Amendment right to send the flier around, it's also the First Amendment right of those who think it's disgusting and offensive to say so. And legal questions aside, what does sending around a flier like this say about this man's character, intelligence and fitness for office? Anyway, it just goes to show once again that the Republicans have hardly cornered the market on bigoted idiots (John Silber, anyone?)