Sen. Sam Slom's decision to vote "no" to establishing "Islam Day" in the State of Hawaii has been characterized by some as racism. We disagree. There is a key difference between "racism" and "conservatism"; "hatred" and "patriotism." We believe in the U.S. Constitution and one's freedom of expression. But more than that, we believe in the values and culture which birthed our nation, and we, like many other Americans are tired of the constant barrage that liberals have put upon our nation in forcing ideas, practices, and traditions which are alien to our original American way of life. Liberals say that we have to accept everything and anything, and if we don't, we're bigots and racists. Enough is enough. We have to draw the line somewhere, otherwise we as a nation will lose our identity. The reason one votes "no" to "Islam Day" is not because of racism, but because Islam is not a fit for the 76.5% of Americans who identify themselves not as Islamists but as Christians. The majority of us sing "God Bless America" at baseball games, not "Liyubarak Allah Amirika." It's not racism to be aware of that fact, it's conservatism of our culture and way of life.

If one goes to Saudi Arabia where Islam is more than just a religion, it's the law, nowhere will you find the same level of cultural bandwidth for Judaism or Christianity that you find in the United States. There is no "Jesus Day" in Islamic nations. Why? Because in Islamic countries, they want to preserve their cultural and religious identity for what it began as. Are we so wrong in the United States to want to conserve our majority culture?

George Washington said "To the distinguished character of a Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of a Christian." That wasn't racism or intolerance; it was a statement of what traditional American values began as. America was not founded by Islamists, it was founded by Christians, which is why there is no green in our American Flag. 

And while we speak of George Washington, we find it interesting that this year, the Hawaii State Legislature passed House Bill 274 (Act 14) which made September 11th Patriot Day in Hawaii under the full force of law. We think it's only fitting to remind the people of Hawaii that the most patriotic thing that was done on that day of terror was when Todd Beamer, a Christian passenger aboard United Flight 93 took back control of a plane hijacked by Islamic terrorists. United Flight 93 was headed for Washington, and could have been used to hit the Capitol or the White House. It was not an Islamist who saved Washington on the Day of Terror, it was a Christian. In Todd Beamer's final moments, he stirred his fellow passengers to action by reciting the 23rd Psalm and he called his wife Lisa and daughter Morgan Kay on his cell phone and told them, "I don't think we're going to get out of this thing. I'm going to have to go out on faith."

The flight recorder of United Flight 93 tells us that Todd Beamer and his men clashed with the hijackers outside the cockpit door, who, frightened at the uprising, began crying out to Allah. Someone from Todd Beamer's group shouted out, "Let's get them!" and the men led by faith in Jesus clashed with the men led by Allah. In the struggle, Flight 93 was piloted into the ground near Stonycreek Township, and the rest is left to history. This is why President George W. Bush remarked in a State of the Union, "And we go forward with confidence, because this call of history has come to the right country."

Todd Beamer and his brave men are the real people we should be celebrating, because they were the ones who sacrificed themselves to preserve America and its way of life. It's not racism to say that we want to live in the America that Todd Beamer died for. That's conservatism, and that's what every person who voted for HCR100 needs to remember.