Another Republican goes against the grain on the Park51 project. Grover Norquist, the anti-spending, anti-tax leader, says GOP will pay for their anti-Muslims judgment in the long, and short, run.
And Ted Olson, former solicitor general for George Bush, and who lost his wife in the 9-11 attack (Pentagon plane), makes that case that religious freedom and tolerance must trump generalized fear and anxiety.
Money quote: "We don't want to turn an act of hate against us by extremists into an act of intolerance for people of religious faith."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
22 comments:
So...there are a couple of rational GOPers that actually understand what is written in our Constitution. Hoooray!!!
It isn't about intolerance of a religion, it is about doing what is right. Anyone with an ounce of feelings would not build a building where they knew it would hurt people.
There are 6 churches within 5 block of the Alfred P Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City. Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh were Christians. So I pose the question: Is the location of the 6 churches insensitive and should they be removed because the terrorists were of a similar religious faith?
John, what if there was a church started by the people who were in the same militia as McVeigh? You don't think people would speak up?
What about the first amendment rights of the people protesting the placement of the mosque? Are those people's rights less important? Nancy Pelosi wants them investigated by the government! Simply for exercising their right of free speech against something they are against.. it just so happens it is against something that she supports.
Besides, Christianity is a much broader religion than Islam. Comparing the two is apples and oranges.
Just because a church was started by the same people as McVeigh would not mean those people espouse all of his violent beliefs. Therefore their right to place a church there should not be infringed upon.
Those people wishing to protest the placement of the mosque have every right to do so. Just as those who want to build the Mosque have the right to build it.
I disagree with Nancy Pelosi. Unless the government has probable cause they should accept the group right to free speech and peaceful assembly and turn their attention to more worthy pursuits. Balancing the budget comes to mind.
I don't think the First amendment stipulates how broad or narrow a religion must be for our citizens to be allowed the practice it.
The proposed center is blocks away from ground 0. How far away must the center be before it's "OK"? I find it difficult to justify the phobic criticisms. One friend has even told me he believes Islam teaches that all non-Muslims must die and that Islam is evil. How do you argue such blind bigotry? The level of intolerance in our country saddens me.
"The level of intolerance in our country saddens me."
What saddens me is when my posts get rejected for something inflamatory I said in a thread about free speech. Is it intolerant of David to refuse to post it?
And the landing gear from one of the planes that crashed into the twin towers landed on the building where the mosque is planned. THAT close enough?
I am intolerant to ignorance, injustice, and people who cause pain to others for no reason... but not religion.
Next we will be arguing about Sharia law and why you liberals think it's intolerant of us to oppose instituting it.
I don't think that people relize that there is already a Mosque within ten blocks of ground zero, and there have been no problems out of that mosque. So why the big fear about one being two blocks away. Not all Muslims are extremists. In fact most of them are non violent. There is no reason to fear a Mosque being that close to Ground Zero. It is Muslim Americans right to bild a Mosque where ever they want. Read the Constitution Freedom of Religion is in the first amendment. Don't fear many because of what a few have done.
While it may never be revealed - I think the "Bigger" question that needs to be answered?
Is
What is the true motive behind building the Mosque near Ground 0?
While it may never be honestly answered - Could it be viewed as a symbol or monument of victory?
By people who are very symbolic
9/11/01!
The actions of a few members of a religion speaks to nothing about its validity or source. Do people blame Jesus for the action of Fred Phelps, Hitler, KKK, McVeigh, etc??? So why then, blame Muhammad for the actions of Al Quaida???
To lump all of Islam into one group while placing blame for the attacks of 9/11 is like blaming Christianity for the murder of Dr. George Tiller.
People have blinders on, and it's sickening.
This is a Muslim YMCA NOT a mosque.
How convenient you left out Howard Dean & Harry Reid NOT agreeing with Prez. O.
Can anyone name the location of any of the other 100 mosques in NY City? Or the name of the other mosque a block away that has been there for 50 years? Or the names of the islamic businesses in the World Trade Center on 9/11?
It is sad but true that America is led around by politicians like sheep to react to Jerry Springer-like drama.
A mosque within 2 blocks of 9/11 site? America is all a-Twitter (literally) and we will all vote for Republicans now. Nobody will ever really look to see what any of these politicians had to do with or against it or really analyze any of the bluff and posturing they did to get our sympathies.
The U.S. is a nation of laws and rights, property laws etc, and there are no laws preventing the construction of anything, whether mosque a walmart, bagel emporium or strip club at that location. As it all plays out, they probably don't have the money to make it happen anyway.
This whole thing is like watching professional wrestling and not knowing it is all play acting. (if you don't get it, the wrestlers are politicians)
We have fallen into a fool's trap by reacting to this in the first place. It is just what the mosque developers and the pandering tin-horn politicians wanted.
I'd like to be the first one in the United States to say that I don't give a rat's behind about where a mosque goes. For all I care it could go in the 18rd floor of the new replacement World Trade Center. There will be nothing to prevent that either.
The issue of sensitivity to the feelings of the victims? That is the "wrestling" part. Staged to get a reaction. They win if we react. We win if we don't care.
The reason this argument persists is because of one duplicitous rationale. Read these two thread excerpts:
John M said...
There are 6 churches within 5 block of the Alfred P Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City. Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh were Christians. August 19, 2010 9:52 AM
Anonymous said...
John, what if there was a church started by the people who were in the same militia as McVeigh? You don't think people would speak up? August 19, 2010 10:20 AM
Note here how keenly the counter argument opts to segregate McVeigh et al into a sect of extremists and away from the core of Christian followers.
In contrast, there is no genuine distinction made between extremists Radicals who distort Muslim faith.
What makes is acceptable to disaggrregate the Christian deviants but not other faiths. Me thinks it is mired in ignorance.
Meaning that, since we - especially we in Arkansas City - know so little about their teachings it is convenient to just lump them all into the same basket.
We cannot say, the 19 in NYC were no more representative of the mainstream than the 2 in OKC. It's beyond us and it is fueled by ignorance of the faith and the topic.
People have blinders on, and it's sickening.
I guess we will have to wait and see what happens on 9/11/11?
Maybe they can dedicate a new mosque?
What a convenient time to start quoting and following the Constitution. I keep hearing all about the first amendment. I wonder if all these talking heads are as sold on the second amendment as they are the first.
Here's a question. Are the people wanting to build the mosque AMERICAN citizens of Muslim faith? Or are they non-citizens that are using the constitution for a country they are not citizens of? Just curious....
Because that does make a difference to me.
If it's really about the first amendment, you should put up a poll asking if we think Fred Phelps being allowed to spew his hate at funerals is an important test to the first amendment, or if is an affront and should be stopped.
I was watching a news report last night about all of this. The guy setting up the deal was waiting tables and year ago and now is trying to make this big deal for the mosque. Money is coming from foreign sources..hummmmm.
"Several hundred Afghans chanting "Death to America" rallied outside a mosque in the Afghan capital on Monday to protest against an American church's plan to burn a copy of the Koran on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks."
Compare this to how Americans are reacting to having a mosque built at ground zero and see who is the most tolerant.
The very same First Amendment that gives freedom of religion, and would allow a mosque to be built at ground zero, also allows the burning of the Koran. But look how many liberals are choosing to side against the first amendment in this case. It just proves that it really isn't about the first amendment, but what is right and what is wrong. Building a mosque at ground zero is just as wrong as burning a Koran. Both are perfectly legal. Does this cause any libs to stop and examine their ideas? I doubt it, but it should.
And there are our values. We speak of "cheating mothers" as casually as speaking of a falt tire on a ten speed bicycle.
No wonder we are threatening horrid violence in defense of our feelings about religious entities.
But ait! This is just the USA cycle. It's been less than a half century since we were able to justify dragging black men out of their houses and lynching them on the front lawn so that their children could walk past the dead carcasses.
Good point! Our intolerance is cyclic.
September 9, 2010 2:00 PM,
WOW. You should get a job at the White House. You could be the "Apology Czar". You could travel the world and bow to people and tell them how horrible America is, and apologize for all the wrongs we have committed and all the intolerance we have.
But I'd stay away from Afghanistan right now. You might get beheaded because of a preacher over here wanting to burn the quran. They are not as tolerant over there as you think we should be. In fact, they are rioting and hurting people as we speak. Have you heard about any violence in NY over the proposed mosque? Are New Yorkers marching in the streets chanting DEATH TO ISLAM? Because in Afghanistan they are yelling DEATH TO AMERICA! And you think we need to be more tolerant? Our tolerance will be the death of this country because by the time most of you realize it's time to stand against being taken over, it will be far too late to do anything about it.
Post a Comment