so here's an update
It's amazing how easily people get distracted by completely fact-free hysteria these days. It goes without saying, of course, that the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque" is not at Ground Zero - in fact, it's not even visible from Ground Zero - and it's also not a mosque. It's not even distinguishable from the local surroundings, in fact:
(It's the building with the off-white fire escape. See what I mean about not being distinguishable?) It takes two whole minutes to walk from Ground Zero to the mosque. The imam leading the project is a moderate Sufi who has repeatedly denounced terrorism and has assisted with FBI counterterrorism investigations, and moderate mosques proven to be deterrents to terrorism (again, though, this isn't even a mosque).
And yet more than half of Americans apparently oppose the constitutional right to exercise one's freedom of religion on private property. This should be a slam-dunk for right-wingers to support property rights (at least Ron Paul gets it). This outrage isn't making us look good on the international stage, either; Newsweek is reporting that the Taliban are using it to recruit new members. They wouldn't have to focus on the Cordoba House, though; between all the terrorism against Muslims lately (actually, not just lately), plus the fact that plenty of mosques nowhere near allegedly "sacred ground" are being protested, they'd have plenty of material with which to convert new recruits.
And let's not forget that several dozen Muslims died as a result of 9/11. And a bunch of 9/11 victims' families have spoken up saying that they support the building of the Cordoba House.
Oh, and there's already an actual mosque eight hundred feet from Ground Zero.
Obviously the purpose of this completely manufactured controversy is to distract from the fact that the economy is in the shit can and neither Republicans nor Democrats appear to be capable of presenting any substantive ideas on how to improve it. And unfortunately, it's working.
Incidentally, I would be remiss if I failed to link to The Onion in this entry.
(It's the building with the off-white fire escape. See what I mean about not being distinguishable?) It takes two whole minutes to walk from Ground Zero to the mosque. The imam leading the project is a moderate Sufi who has repeatedly denounced terrorism and has assisted with FBI counterterrorism investigations, and moderate mosques proven to be deterrents to terrorism (again, though, this isn't even a mosque).
And yet more than half of Americans apparently oppose the constitutional right to exercise one's freedom of religion on private property. This should be a slam-dunk for right-wingers to support property rights (at least Ron Paul gets it). This outrage isn't making us look good on the international stage, either; Newsweek is reporting that the Taliban are using it to recruit new members. They wouldn't have to focus on the Cordoba House, though; between all the terrorism against Muslims lately (actually, not just lately), plus the fact that plenty of mosques nowhere near allegedly "sacred ground" are being protested, they'd have plenty of material with which to convert new recruits.
And let's not forget that several dozen Muslims died as a result of 9/11. And a bunch of 9/11 victims' families have spoken up saying that they support the building of the Cordoba House.
Oh, and there's already an actual mosque eight hundred feet from Ground Zero.
Obviously the purpose of this completely manufactured controversy is to distract from the fact that the economy is in the shit can and neither Republicans nor Democrats appear to be capable of presenting any substantive ideas on how to improve it. And unfortunately, it's working.
Incidentally, I would be remiss if I failed to link to The Onion in this entry.