A Mosque at Ground Zero?......As American as apple pie

Today I received two blood boiling emails from a person I have a great deal of  respect for. He attends the place of  Christian worship that I attend and has been supportive of many people who have struggled with various sins and addictions in their life. He has helped them with open arms.

We'll call him John for "John Doe".

Here is email # 1 which included a link to a video, it was followed by another one with contact info for NYC Mayor Bloomberg (these were obviously sent to many people btw): "

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/06/pat-condell-on-ground-zero-mosque-is-it-possible-to-be-astonished-but-not-surprised.html

In His Story

John

  

"

for those of you who have watched the video that was sent to me you have witnessed a very angry Brit ripping on the idea of building a mosque "at Ground Zero" as everyone has been wording it.

My take:

1.  http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4795834049_ef4bf0fbb3_b.jpg

    
Look at that. Does it look like it is AT Ground Zero to you? I doubt you'd be able to see it from Ground Zero.

2.  I know it's become a cliche but if we don't let that organization build this thing then we really have played into the hands of the people who attacked us on that terrible day in September. America is a place that enjoys all the freedoms of religion and speech that most of the Muslim regimes deny their citizens. It would be nice to have a very powerful and symbolic (since I guess a building that can't even be seen from Ground Zero carries symbolism somehow) opportunity to show that to the world.

3. The guy in the video says that Islam is an "Ideology of hate". I'm not going to get into that debate but I want to make an even more startling statement. Even if it is, so what? He says that it shouldn't be allowed in the "civilized world" because of his belief that it is hateful. I'm sure he thinks America is part of the "civilized world" judging by the tone of his video. I agree. 

Part of what makes America civilized is that we let people speak their mind. We recognize that if you don't like it (whatever it is) you can walk away, or change the channel, or speak your own contrary view with just as much force one channel over, or right next door. Our laws step in when that speech encourages violence, but they are silent on hate. 

That's how Fred Phelps travels from funeral to funeral without being hindered. But........here's the beautiful thing. The most effective response to this didn't come about from laws or regulations. It came from an equal display of free speech. The Patriot Guard Riders have begun appearing at funerals for the fallen soldiers, acting as stoic, and intimidating, human shields between families and hatemongers.

So in closing, those of you who don't want the Mosque so close to Ground Zero, go buy your own building and you can share your silly views with the rest of the world too.