Bowling Green Daily News: Planners Of Mosque Need To Listen To Majority.
Planners of mosque need to listen to majority
There has never been any dispute by reasonable people that proponents of building a mosque near ground zero in New York City have a right to build there, as President Barack Obama asserted recently, but there is a legitimate question of the location they chose.
The proposal to build a mosque within two blocks of ground zero has created a firestorm in this country, with an overwhelming majority of Americans against the proposal. It has even brought politicians like U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., into the brew. Reid, who is in a tight re-election battle in a red state, says a mosque shouldn’t be built near ground zero. U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has called for an inquiry into how the opposition to the mosque is being funded. She has backpedaled since making that statement. Pelosi demonstrates once again how out of step she is with a majority of American citizens.
Obama is riding the fence and backpedaling after making statements about the right to build there, but later noting he wasn’t addressing the wisdom of building there.
Some serious dialogue is needed on this controversial matter and we believe New York Gov. David Paterson is taking the correct approach by offering to meet with developers of the project to see if they might consider a different location.
Paterson has made clear his intentions to meet with the organizers of the proposed Park51 Islamic cultural center and mosque.
Although it is not clear when or if this meeting will take place, it is a step in the right direction.
Last week, Paterson offered his help and the possibility that state land could be provided as an alternate site for this center.
This sounds like a viable alternative, sensitive to the sacred ground where thousands of Americans lost their lives.
What is troubling is that when project developer Sharif El-Gamal was asked by a local news station if he planned to consider moving the project, he was adamant he would not: “Not at all,” he told NY1 on Tuesday.
Herein lies the problem. People associated with this project have touted it for building better understanding between religions, but their lack of sensitivity to date to the legitimate concerns of millions of Americans could actually have the opposite effect.
Their actions are hurting a tremendous amount of people and quite frankly are adding salt to a wound that nine years after the 9/11 attacks haven’t healed.
We urge them to sit down and talk with Paterson to see if an alternative location for this mosque can be found.
It’s the sensible and right thing to do and would send the strongest possible message to their fellow Americans that they are sensitive to their concerns.
There has never been any dispute by reasonable people that proponents of building a mosque near ground zero in New York City have a right to build there, as President Barack Obama asserted recently, but there is a legitimate question of the location they chose.
The proposal to build a mosque within two blocks of ground zero has created a firestorm in this country, with an overwhelming majority of Americans against the proposal. It has even brought politicians like U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., into the brew. Reid, who is in a tight re-election battle in a red state, says a mosque shouldn’t be built near ground zero. U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has called for an inquiry into how the opposition to the mosque is being funded. She has backpedaled since making that statement. Pelosi demonstrates once again how out of step she is with a majority of American citizens.
Obama is riding the fence and backpedaling after making statements about the right to build there, but later noting he wasn’t addressing the wisdom of building there.
Some serious dialogue is needed on this controversial matter and we believe New York Gov. David Paterson is taking the correct approach by offering to meet with developers of the project to see if they might consider a different location.
Paterson has made clear his intentions to meet with the organizers of the proposed Park51 Islamic cultural center and mosque.
Although it is not clear when or if this meeting will take place, it is a step in the right direction.
Last week, Paterson offered his help and the possibility that state land could be provided as an alternate site for this center.
This sounds like a viable alternative, sensitive to the sacred ground where thousands of Americans lost their lives.
What is troubling is that when project developer Sharif El-Gamal was asked by a local news station if he planned to consider moving the project, he was adamant he would not: “Not at all,” he told NY1 on Tuesday.
Herein lies the problem. People associated with this project have touted it for building better understanding between religions, but their lack of sensitivity to date to the legitimate concerns of millions of Americans could actually have the opposite effect.
Their actions are hurting a tremendous amount of people and quite frankly are adding salt to a wound that nine years after the 9/11 attacks haven’t healed.
We urge them to sit down and talk with Paterson to see if an alternative location for this mosque can be found.
It’s the sensible and right thing to do and would send the strongest possible message to their fellow Americans that they are sensitive to their concerns.
Labels: News reporting
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 2:11 PM
1 Comments:
OSI - as per your instructions on FB....
Wrong Again, Mr. President
The President once again demonstrated he fails to grasp the basic role he plays in our nation’s public life. Last summer he jumped into another local dispute when he allowed slip his visceral, gut reaction to an unruly, mouthy, black professor arrested in his own home in Cambridge. As we commented upon it then, his unrehearsed reaction demonstrated clearly his predilections toward race in our country and culture and he proved he’s not much more past using race as a political wedge issue than the fine Reverend Al Sharpton! His latest “open mouth, insert foot” moment came when he proclaimed, at a Muslim religious feast commemorating the ritual breaking of daytime fasting at the start of Ramadan, his support for the building of a Islamic mosque a couple hundred yards from the WTC site where 3000 innocent Americans lost their lives to Islamic extremism. But, this is different. This particular controversy had been brewing for weeks and he had plenty of time to construct his words and issue them when and where and how he saw fit. His comments were well considered and they were simply wrong. The First Amendment is not being debated here, professor! Good taste, social tolerance, reasonable decorum, and cultural symbolism – these are up for debate. And you’ve blown another chance to reach out, Mr. President.
To be clear, the President has no authority to act in this matter. He can’t order the building of one thing or stop the building of another. Not in America! But, he could have used his unique position to quietly work behind the scenes to communicate with the folks behind this project regarding his desire to easily turn this “situation” into a positive, teachable moment demonstrating for the entire world we in America can live together in a spirit of tolerance and exhibit more empathy toward diversity. Failing that, he could then use his majestic bully pulpit and vaunted teleprompter skills to comment on the blind insensitivity our Muslim brothers are exhibiting. Mostly, though, he could have tried to bring us together! But, he didn’t even try. The President has instead chosen blind political correctness and to display an appalling insensitivity to the majority. In the end, this is extremely unfortunate for those of us desiring to live in a tolerant, open society because it forces the majority to act – when it shouldn’t be forced to do so. And when the majority acts under such conditions, we put at risk something uniquely American. We risk changing who we are – at our very core.
We conservatives abhor any governmental attempt to restrict the right of a private property owner to build conforming structures upon his own property. This includes mosques and churches. At the same time, anyone unable to measure and appreciate the crass insensitivity of building an “Islamic Cultural Center” so close to the site where 3000 murders were committed in the name of radicalized Islam isn’t just insensitive. They’re extreme. The very mission of the President’s bully pulpit is to clearly articulate sensitivity, tolerance, compassion, and to project leadership. It isn’t to lecture America on the meaning of the 1st Amendment! Mr. President – you’re wrong. Again.
Agree or disagree? Joseph Redmon
redmonj@bbtel.com
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