Mosque Madness: Much Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing
About C.H. McDermottC.H. McDermott is a jack-nut doing what he loves best, which changes with each passing moment.
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Whether higher up, Republican operatives and power brokers really believe the poisonous nonsense that they pump into the public sphere, or not, is a question near impossible to answer. My guess is that they sit around like a bunch creatives at an ad agency in a conference room brain storming to come up with a riveting campaign to entice people to buy a bunch of bull crap they don’t need and might be bad for them. I can see it now.
“Hey, Ed! Check this out.” The chattering stops as all eyes turn to Chuck.
“Whatya got, Chuck?” asks Ed, the director of the right wing think tank.
“This here piece in the paper about a proposed mosque in New York City.”
“Yeah, so what?” Barbara chimes in. “There are mosques all over New York City.”
“Two blocks away from the World Trade Center?” says Ed throwing the paper to the middle of the long conference table with smug delight.
“Ah-ha!” exclaims Ed, bringing his fist down on the conference table so hard it causes everything and everyone to jump an inch. “You’re fucking brilliant, Chuck! Ladies and gentlemen, we have our wedge issue for this election cycle. No God-fearing Republican will stand for a bunch of towel heads hanging out in a mosque at ground zero. Beautiful, Chuck.”
“Thank you, sir,” says Chuck. “Shall I alert our people at Fox News?”
Why is this a stupid debate? First and foremost, who buys property and what the property gets used for is a local issue–and by local, I mean the jurisdiction of The City of New York City and its ordinances and zoning laws. It’s really nobody else’s business.
Secondly, let’s consider this interesting sentence originally written on a piece of parchment a little more than a couple of hundred years ago: “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” That’s the First Amendment to The Constitution of the United States of America. It’s fairly clear. Muslims can buy property, if not zoned for a purpose that would preclude them from doing so. They can hang out there, pray to whomever all they want, and the government cannot get involved.
It’s funny how conservative “constitutional purist” go completely ga-ga with reverence for The Constitution until they find out that The Constitution doesn’t really support hating people because they are not Christians.
The main reason this is a stupid issue can best be summed up by what Senator Al Franken told fellow Democrats. The Springfield, Illinois The State Journal-Register reported:
Franken said conservative opposition to the mosque is “one of the most disgraceful things that I’ve heard.”
“I don’t know how many of you have been to New York, but if a building is two blocks away from anything, you can’t see it. It’s a community center. They’re going to have a gym. They’re going to have point guards. Muslim point guards,” Franken said, to laughter and applause.
“They (Republicans) do this every two years. They try to find a wedge issue, and they try to work it.”
What is the real issue here? If the mosque goes forward as scheduled, nobody will be talking about this six months afterward. That Muslims go to a building, hang out, work on their three point shot, and pray, is not very interesting.
The real issue is that a mosque near ground zero will hurt some people’s feelings. It might cause emotions of anger, revenge, fear and wounded pride to well up in the conservative soul. Instead of advocating for the abrogation of the First Amendment, I would recommend seeing a psychologist and leaving The Constitution out of it.
Stimpson
August 20, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Yep, you’re right, Lawyer. This is Madness. It’s bullshit.
Jess
August 20, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Jon Stewart has been ripping into them the last couple nights. Last night he used index cards to show how Fox is a terrorist organization. Just classic laugh a minute stuff. Sad that a comedian is the best news person there is.
The Lawyer
August 20, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I saw that. It was good.
fourdinners
August 20, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Abro what?
oh dear…big words…Dinners is in trouble…;-)
A mosque nearby to ‘Ground Zero’ is intolerant.
Muslim (Islamic) fundamentalists caused ‘Ground Zero’.
When muslims of the world unite in loudly and vocally condemning 9/11 they can build their mosques anywhere.
Until they do they need to be a wee bit careful.
There’s a ‘principal’ at stake here.
Muslims? Build your mosque by all means… but … say loud and clear that the perpetrators of 9/11 are not muslim and have no place in the world…muslim or otherwise….
…say that loud and publically and build your mosque.
Refrain from saying it loud and clear and you, frankly, bring whatever on yourselves.
End of.
osori
August 20, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Beautiful,beautiful,beautiful.
Collin mi amigo you absolutely hit this one out of the park, particularly with your constitutional reference.
They also have a prayer room for Muslims at the Pentagon, same type as would be in this Community Center.
I guess those military guys are just far more tolerant than the teabaggers and Christian assholes so worked up about a community center.
Maybe we should put the Pentagon in charge of Arizona’s border. They might be more tolerant there as well.
fourdinners
August 20, 2010 at 5:34 pm
My ears are waiting…..
They’ve been waiting a while…..
One of my best mates is muslim and he reckons it will never happen….”Anyone says it Dinners and they’re toast”
His words not mine.
Don’t be so naive peeps.
The world is not always a nice place eh?
The Lawyer
August 20, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Granted, it isn’t. But our Constitution is far more important than this pissing match we are having over a mosque. Take that particular clause out of the Constitution and the government can start passing laws telling people what they are allowed to, and not to believe. That’s something I would be willing to go to war over.
Gwendolyn H. Barry
August 20, 2010 at 6:36 pm
It’s a first amendment issue. I like how KO discussed it Howard Dean last night… He put Dean to it and asked him just exactly how caving to a wedge issue created by asshatts’ like Newt or the rest of these fear mongers was a good dialog to be having. Krell said it well last evening, he began to list the rights we’ve just given over in the last 10 years and now they want the right of religious freedom compromised too. It’s wrong. I am in accord with you Mr. Lawyer.
Jess
August 20, 2010 at 7:19 pm
This was all started by pajama clad bloggers from the conservative arena finding out about it and sending dispatches to the republicans in congress to build it up as something where there is nothing. August is a slow news time with everyone in DC on vacation so they have to make stuff up. Last year it was the awful town halls, this year it is, POTUS is a muslim anchor baby and the mosque that isn’t.
all the news the other day, about the combat troops coming home, not a lot but hey division always good. Fox did not even have coverage from Iraq that night, they were yabbering on about the quitter who twitters, on Van Sustern’s show and why we should drill in AK. Yeah, I turned the channel to see what they would say. NOTHING, know why, because it does not fit the, we hate democrats and POTUS news that is fair and balanced.
The Lawyer
August 20, 2010 at 7:21 pm
If there was a thumbsup for comments, yours would have gotten one.
Melissa
August 20, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Hello, hello, It’s (now pay attention) NOT A MOSQUE!
The Lawyer
August 20, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Right…more of a rec. center with a prayer room. You are correct, from what I understand.
Jess
August 20, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Thank you, thank you, thank you Melissa. I have been harping about that everywhere. It is a cultural center that will be available to the public which houses a prayer room for Muslims. There will be some classrooms, a performing arts place and a swimming pool, along with other things. It is supposedly like a Jewish center that is in basically the same area or a Y organization.
fourdinners
August 20, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Look peeps…and I’m probably in trouble already…
No self respecting muzzie would expect to build a mosque within 10 miles of Ground Zero. Make that 20 miles at least
Ground Zero came about due to muzzies who became ‘fundamentalists’ and suicidal arsewipes.
Now, being muslim does not mean being terrorist scumbags, however, until muslims of the world unite and shout loudly and publically against the type of muzzie involved in 9/11 they can’t really complain.
A mosque within a million miles of Ground Zero isn’t on unless the muzzies involved in the concept shout publicaly and loudly and consistently “The peeps involved in 9/11 are scumbags” etc etc.
Until this happens muslims deserve what they get.
Argue?
Jess
August 20, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Oh not argue, just back and forth
. How many Christians, of all denominations, have had to come forward to say one of theirs is only the one guy when he shot a doctor that provided abortive services or who blew up a building with kids in a play center or who abuse kids? Not many of them, in fact they all wash their hands of that person, he is a lone wolf or some such. We didn’t know he would do any of that,he can’t have been a real Christian. Well same thing here, it was not adherents to Islam that blew up those towers or forced the airplane to land. It was extremists from Al Qeada that did that.
There are about 1+ billion Muslims in the world, same amount of Christians give or take, we don’t go blaming all the Christians for the act of a few morons, nor should we blame all the Muslims for the act of 19 extremists. Regardless of that, this is nowhere close to the towers and a coat factory is not hallowed ground by any stretch of the imagination. Otherwise it could be said, I have two cathedrals in my house that happen to be the bedrooms I have my surplus clothes and shoes in.
Melissa
August 20, 2010 at 7:52 pm
See above.
osori
August 20, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Big props to Melissa.
Melissa
August 20, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Thank you.
Tim Waters
August 20, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Hmmm by some reckoning, would we have to close a real mosque that’s very near the site. Oh and the pesky one in the Pentagon too.
The racist wing nut that started this bullshit should be held out for examination. Oh yeah her is name Pamela Geller. Just so we all know she is a lesser know freak than most of them.
This is what America is all about..and I too would fight for their right to build it. If has to explained, some will never get it. Melissa reminded me, One reason this Country was started was to get away from Religious Persecution. Even the least of us have Rights under the Constitution.
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Leslie Parsley
August 20, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Loved this.
Stella by Starlight
August 20, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Bravo, lawyer. These anti-mosque/constitutional hateful morons only want to push their agenda irrespective of constitutional law. The concept of bulding a mosque at Groud Zero is a beautiful idea that could open up peace among nations. The idealist in me would like to take this idea a step further: I would like to see Ground Zero developed as a shrine to religious tolerance. My idea is that the land is shared by a mosque, church (Christian), synagogue, ashram, and a Buddhist temple. All the leaders would be required to meet once a month to discuss differences commonalities in a respectful manner. I feel deeply that such a community would demonstrate the principles of religious tolerance through inclusion of all faiths and symbolize that loved ones of all faiths lost their lives at the hands of a few fanatics. I am enough of a pragmatist and misanthrope to know this will never happen…
The Lawyer
August 21, 2010 at 12:23 am
It would be a beautiful thing if it did happen. What you described would for me be a dream job. If someone would just pay me to hang out and talk, read and write about the most interesting human/cultural/spiritual topics.
Melissa
August 21, 2010 at 12:29 am
Geesh, what’s an athiest to do?
The Lawyer
August 21, 2010 at 12:49 am
Get a law degree.
Melissa
August 21, 2010 at 1:10 am
No $. Ha