Interesting enough Americans are now being caught off guard by the question whether to build a mosque in New York City and possibly virtually adjacent to ground zero. To say that this proposition is not awe striking would be ludicrous since all of America is in a recession, struggling as a nation to deal with the oil spill in the gulf, unemployment figures, an overwhelming war front involving two different countries but also a clueless government in need of realignment as to what is truly best for America.
Sometimes I think to myself that must I be the only clear thinking individual on this planet or am I living in a twilight zone, where for some reason all rational perspectives have been lost and possibly someone from another world is playing with us like puppets on a string.
I once thought of myself as liberal and still to this day think that I am essentially a liberal with some restraint leaning toward conservative viewpoints. Kind of an on the fence, open minded approach to some things, yet all the while trying to retain all of my American blue-collar viewpoints on others.
I have read several writings about this mosque being contemplated in the ground zero area; from conservative views to out and out freedom activists who are pro mosque stating that any opposition for the mosque is just exploiting of politics and a religious smackdown on Muslims in general. Activist and liberals who would have people believe that some of the banter is only because we equate Muslims with terrorists and therefore are essentially playing directly to those who defy America by exhibiting our dislike for other cultures and their religious beliefs.
I, however fully support and acknowledge all the families that lost loved ones on 9/11 and I remember exactly what I was doing that horrible day, as I am certain most other Americans do. It was a day like most others that morning; I was off work because of an injury and was watching the news eating breakfast. I remember when the first plane hit, it was being broadcast that it looked as though some kind of blast had just rocked the one tower. I remember the show I was watching kept glued to the tower as I, like other Americans watched in horror as another plane went directly into the other tower. My past military involvement immediately kicked in and I remember stating out loud that we were witnessing a terrorist act on America and I remember my heart jumping into my throat while I sit glued to the television the whole day in total horror of what was to be the biggest day in history in my opinion since the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Now amazingly I can’t understand why any American, whether politician or activist would be pro a mosque being built so near to ground zero and I’m not a person who believes the act of a few are grounds for dismissal of all Muslims or anyone else for that matter. I totally understand religious freedom and you can’t judge people as a whole because of the cowardly acts of some. After all in my opinion terrorists are basically cowards, they actively oppose democracy in countries such as America, yet strike innocent people and people who are defenseless as a method to hurt all Americans and dislodge our government. Yet I believe that united as a country we can withstand anything, including foreign attacks on our soil.
However to build this mosque in my opinion would be to slap in the face to all Americans, New York inhabitants, as well as all that lost loved ones in 9/11. I say let the Muslims canvas America to find a city that will allow them to build this American Mecca they have envisioned for themselves. If they can find a city that allows them to build a mosque than great, if not then perhaps it is not meant to be. Like I stated before I am not against religious freedom or for that matter any religious sect like the Muslims, however it should be voted on by the Americans that have to live near it, pass by it or otherwise view it everyday in order for it to be built. As god is my witness, I cannot see Americans eagerly waving a white flag of truce when we have a war going on both within our country and outside our country with American lives being lost everyday.
References for this article include: www.youtube.com/watch
www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/07/14/2010-07-14_new_name_doesnt_mosque_their_ire_tense_hearing_on_park51_near_ground_zero.html
www.hudson-ny.org/960/mosque-at-the-world-trade-center-muslim-renewal-or-insult-near-ground-zero
