I understand why especially close-minded individuals are afraid of any Islamic Cultural Center, and I understand why some radicals are upset about one that might be built "two blocks" away from Ground Zero.
But fear, anger, and distress are not emotions that should dictate our political policies or religious rights.
Our country was founded with this as the first amendment. The first. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
It's a right our country's ancestors risked their life to travel to this budding nation for.
It's a right our founders believed so strongly, in they wrote it first in our Constitution.
It's a right of all citizens of our nation.
It's a right we believe in we invaded Iraq to help that country overcome tyranny.
It's a right.
Some scared individuals who are opposing the construction of the Cultural Center are completely against it. These radicals believe mosques are breeding grounds for terrorism. Others believe it's a fine idea, but a bad location; they believe the cultural center is insensitive to the solemn ground where the World Trade Towers once stood.
Keith Olbermann combats those two positions and so much more in his special comment.
I realize 12 minutes is a long video so I'll summarize some of his most poignant statements:
- It isn't a mosque. It is a community center and will have a basketball court and a culinary school and a prayer space.
- Muslims are a far greater risk of being victims of terrorism than non-Muslims in the United States. The only terrorism linked to a mosque in this country was May 10th in Northeast Florida when a mosque was bombed. Luckily, no one was injured. Unluckily, the bomber/terrorist was not caught/arrested.
- The location of the Community Center (Park 45, New York, NY) is not at Ground Zero and it's actually 4 or 5 blocks away from the 9/11 memorial.
- Currently there is a mosque operating four blocks away from Ground Zero and was opened before there was the World Trade Center and for the nine years since Sept. 11 it has been running without controversy.
- If we stop this cultural and community center from being built where does it end? No more building permits for any mosques in this country? By denying this building from being built we reject our birthright of religious freedom.
"In America, when somebody comes for your neighbor, or his Bible, or his Torah, or his atheist manifesto, or his Koran, you and I do what our fathers did and our grandmothers did and our founders did... you and I speak up!"
