Islamic mosque to be built near ground zero

[Epinephrine]

I don't think anyone was bitching about the existing mosque. And since there is an existing mosque, why try to upgrade at this particular moment in time? It certainly isn't because they have to expand its capacity, that mosque’s membership has not grown over the last 5 years. So I am back to my original point, why not show some consideration? Even if a person has strong feelings about the US government and its leaders, how does not having any consideration for the victims and their families achieve any good purpose?
eph

Except this isn't even at Ground Zero. There's already another mosque and a few churches, and many strip clubs closer to ground zero than this ever will be. And you can't even see ground zero from this building because it's blocked by other buildings. And it's built in an underutilized area, and it's not even a mosque as much as it is a community center. Remember... this is New York, where two blocks can be the difference between a multi-million dollar condo buildings and a homeless crack addict street.

Not to mention that equating 19 highjackers of a particular religion with a religion which has 1 billion followers and multiple branches within it is idiotic. That's like saying that no baptist churches should be built anywhere near IRA bombing sites because those IRA (catholic) bombers were Christian and those damn Baptist Christians should... show some consideration.

The particular branch if Islam that these guys follow is actually having their places of worship being suicide bombed by the Taliban in Pakistan. I think that shows you how completely ignorant people are about these things, and perhaps it's the general public that should show some consideration and respect for these values (aka freedom of religiou) that the USA says it supports and actively lectures other countries about.

Read if you are interested:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/op...f=contributors

[Ephemeral]

By 'at this particular moment' I meant from the original 9/11 date until now.
I understand what you are saying, but do not fully agree. When people say 'this is a local issue' I think they are saying that this is really about victim consideration. My opinion is that this is not a national issue, it is not a Democrat or Republican issue, it isn’t even a religious issue. It is about consideration for the victims and their families.
But it is true that people love drama and shit stirring. The media does its usual ‘if it bleeds, it leads’. And it is true that the dumbass Democratic and Republican parties jump on the bandwagon looking to make political hay out of it all. Bottom line is that neither the media or any political party would do this shit if it didn’t pay off for them. And it is all of us (dumb ass general public) that drives them.

It is easy to blame a government, a political party, or even corporate America. But all of these entities simply mirror what the general public (or voters, or customers) wants. No matter how you slice it, it is 'human' factors like inconsideration, greed, apathy, malice, and racism that are the real problem here. But that’s just my opinion and I could be wrong.
eph

[Jerome Scuggs]

how does not having any consideration for the victims and their families achieve any good purpose?
eph

because while the muslims wanting the new mosque is relatively passive in "not showing consideration" (because anyone of any religion prefers more places of worship than less), the GOP actively voted to deny benefits and aid to the people who responded at Ground Zero, as well as their families.

they didn't try to build the mosque "at this particular moment", they tried to build it half a year ago - with unanimous consent. this recent uproar has been timed to blot out what would have been anger at the GOP for, once again, actively giving the middle finger to the people and families that responded on 9/11.

[Ephemeral]

well there's already a mosque there so ... why weren't people up in arms when this earlier one was built?

hmm, because when they built the first one, the Republicans hadn't just voted to deny 9/11 first-responders health benefits.

I don't think anyone was bitching about the existing mosque. And since there is an existing mosque, why try to upgrade at this particular moment in time? It certainly isn't because they have to expand its capacity, that mosque’s membership has not grown over the last 5 years. So I am back to my original point, why not show some consideration? Even if a person has strong feelings about the US government and its leaders, how does not having any consideration for the victims and their families achieve any good purpose?
eph

[Jerome Scuggs]

Here is my opinion.
Of course everyone in USA should have the right to build what they want, where they want. But having the right is different than having some consideration. For example, the USA did not send any government representatives to the annual Japanese Hiroshima ceremonies until this year. So for me, the question is not ‘why let them build it?’. The question is ‘why don’t these Islamic folks show some consideration?’.
eph

well there's already a mosque there so ... why weren't people up in arms when this earlier one was built?

hmm, because when they built the first one, the Republicans hadn't just voted to deny 9/11 first-responders health benefits.

[Ephemeral]

Here is my opinion.
Of course everyone in USA should have the right to build what they want, where they want. But having the right is different than having some consideration. For example, the USA did not send any government representatives to the annual Japanese Hiroshima ceremonies until this year. So for me, the question is not ‘why let them build it?’. The question is ‘why don’t these Islamic folks show some consideration?’.
eph

[Zeebu]

but everyone else was doing it. of course it was the right thing to do.

[kthx]

Yeah, America was really really wrong with slavery. I mean it isn't like Europe used slaves and that those ignorant Africans weren't making slaves of themselves when they captured each others villages warriors.

Child Please.

[Burnt]

The difference is Christianity is the religion of America. Other religions are tolerated and allowed but Christianity is what brought about most of the great things out country has done.

Like slavery

[kthx]

The difference is Christianity is the religion of America. Other religions are tolerated and allowed but Christianity is what brought about most of the great things out country has done.

[L1 TW]

Only if you equate Al-Qaeda with Islam, and assume that the beliefs and desires of the Muslims who are building this religious center and the Muslims who would pray there are the same as the beliefs and desires of the terrorists who attacked us. By this logic, Christians should never build a church too close to where a Christian extremist once blew up an abortion clinic.
Muslims have a history of building mosques at places of conquest and Christians have done the same - this must mean that all churches are markers of great Christian victories, right? Once again, this claim assumes that the Muslims who will use this facility - the average Muslims who are AMERICAN CITIZENS and NEW YORKERS - look back at 9/11 not as an atrocity, but a victory.

[Ganon-Knight]

Enough said.

[kthx]

Oh man, I can't stop laughing.

[kthx]

[Stompa]

This thread was mostly stupid and the stupid was tl;dr, but, there are two ways to frame the question:

1. Should a mosque be built near Ground Zero?
2. Should the government prevent citizens from building a house of worship on private property?

Two very different questions. Many will agree that a mosque shouldn't be built, but many will agree that the government should not blatantly infringe first amendment rights. So what it amounts to, effectively, is a bunch of rednecks bitching about Muslims, and a bunch of hippies mad at rednecks.

My take? Conservatives can't have it both ways. You want limited government? Then stick to whining and circlejerking about the 'mosque' on Twitter, and maybe get a bumper sticker.