It is a sad day in America when a religious group has to spend money on public service announcements because their religion is basically being trashed by over half of our country. One of the principles that our country is founded on is freedom of religion. All religion. There are no disclaimers. No exceptions. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Period. End of story.
So, a muslim group wants to build a community center near Ground Zero. Currently, there are already two “traditional” mosques within 12 blocks of Ground Zero. There are also a number of liquor stores, pawn shops, bars, gentlemen’s clubs, and other questionable establishments in the area, as well as a few abandoned properties. This community center will have a swimming pool, basketball courts, classrooms, and a space for praying. Seems a lot worse than a bar, huh?
What is driving us to be so divisive? Fear. Ignorance. A 24/7/365 news cycle that stokes these fears without replacing the ignorance with something more. My bottom line is this: the terrorists are getting what they want if they drive us into wedges. They attacked us to weaken the foundation of our country, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look like that is exactly what they are doing.
Watch the clip above again. This American citizen was a first responder who lost a dear friend as a result of the attack. He is also a Muslim. Shouldn’t he be allowed to pray at a community center two blocks from where he lost his friend?
