On Sunday my daughter's soccer team was playing in a tournament in High Point. While the girls were warming up I was standing on the side of the field near three men I didn't know, who were obviously fathers of players from one of the other teams at the complex. I wasn't paying any attention to them until one of them raised his voice and said, "You're joking, but it ain't funny. I'm telling you that if we wanted to build a church in Saudi Arabia near Mecca they wouldn't let us. That's what I'm saying; it ain't right that they can come here and build a mosque by the place where 3,000 Americans perished, but they wouldn't let us do it there." (The quote may not be exact, but it's very close).
I wanted to turn around and look at him, but I had girls to help coach and I didn't want to waste my time on him. Still, his statement stuck with me and when I had a chance to think about it I couldn't help thinking about what I would have said if he was talking to me. To wit:
- Last I heard it wasn't a mosque, it was a cultural center. It's not right at Ground Zero, but a couple of blocks away. You ever been to New York? Being a couple of blocks away is liking being to canyons over in Utah. Maybe none of that makes a difference to you, but I think it would help your argument if you actually got the details straight.
- Um, why would we want to be like Saudi Arabia. I kind of prefer our little ol' nation built on the concept of free speech, separation of church and state, freedom to call our leaders names, etc. Why would you compare us to Saudi Arabia? Is Saudi Arabia the entity behind the cultural center? Oh, and on a somewhat related note, were only Christians killed on 9/11?
- Another reason I love our country: I know I disagree with you (if I'm gonna be honest I'll have to say that I think you're a Glenn Beck sycophant who hasn't thought for himself since kindergarten) and I'm pretty sure you'd disagree with me (actually you'd probably think I'm a liberal wuss who would bend over and kiss Osama's behind), but that's OK because we're Americans. We're supposed to be able to think about each other like that, and truth be told, we could probably have a cold beer and laugh about it later.
Is this a great country or what?
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Befuddled 
The problem is that damn constitution. Don’t you just hate a well written document.
Jon,
Quite coincidentally, I recently received an email from an old friend about the same subject with pretty much the same sentiment. This old friend and I attended Basic Officers School together at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va., and served in Vietnam at the same time. This is an excerpt of my response:
“…Quite a number of years ago I took an oath “…to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”. I’m quite sure you took the same oath. Well ****, if my recollection of High School Civics Classes, College Political Science Classes, and my one wasted year in Law School has not been hampered by memory loss associated with old age, I believe that the 1st amendment to our Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. In fact, I think it reads as follows:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an 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.”
Yes, I suppose I am a nut case. I admit to rereading the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution periodically. I also admit to being highly disturbed about a number of current events hot buttons like the Mosque in New York, illegal immigration, and others. However, I am not willing to betray my oath and I am sure you feel the same about your oath. So let’s agree to express our opinions at the polls…”
Kyle Pearce is correct. It’s all about the Constitution.
Dwight
Thank you thank you thank you. Finally some rational comments on the subject. When we rail against Islam it plays into the hands of the very few fanatics who give all of Islam a bad name. It says to them that Americans hate Islam and and the hundreds of millions of good people who practice that faith.
Pete
Yep, its about the very basic freedoms we hold dear. Aside from the Freedom of Religion, if the Government entities are force by hysterical public opinion to force this center to relocate, then what does that say about our property rights? Seems already that we are Zoned/Restrictive Covenants/Neighborhood Association Rules aplenty. As my father so wisely would remind me, “Don’t pray for justice, lest you actually receive it.” Our rights to do what we wish with our own property are compromised enough as it is.