I'm Just Sayin'

I don’t usually blog about politics, but this “ground zero mosque” controversy has my panties all in a wad. So allow me, please, to pick this wedgie from my ass, metaphorically speaking.

First of all, can we all quit calling it the ground zero mosque? It is not a mosque, and it is not at ground zero. I am not one to blame the media for creating controversy. After all, if we all quit paying attention, they would have to move on. But somewhere, some reporter first came up with the erroneous label, recognized its emotional impact, and away we go.

Or maybe it wasn’t the media. Maybe it was one of the sycophantic politicians, fighting for traction in a mid-term election. Seriously, how does a building project in Manhattan figure into a senate or gubernatorial race in Florida? Is the United States Senate, or the Florida state government, really going to influence this issue?
And for the life of me, I don’t understand what Obama said that was so bad. He spoke in support of the constitution of the United States. Isn’t that within the duties expected of the President? He said they have a right to build it, and then refused to comment on whether they should build it. From that, the candidate for governor in Florida credited Obama with creating a national issue, and interjecting the “mosque” into the mid-term election. He even released an ad with the headline “Obama’s Mosque.” Really, if you stretched reality any further, the elastic would unravel quicker than the beleaguered waistband of my hi-cut cotton hipsters.

In the interest of full self-disclosure, I voted for Obama. I’m not thrilled with his performance so far, but I think he got it right this time: support the Constitution and move on to issues he can actually impact. Seriously, wouldn’t we rather know where the candidates stand on the economy, energy policy, immigration reform, or health care legislation? Even hot button issues like abortion and same-sex marriage have taken a back seat to one man’s plan to build a community center in New York City.

I am amazed at some of the dialog surrounding this building project. It’s been all over Facebook, of course. The local paper invited readers to weigh in, with its daily opinion poll. Two-thirds of those who responded were opposed, which is not surprising for a Bible-belt city located smack in the middle of a red state. Some of the comments indicate that opponents consider Park51 a threat to their religious freedom. Really? How are Muslims in New York City playing basketball, learning to cook -- or heaven forbid -- praying, going to affect your Sunday morning worship service in North Carolina? Someone thought that supporters were using “inflammatory language” by suggesting that Park51 is a community center, rather than a mosque. Oh, yeah, that c-word, community, it’s a real fire-starter. And another person objected to the size of the 13-story project. Hello? Have you ever been to Manhattan? Or seen pictures? Thirteen stories is nothing!

We are so obsessed with the issue, we had to consult a true expert, Miss USA. That’s right, the 24-year-old pole dancing beauty queen weighed in. To be fair, she is Muslim. She grew up in New York City, but her family fled to Michigan amidst the post 9/11 anti-Islamic hate wave. She thinks the community center should be located farther away from the World Trade Center site, by the way. I wonder if Inside Edition, the bastion of hard news, would have bothered to report her views if she’d been in favor. I mean, she’s Muslim, born in Lebanon. And while she’s not a constitutional scholar, she is a college graduate. So maybe she does have a unique perspective.

The point is, she has a right to speak up. The president has a right to speak up. Each of us has a right to speak up. It’s another one of those pesky guarantees of the U.S. Constitution, along with, you got it: freedom of religion. But here’s the deal. If you are going to exercise your right to speak up, you should make an effort to know what you’re talking about. It’s a community center, not a mosque. It’s not at Ground Zero. It’s two blocks away.

And what is Ground Zero? It’s a chunk of pricey real estate where something horrible happened. Park51, the site of the community center, is another chunk of pricey real estate. And the bottom line is that Mr. Rauf has every legal right to build what he wants on that site. The local zoning board has upheld that right. And while the rest of us can speak our piece, in the end, we just have to accept the reality. Turn the other cheek, as the Christian Bible says. If we don’t like what the community center represents, we don’t have to go there. When we go to visit the ground made sacred on 9/11, we can choose another route. Perhaps we’d rather walk past a seedy strip club or pawn shop, or a boarded up building. They are there, within steps of ground zero. Anybody’s panties in a wad over that?

The tragic events of September 11, 2001 have shaped America in ways we still struggle to define. As a nation we owe support and sensitivity to the survivors and the families of those who perished. And we owe them something else. We owe them our very best efforts to defend our rights and our freedom as Americans. The extremists who caused the catastrophe known as 9/11 acted to destroy that freedom. If we give in to fear and hatred, we allow them to succeed.

I’m just sayin …