Even if I agreed with Charles Krauthammer that the site of the former World Trade Center (ground zero) has the same meaning to Americans as Treblinka does for Jews, the proposed mosque is not at ground zero, but several blocks away. If someone actually proposed building a mosque at ground zero no one would permit it because that property is overseen by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation which has already approved other projects. The truth is, Krauthammer’s analogies suck. No one wants to see a museum dedicated to the Confederate cause on the Gettysburg battlefield, but would one object to a museum for Confederate artifacts being built adjacent to the battlefield, where the proceeds went to fight racism and promote racial reconciliation?
That’s a closer, though still imperfect, analogy to the proposed mosque in lower Manhattan. Krauthammer concedes there is no legal case against the mosque. He even goes so far as to suggest that the government shouldn’t even open its mouth about it.
Yet, as columnist Rich Lowry pointedly noted, the government has no business telling churches how to conduct their business, shape their message or show “special sensitivity” to anyone about anything.
But that is before he praises Gov. Paterson for doing just that.
Build it anywhere but there.
The governor of New York offered to help find land to build the mosque elsewhere. A mosque really seeking to build bridges, Rauf’s ostensible hope for the structure, would accept the offer.
Again, they are not building it ‘there.’ And Krauthammer contradicts himself in his own column. He’s within his rights as a private citizen to advocate a different location for the mosque but, if he were consistent, he’d criticize Gov. Paterson for doing what he has no business doing.
It sounds like Kraphammer hasn’t read “That damn piece of paper” lately.
I also find it frustrating that New Yorkers are overwhelming cool with the mosque (but surely not all) but most of the moralizing blowhards bitching about it are from states that will never be attacked and get about a $1.30 back for every dollar sent to DC while NY gets about.79. With what moral authority do these no nothings speak about what should or shouldn’t happen in lower Manhattan?
Good point. And you can bet a goodly portion of them were secretly celebrating that the metrosexuals, NY liberals, and Jew bankers blowed up real good. Their flag-waving is just a way to wave their dicks around without getting arrested.
Krap is an ass a usual, but I can’t help wondering if the mosque builders were just tone-deaf, intentionally provacative, or naively attempting some gesture of “reconciliation”. They, or somebody they know, surely knew there would be a reaction.
Now that it’s an issue, one has to be on their side, especially since all of Manhattan was affected by the attack, so by Krap’s logic, there should be no mosques anywhere on the island.
I don’t know — really getting dog-sick of all the “religious sensitivities” on every side.
I don’r know about that. As even Jon Stewart pointed out the other night, there is an actual mosque that’s closer to Ground Zero(and was there before the Twin Towers were even built) than this cultural center would be.
They did it to poke bin Laden in the eye – that’s pretty much what the purpose of the Cordoba House’s is. To poke the Islamic fundamentalists in the eye by showing them that Muslims and non-Muslims can live together peacefully even within site of al-Qaeda’s greatest victory ever.
Instead what they got is something that bin Laden has to be incredibly happy about – one image after another of bigots showing just how bigoted America can be. But if the community center gets constructed it’ll be a good thing in the end regardless.
I wonder sometimes if bigots like Krauthammer realize that they play right into the fundamentalists hands with their bigotry or if they’re just morons. Sometimes I think they’re just morons, but other times I think they know that their propaganda and the propaganda of a bin Laden or an Ahmadinejead work hand in hand and seek to maximize both sides just to blow shit up.
Have these people ever been to Manhattan? There are at least two of everything crammed onto that little island. There is nothing tone-deaf about building a Muslim community center dedicated to reconciliation somewhere near Ground Zero. It has to go somewhere. And yes, there is a certain quality of naivete to an act of reconciliation, one which people who call themselves Christians and Jews should be quick to embrace. The fact that these two reconciling religions don’t seem to have turned some people’s hearts to embracing such a gesture by a community from a sister reconciling religion tells me that the opposition to this is founded in nothing deeper than short-term political advantage at the cost of aggravating a dangerous and unnecessary division among the three.
Have these people ever been to Manhattan?
Besides shopping in expensive stores? No!!
There are at least two of everything crammed onto that little island.
Two? Try twenty or more. Also, as Jon Stewart pointed out the other night, there are at least 4 gay clubs as close to Ground Zero as the Cordoba House would be.
“the proposed mosque is not at ground zero, but several blocks away.”
WTF is the difference. Krauthammer is an asshole and if it weren’t for the WaPo bias on Israel, he probably wouldn’t even have a job.