U.S. President Barack Obama has indicated he's not going to get involved (embroiled?) in the issue of building a $100-million Islamic centre and mosque near the site of 9/11 in Lower Manhattan.
Officially he has no opinion -- the White House calling it a local issue for local politicians to resolve.
That's a bit of a cop-out, and not true.
A new mosque near Ground Zero is, or should be, a national issue, if not an international one. It is so insensitive and inappropriate, it boggles comprehension why any rational person of goodwill would even contemplate it.
For Obama to view it as a "local issue" is like saying 9/11 was a local, New York issue, and not a concern of the president.
Besides, Obama has no hesitation about intruding in other issues that could be considered local -- such as Arizona trying to stem the influx of illegals from Mexico by questioning people who might be in the country illegally, but haven't done anything criminal.
Obama is suing Arizona because it has trod onto turf that is usually a federal responsibility, and will likely bode ill for Democrats in November's mid-term elections. Across America, polls show people side with Arizona.
Building an Islamic Centre at the site of 9/11 may well be intended as a gesture of reconciliation. Certainly that's what its proponents say. But it would inevitably be seen as a statement, and is so offensive to the families of those who were killed by Jihadists on 9/11, that the argument should be over before it even begins.
We tend to forget that when those hijacked airliners were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, thousands of Americans headed for the site and saved countless lives from the burning buildings. A few hundred rescuers -- cops, fire fighters and others -- also died trying to save those trapped.
By every standard, Ground Zero is a place of reverence.
While the pro and con debate continues, another factor emerges that mitigates against the damned thing being built: Who will build it? Do you think for a moment New York's construction workers are going to happily work on this symbolic structure?
It can be guaranteed protests and demonstrations will be endless at the site if construction actually begins. Before being completed, tensions will be exacerbated. Needlessly. Recklessly. Not what most Muslims and Americans want.
The issue has surfaced anew since the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously that the present building -- the four-storey Burlington Coat Factory -- is not a landmark, and is already being used as a mosque by local Muslims.
The building was damaged on 9/11 by wreckage from the doomed aircraft.
Officially he has no opinion -- the White House calling it a local issue for local politicians to resolve.
That's a bit of a cop-out, and not true.
A new mosque near Ground Zero is, or should be, a national issue, if not an international one. It is so insensitive and inappropriate, it boggles comprehension why any rational person of goodwill would even contemplate it.
For Obama to view it as a "local issue" is like saying 9/11 was a local, New York issue, and not a concern of the president.
Besides, Obama has no hesitation about intruding in other issues that could be considered local -- such as Arizona trying to stem the influx of illegals from Mexico by questioning people who might be in the country illegally, but haven't done anything criminal.
Obama is suing Arizona because it has trod onto turf that is usually a federal responsibility, and will likely bode ill for Democrats in November's mid-term elections. Across America, polls show people side with Arizona.
Building an Islamic Centre at the site of 9/11 may well be intended as a gesture of reconciliation. Certainly that's what its proponents say. But it would inevitably be seen as a statement, and is so offensive to the families of those who were killed by Jihadists on 9/11, that the argument should be over before it even begins.
We tend to forget that when those hijacked airliners were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, thousands of Americans headed for the site and saved countless lives from the burning buildings. A few hundred rescuers -- cops, fire fighters and others -- also died trying to save those trapped.
By every standard, Ground Zero is a place of reverence.
While the pro and con debate continues, another factor emerges that mitigates against the damned thing being built: Who will build it? Do you think for a moment New York's construction workers are going to happily work on this symbolic structure?
It can be guaranteed protests and demonstrations will be endless at the site if construction actually begins. Before being completed, tensions will be exacerbated. Needlessly. Recklessly. Not what most Muslims and Americans want.
The issue has surfaced anew since the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously that the present building -- the four-storey Burlington Coat Factory -- is not a landmark, and is already being used as a mosque by local Muslims.
The building was damaged on 9/11 by wreckage from the doomed aircraft.
what's needed is more patriots like Curious and less Emily's. Only then will America be great again.
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