no the actual racists are using this crap to justfiy their own bigotry... if anything we should learn from Sherrod is you can come to a place where you work beyond your racial walls, and see THE REAL ISSUE IS ABOUT CLASS. but no the white racists drawn to the more extreme aspects of the republican and/or tea party just need an excuse to show what they really are... and you know what I could give a ____ , and as long as they don't get in the way of me achieving my goals, but don't think for aq second that I don't recognize what's out there. but hey i'm black i've somehow moved down on the list of targets,,, what with the muslims and mexicans taking most of your time now.

and chris, sadly race is thie hot button issue in this country, hell all around the world, and yes you have raised important topics... i may not always comment on them, but i do read them.

Patrick, unfortunatly you are wrong. Race is not the hot button issue. It's being made an issue by those who push the buttons. The same as the issue about class. They are making them one in the same. This is a planned out strategy to divide the electorate. Think back two years. Yes back when George W was president, and beyond. Why wasn't race the "hot button issue"? Has the country suddenly become more racist in two years for no reason? The "hot button issue was the war. Why? Because it would get democrats elected. Well now the war is all fine because we have a dem running it. We need something else to get people fired up, and divided. With all the talk of race problems where is Jackson, and Sharpton? Nowhere. Why? Because they aren't radical enough. These folks have an agenda that they don't even want to get involved with. (when I say these folks I mean progressives, not blacks) The new panthers, NAACP, et all are being used as tools. When they are no longer useful they will be cast aside like code pink, and that crazy lady Cindy something that camped out in front of George W's house. These people are playing with fire, and driving this country back to the 60's. I was there, and don't plan on returning any time soon. One thing we ALL still have to remember is that for better or worse this country is still somewhere around 75% white and a REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLIC, not a democracy. ( I stress that because many try to say it's a democracy, and wish it were. First democracy, then anarchy, then well Cuba). So you guys just keep on arguing the minutia while Rome burns.

Ive got a question. Can any of you get around the argument that Muslims have religious freedom and therefore can build their Mosques wherever they want? Thought about asking on CNN but the commenters there are even worse than you guys.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/23/my-take-no-conservatism-in-gingrichs-attack-on-the-ground-zero-mosque/?hpt=T2

They have as much a right to build their church wherever thay want as I do to build an adult book store, or gentlemens club next to their Mosque.

Now in most communities there is a zoning board. When someone wants to build something it has to be approved. During that approval process consideration is taken regarding the impact on the community. If that impact is detrimental the applicant is denied. No matter what the detriment may be. People have the right to peaceful enjoyment of their property. If that will be disturbed by another residents planned construction it is denied.

They have the same rights we all do to be told NO by the zoning board. Islam killed 3000 people there. No matter how hard you try, you can't whitewash the culture/violence of Islam. The "peaceful" Moslem is the exception, not the rule, just like the violent abortion doctor killing Christian is the exception, not the rule!

And race is still an issue because our President is a black liberation theology ideologue who has been taught that blacks are the oppressed and whites the oppressor, and he can't receive salvation until he casts down the oppressors. Now I know there is oppression in this world...I'm an overweight tech geek, but to classify all white people as oppressors is no better than a KKK member classifying a black person as "sub-human". Race has become a huge issue because it is at the CORE of our President's ideology. Don't blame me about race being overblown...I've been ready to move on to "content of character" for 20 years now...the black racists won't let me.

It occured to me that most of the people who have been tossing the word "Racist" (including Pat here) have never seen TRUE racisim. I hope and pray that they never do. Ive seen it, or at least the tail end of it. Couldnt live in the south (Florida) in the 60's and not have seen it. It's ugly, its monsterous.

Today its just a catch word meant to insite, insult and inflame. Back then it was an excuse to condone murder and other atrocities. Id hate to see a return of true unadultrated racisim when we had come so far.

Schmutzig Hippie,

You are asking the wrong question. Well, if one is a communist, then I suppose that CNN is not quite good enough. That aside, why is it that muslims want to put up a mosque so close to ground zero? This is the issue, and the only issue.

Excellent question Jeff. And of course the answer is quite clear. It is Muslims way of urinating on America and the Victims of 9-11

Greetings Rachel,

Or, perhaps, it is the wishes of the powers that be. Perhaps now it is time to reverse the flow.

Cheers,

Jeff

Absolutely!! We MUST reverse the flow because if we don't....

DH is joining the Navy!!!! He'll throw flowers at any and all attackers, then he'll die because he left his bullets at the barracks

Where does it say DH is joining the Navy?

Great response you guys on zoning laws! I however, hate zoning laws and I think they rob people of their rights to their own property. However, the world we live in does have zoning laws and they are often used to prevent people from building things that will piss off the neighbors.

That's why you can't plop down a shopping mall or office building in the middle of a residential street.

Hippie, how would you like it if some church decided to build their new building next to a Muslim cemetery? Well, you might not care, but you can sure bet the Muslims would be screaming bloody murder! (and maybe even committing a few bloody murders).

Anyway, here's my main objection. If we are not fully suicidal as a nation... if we have any will left to live then we MUST deny this group the right to build a mosque in this location. And here's why.

From the Qur'an
Surah 9:5 "When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way. God is forgiving and merciful."

Now people can argue back and forth whether or not Muslims actually take this seriously. However, we do know that the Muslims who destroyed the world trade center in the largest scale act of mass murder in American history... we do know they took it seriously.

So we have every right to find out if the people behind this mosque take it seriously as well. We have every right to learn what their view on Surah 9:5 is. We have every right to know who's funding them and what their stand on Surah 9:5 is.

If we find (as we now have) that ANY of these people view Surah 9:5 as fundamental to Islam and to be taken literally, then WE MUST DENY THE MOSQUE.

We must deny any mosque that is backed by any Muslims who believe Surah 9:5 is to be taken literally -- no matter where they decide to build the mosque.

In fact, the right to freely practice your religion ENDS the minute you say people who disagree with you MUST BE MURDERED. And we need to stand on that principle. NO TOLERATION for ANY RELIGION that teaches the murder of those who don't practice it.

Zoning laws are a pain Jon, but none the less necessary. I go back to the adult book store say next door to a grade school. Can't have that.

You raised a point when you mentioned a cemetery. In a way ground zero is a form of cemetery. There were many many people listed as "missing". Being that things don't just disappear that makes that ground somewhat of a burial ground. All the more reason to have respect and revrence for that plot of land.

To date there is nothing built on it that I know of. I would like an investigation into just what, or who is holding that up. As of now the hole in the ground is a bigger monument to the terrorists than anything else could be. Right after 911 everyone was saying "we are going to rebuild. It will be a monument to American resiliance. It will show that we will not submit to terrorists."

Who is it that doesn't want to see that monument built?

Chris you are absolutely right Ground Zero is a cemetery. There is no question of that!!

Wow, I can't believe you people are going to make me do this... I am going to side with DH on this. If someone buys the property and follows the rules of a neighborhood, zoning wise, they have the right to build whatever they wish. Furthermore, why do peaceful, law abiding members of the Muslim faith need to travel out of their neighborhood to worship? Also, how far away should they go? Jersey? Delaware? Careful, getting close to DC now.

This mosque is 2 blocks away from Ground Zero/ If you know ANYTHING about NYC, you will realize that neighborhood HAS become a cemetary. Businesses and residents have fled due to the climate surrounding the area.

If you have a problem with a mosque being built there, put up our shut up! Raise the $$$ and buy them out. Otherwise, you are just a bitching little crybaby. Oh, and yes, many of you sound like bigots.

NOoooo, say it is not so... I'm just teasing on you.

Rich I might agree with you ...except.....

1. The Aman (or whatever they call their religious leaders) of this mosque has been very outspoken in being anti-American and pro Islamic terrorism. In other words he CONDONED the acts of 9/11.

2. The proposed opening date of this atrosity is on September 11th. Now tell me that is not a direct thumb in the eye of those who lost loved ones in that attack.

You can call me a bigiot if you want to, personally I dont give a rats south end, but considering those 2 points alone shows that this is not about practicing their religious freedom and all about spitting in the face of the heros who lost their lives and the families of those heros. They want to build a 13 story monument to terrorism, fine build it in Mecca. They want to build a small mosque for practicing their religion in that neighborhood, build it 6 blocks north, south, east or west of ground zero.