# Dear Media, Obama did not "walk back" his Mosque comments **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 16, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448 "2010-08-16T20:16:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/21 "2010-08-16T22:38:24Z")
I think most people, and particularly most New Yorkers, accept the _right_ to build a mosque, they just question the _judgment_ to build it on such hallowed ground. If you’re not from New York, you probably can’t understand how important Burlington Coat Factory is and what it means to people. Losing their resource for designer mens wear at factory direct prices is going to leave a hole in people’s lives that something like religion simply can’t fill. While it may technically be their right to build a mosque, the respectful thing to do would be to give people more time. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/22 "2010-08-16T22:42:22Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I think most people, and particularly most New Yorkers, accept the _right_ to build a mosque, they just question the _judgment_ to build it on such hallowed ground. So, how far from the World Trade Center site does “hallowed ground” extend? And is it proper to have other religious buildings there, but not Muslim ones? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/23 "2010-08-16T22:49:59Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I think most people, and particularly most New Yorkers, accept the _right_ to build a mosque, they just question the _judgment_ to build it on such hallowed ground. If you’re not from New York, you probably can’t understand how important Burlington Coat Factory is and what it means to people. Losing their resource for designer mens wear at factory direct prices is going to leave a hole in people’s lives that something like religion simply can’t fill. While it may technically be their right to build a mosque, the respectful thing to do would be to give people more time. The strip club “New York Dolls” is within a couple of blocks of this “hallowed” ground. I am sorry, but the WTC is not hallowed ground. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/24 "2010-08-16T22:51:02Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I am sorry, but the WTC is not hallowed ground. I never said it was. I’m talking about the actual site of the mosque, which was until recently a Burlington Coat Factory. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/25 "2010-08-16T22:51:08Z")
[Here’s a map](http://milowent.blogspot.com/2010/08/truth-about-burlington-coat-factory.html) of all points of interest, including an existing mosque that’s just two blocks further east. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/26 "2010-08-16T22:51:23Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > they just question the judgment to build it on such hallowed ground Exactly. [Hallowed Ground](http://daryllang.com/blog/4421) ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/27 "2010-08-16T22:52:25Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > > [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > > > I am sorry, but the WTC is not hallowed ground. > > I never said it was. I’m talking about the actual site of the mosque, which was until recently a Burlington Coat Factory. Geez, I apologize, I totally missed the sarcasm. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/28 "2010-08-16T22:52:54Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I never said it was. I’m talking about the actual site of the mosque, which was until recently a Burlington Coat Factory. Nice whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/29 "2010-08-16T22:55:20Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I think most people, and particularly most New Yorkers, accept the _right_ to build a mosque, they just question the _judgment_ to build it on such hallowed ground. If you’re not from New York, you probably can’t understand how important Burlington Coat Factory is (snip). How many whooshed, now? [ETA] Scooped by Frank! ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/30 "2010-08-16T22:57:35Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > > [@Giraffe](#): > > > > I never said it was. I’m talking about the actual site of the mosque, which was until recently a Burlington Coat Factory. > > Nice whoosh. Yeah, but whooshing me is like beating the Detroit Lions, it barely counts. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/31 "2010-08-16T23:01:28Z")
I initially did say Obama walked back his statement about the building, but I in turn will walk back my statement about his backwalking\*. He didn’t reverse anything he said. He did clarify that he wasn’t endorsing the plan specifically because we all know that if you don’t see that this mosque is a slap in the face _YOU HATE AMURRRICA WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!_, and I don’t think he needed to do that - I wish he’d just said they have the right to build there if they’re following the laws and left it at that. But oh well. He had nothing to gain from speaking out on this one except that he happened to be correct and it was the statesmanlike thing to do. \*I hate “walking back” in this political sense of reversing a previous statement. It’s a sucky turn of phrase. It’s not as bad as “game changer,” but it’s bad. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/32 "2010-08-16T23:06:46Z")
_When you whoosh upon a star…_ Gotta say, not so sure. \*\*Descamisado’s \*\*timeline is pretty revealing, this has been going on for a long time, so this shit is purely opportunistic, as well as cynical, shameful and repulsive. But now if they build there, they are asking for trouble, and its trouble that would redouble and backfire huge. The main single thing that concerns me is that this plays right into the enemy’s propaganda, about how we are at war with Islam. Some kind of incident there would make it much, much worse. Not solidly decided, but can readily see how moving it might be wise, seeing as how it hasn’t even been built yet. They say they want it to serve Manhattan, but Manhattan is pretty darn big, isn’t it? I mean, its bigger than even greater metropolitan Waco, right? Dunno, still pondering… ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/33 "2010-08-16T23:16:23Z")
Is “back-walking” the new “flip-flopping”? Or “back-tracking”? That Marist poll is hilarious. As usual, the people in my wonderful city have different ideas from the asshats who _usually_ think we’re not part of the real America – except when they can co-opt a tragedy that took place in our midst for their political gain. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/34 "2010-08-16T23:20:45Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Not solidly decided, but can readily see how moving it might be wise, seeing as how it hasn’t even been built yet. They say they want it to serve Manhattan, but Manhattan is pretty darn big, isn’t it? I mean, its bigger than even greater metropolitan Waco, right? At the risk of it being my turn, there are at least two mosques in Waco, a city of just over 100,000 covering 84 square miles. Manhattan contains about 1.5 million people in 22 square miles . . . Ah, fuck. It is my turn, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/35 "2010-08-16T23:24:36Z")
Well, sure, but them are _Baptist_ mosques. Totally not the same thing… ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/36 "2010-08-16T23:27:36Z")
Yeah, they use those Korean Bibles those illegals keep smuggling over the border. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/37 "2010-08-16T23:32:19Z")
I haven’t read the Great Debates thread on the subject, but what do protestors to the Islamic cultural center think should be done: a Muslim free zone for 1 mile radius of the WTC site? Blow it up once completed? There’s absolutely no way you can get around that pesky First Amendment. The most that can be done is to ask “please don’t” of its builders but that’s not going to work. I will say I wouldn’t be a security guard for that center once it’s open as it’s prime for some vigilante strike. Not proud or glad for this at all, but I can easily see it happening. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/38 "2010-08-16T23:35:37Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I haven’t read the Great Debates thread on the subject, but what do protestors to the Islamic cultural center think should be done: a Muslim free zone for 1 mile radius of the WTC site? Blow it up once completed? For the people who are out there protesting? I’d say they advocate both, and then deporting the Muslims back to their home country of Islamia. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/39 "2010-08-16T23:35:50Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I haven’t read the Great Debates thread on the subject, but what do protestors to the Islamic cultural center think should be done: a Muslim free zone for 1 mile radius of the WTC site? Blow it up once completed? For the people who are out there protesting? I’d say they advocate a no-Muslim zone, THEN blowing up the building, and then deporting the Muslims back to their home country of Islamia. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448/40 "2010-08-16T23:38:10Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Is “back-walking” the new “flip-flopping”? Or “back-tracking”? When I was a boy, flip-flop sandals were called thongs. It was way before the invention of string under-wear. So I ask, is Obama thonging on this issue? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-media-obama-did-not-walk-back-his-mosque-comments/550448.md?page=3)