Plus, it’s really not a good idea for a government to be in the business of designating anything as “hallowed” or “sacred.”
We can not dedicate ,we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this land. The brave men, living and dead, consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.
We used to know better. Now we think we can make politically slanted decisions under the guise of protecting national values against a religion.
Making a political football out of a religious group that wants to build on unused land is stupid politically and financially. There is nothing hallowed about ground two. It is out where Girlie bars and off track betting is in operation. If it were at ground zero, that would be fine too. It is just an unused pit now. Put the land to work.
Ted Olson, whose Republican credentials are rock-solid, and whose wife died as a result of 9/11 terrorism, has come out four-square and unflinching for religious freedom and tolerance.
One seldom gets such a chance to praise a Republican for humanity and decency, and I will not let the opportunity escape me. Bravo, sir.
That’s only because winning and obtaining power is more important than doing what’s what right.
But I am very glad to hear Ted Olson is on the side of doing what’s right in this example.
Don’t forget that he’s the attorney representing the plaintiffs against Prop 8 in California, too.
That’s the Brooklyn Bridge, famed in story and song, right?
People died building the Brooklyn Bridge. I can’t believe they let cars drive across it. It’s like architects are waving a victory flag, or something.
I believe Abe Lincoln referred to the Gettysburg Battlefield as “hallowed ground” didn’t he? Of course, he spoke of the dead on both sides. I guess if we slaughtered a few Muslims on Ground Zero, things would be okay.
I’m working very hard to convince myself that your phrasing was unfortunate and inarticulate, as the plain meaning of your words are repulsive.
Muslims were slaughtered on Ground Zero.
Partial List of Muslim 9/11 Victims:
Samad Afridi
Ashraf Ahmad
Shabbir Ahmad (45 years old; Windows on the World; leaves wife and 3 children)
Umar Ahmad
Azam Ahsan
Ahmed Ali
Tariq Amanullah (40 years old; Fiduciary Trust Co.; ICNA website team member; leaves wife and 2 children)
Touri Bolourchi (69 years old; United Airlines #175; a retired nurse from Tehran)
Salauddin Ahmad Chaudhury
Abdul K. Chowdhury (30 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald)
Mohammad S. Chowdhury (39 years old; Windows on the World; leaves wife and child born 2 days after the attack)
Jamal Legesse Desantis
Ramzi Attallah Douani (35 years old; Marsh & McLennan)
SaleemUllah Farooqi
Syed Fatha (54 years old; Pitney Bowes)
Osman Gani
Mohammad Hamdani (50 years old)
Salman Hamdani (NYPD Cadet)
Aisha Harris (21 years old; General Telecom)
Shakila Hoque (Marsh & McLennan)
Nabid Hossain
Shahzad Hussain
Talat Hussain
Mohammad Shah Jahan (Marsh & McLennan)
Yasmeen Jamal
Mohammed Jawarta (MAS security)
Arslan Khan Khakwani
Asim Khan
Ataullah Khan
Ayub Khan
Qasim Ali Khan
Sarah Khan (32 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald)
Taimour Khan (29 years old; Karr Futures)
Yasmeen Khan
Zahida Khan
Badruddin Lakhani
Omar Malick
Nurul Hoque Miah (36 years old)
Mubarak Mohammad (23 years old)
Boyie Mohammed (Carr Futures)
Raza Mujtaba
Omar Namoos
Mujeb Qazi
Tarranum Rahim
Ehtesham U. Raja (28 years old)
Ameenia Rasool (33 years old)
Naveed Rehman
Yusuf Saad
Rahma Salie & unborn child (28 years old; American Airlines #11; wife of Michael Theodoridis; 7 months pregnant)
Shoman Samad
Asad Samir
Khalid Shahid (25 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald; engaged to be married in November)
Mohammed Shajahan (44 years old; Marsh & McLennan)
Naseema Simjee (Franklin Resources Inc.'s Fiduciary Trust)
Jamil Swaati
Sanober Syed
Robert Elias Talhami (40 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald)
Michael Theodoridis (32 years old; American Airlines #11; husband of Rahma Salie)
W. Wahid
From a purely political POV, a few months from a midterm election, I don’t think this is a wise move for Obama. Just like Michelle’s trip to Spain.
Stop howling! It is all about perception, not reality. Many Dem incumbents are already distancing themselves from Obama as they go into the final campaign push. Yes, it’s a noble thing to take a stand on such an issue, but I think this will hurt in the midterms.
So will Pelosi’s comments today. And if he crows about withdrawing a few thousand troops from Iraq while 50,000 “advisors” will remain for another year, that may also affect the perception of many voters.
I just think he is walking a thin line here. I don’t think the White House is managing things well right now from a political viewpoint.
Not at all. The so called ground zero area is not where the community center is being built. Ever take your dog for a walk. Just go 2 1/2 blocks and look at how far you have gone. This is made up crap and that is the game you are playing.In some circles it is called lying.
The correction seems to have been of your oft-made but unsupported claim that Ground Zero is an unused pit. If you can rebut the rebuttal, by all means let us know.
I know that, gonzomax. If you’d been paying attention you would have noticed I am arguing they should go ahead and build the community center and not cave in to the morons. You’ve said twice in this thread that the WTC site is an empty pit. It isn’t. Here’s what you said Monday:
I said:
Undeterred, you said it again Tuesday:
Get it now? The WTC site is not an unused pit. WTC7 has been rebuilt. One memorial space is open. 1 World Trade Center (they ditched the moronic Freedom Tower name, thank god) is 34 stories tall and it’ll be done in a few years. Other stuff, like the rebuilt subway station, is probably going to take even longer. The delays were unbelievable and they made changes to the design that made it look crappier. I could go on about how bad all of this has been handled. I agree with you about the community center and I agreed with you that people might be less insane about the Cordoba thing if the main WTC tower was finished. But no matter what, you’re wrong that it’s an unused pit that is not being used for anything. It’s a huge construction site.
And if you still don’t believe Marley, you can go here and see it for yourself.
The Manhattan end of the Brooklyn sits on top of where George Washington lived when he was President.
Gettysburg is a battlefield. Everyone who showed up that day knew they could die but went anyway. You can’t really say that about the WTC.
Republican Mike Bloomberg has supported the ‘mosque’ as have NJ Republican Governor Christie.
Mike Bloomberg isn’t a Republican.
This week.