President Obama - in remarks during a White House Ramadan celebration - voiced his support yesterday for the proposed Islamic community center in downtown Manhattan. From the New York Times:
“I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground zero is, indeed, hallowed ground,” the president said in remarks prepared for the annual White House iftar, the sunset meal breaking the day’s fast.
But, he continued: “This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are.”
Agreed. Freedom of Religion is one of the main reasons this nation was founded. But, of course, wingnuts like Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, and Rupert Murdoch (and his underlings at the New York Post) disagree:
It never ceases to amaze me how conservatives preach their love of the Constitution, and yet they are so willing to ignore the parts they disagree with. They think the First Amendment should only apply to conservative Christians - and no one else.
One last note: Most people in New York City do not oppose this project. We pride ourselves in the fact that we live in a multi-cultural city - with people of all religions living together. There are mosques all over the city, and they are treated no differently than churches or synagogues. And that's the way it should be.
Furthermore, we don't appreciate non-New Yorkers telling us what we should or should not do. After all, we don't tell people in Wingnutistan where they can build their NASCAR racetracks and their Cracker Barrel restaurants...
