Building bridges?

Let's talk a little bit about the proposed Victory Mosque at Ground Zero. All the cool kids are doing it, and I hate feeling left out.

The whole point of this edifice, so its backers and builders claim, is 'tolerance' and 'outreach' and 'building bridges.' Well, I learned a long time ago that people lie. If you don't want to be jacked at every turn, you need to look at the actions of a person, and give those actions far more of a priority than their words.

Tons of people all over America are standing in unmistakable opposition to the Victory Mosque. Not against mosques in general. Not against mosques in NYC. Against this particular mosque, because of its particular location, namely in one of the buildings damaged by the 9/11 attacks. Most of us are not calling for government intervention. We're saying, "This is hurtful to the citizens of the United States, and in particular, the families of those who lost their lives that day. We consider it a slap in our face. Please don't do this."

Now, remember, Imam Rauf and his cronies are all about the tolerance and understanding, according to them. So, what's their reaction to these protests? Basically, "screw you, we have the right to build it wherever we want."

There's a certain concept that a lot of people don't seem to get nowadays: Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. When you pointedly ignore the express wishes of those you claim to be 'reaching out' to, you reveal yourselves not as peacemakers, but as bullies.

Some of you might be on the fence about this. Just remember that actions and attitudes do, indeed, speak louder than words. Are the actions and attitude of the Victory Mosque proponents consistent with their words of tolerance and inclusion? Or do they hint at a more sinister set of motives?







Make up your own mind.