By Paul Shepard on Aug 11th 2010 10:29AM
Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights
New York Gov. David Paterson, the butt of late night television jokes and the victim of low public opinion polls, has emerged as a voice of reason, religious sensitivity and political common sense in an ongoing fight to build a mosque in the shadows of the World Trade Center site in New York City.
Paterson announced that while he supports the idea of putting the Islamic cultural center Park51 two blocks from the WTC, there are better places in the city to build such a center, so he offered to move the controversial project elsewhere.
Finally, a politician willing to tell the truth.
There is no doubt the builders of the mosque have the right to build anywhere they want, but having the right doesn't make it right.
Opponents to the plan in New York, a city still dealing with the mental scars of seeing two of the world's tallest buildings toppled by Muslim extremists, aren't necessarily an intolerant lot. It is completely understandable that building a mosque so close to the WTC site is an insensitive blow to 9/11 victims.
Some, like New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who support the mosque plan, are bending over backward to appear religiously tolerant. In doing so, though, they are removing common sense from the conversation.
There are lots of places in New York -- the most diverse city in the world -- to build a 13-story mosque and community center.
As Gov. Paterson suggests, find a mosque location that doesn't stare 9/11 mourners in the face.
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=868400&pid=868399&uts=1281376114
http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf
Your Hottest News Stories
05-Aug-10 -
Dr. Cornel West apparently has a bone to pick with President
Barack Obama. Over time, the good Dr. West has become increasingly vocal in his critique of Obama, and even went as far as to say that Obama treated him "like a cub scout."
Click Here for the Complete StoryPablo Martinez Monsivais, AP
Getty Images North America
Your Hottest News Stories
05-Aug-10 - Dr. Cornel West apparently has a bone to pick with President Barack Obama. Over time, the good Dr. West has become increasingly vocal in his critique of Obama, and even went as far as to say that Obama treated him "like a cub scout."
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
05-Aug-10 - Actress Maia Campbell, who was just recently videotaped performing a host of alleged drug-induced antics on a California street, has been arrested, according to Young, Black and Fabulous.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
04-Aug-10 - Omar Thornton's family added some details to early reports that he was the victim of workplace racism that was ignored by higher-ups at the company.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
03-Aug-10 - Fred Wills Jr., chef and owner of Big Daddy's: A Touch of the South restaurant in Virginia Beach, is accused of cooking up something a little spicier than gumbo. How about a multimillion-dollar cocaine and marijuana ring.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
30-July-10 - Diddy recently told Vibe magazine that Nightline Host Martin Bashir's question about him giving his son a Maybach for his birthday was racist.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
29-July-10 - Our most dapper President, Barack Obama, sat in the "hot" seat on ABC-TV's "The View" earlier today.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
28-July-10 - An Ohio woman who helped counsel countless couples experiencing marital discord was found stabbed to death on Monday. The suspect is her husband.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
27-July-10 - Mocienne Petit Jackson, a Netherlands woman who claims to be the child of pop sensation Michael Jackson and Diana Ross' sister, Barbara Ross, has filed documents in a Los Angeles court, according to TMZ.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
23-July-10 - Could it be that Rangel simply forgot the rules? Did it slip his mind that he wasn't supposed to use his letterhead to get corporate donations for a building named after him, as charged? That's not the Charlie Rangel I knew, but that Rangel will surely be exposed when his trial starts.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
23-July-10 - R&B heartthrob Brian McKnight, who was accused of being a long-lost baby daddy to a 14-year-old Florida boy, is not be the child's biological father.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
Michelle Obama Attends Beyonce Concert
7 Weird Ways To Bug-Proof Your Picnic
Comments: (3)
Add a comment
By: KP on 8/11/2010 12:16PM
This is pure nonsense to believe building a cultural center near WTC is insensitive. If the terrorist on September 11 were African and we decided to build an African American church near WTC, we would not be saying anything of the sort about being insensitive to the victims.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Carol on 8/16/2010 3:53AM
What is happening right under our noses is a Muslim takeover. They are declaring victory and will collect their prize...which is New York. Once that mosque is built. Muslin's from everywhere will be there setting up shop. Muslin is a very intolerant religious belief, why do not people and the government think out of the clear blue sky they will change.
Everyone who is not muslin is the enemy to them, that was the whole idea behind 911. Some may not understand what is really going on, but their is a few of us who do.There is most definitely a reason why it has to be built at ground zero. I have no idea what would stop this from happening. but another bloody religious war.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: carol on 8/16/2010 4:04AM
The naive don't understand that Islam is preparing to take over USA, Canada, Latin and South America. They are expanding overseas from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Every muslim has a mandatory duty: to institute a worldwide Shari 'a law!
And Muslims always build mosques on ground that was conquered by them!
New York will be New Mecca!
Reply to this Comment | Report This