I told him, but he's not interested in talking about it further. He doesn't like talking politics with me because he goes with popular opinion and I try to be more informed.

I lol'd.

Wow.

Indeed.

I remember on the news somebody was saying that it was insensitive for the masque to be built there but isn't the racial prejudice just as insensitive?

Yeah, but the thing is is that people simply don't care for the latter.

Some of the more outspoken fanatics, such as Bryan Fischer of the so-called "American Family Association," have called for a nation-wide ban on the building of any mosques.

This goes way above and beyond the claim of "9/11 inappropriateness" by those who oppose Park 51 in Manhattan, and shows that the issue here has more to do with opposition to a group of people who are not welcome in America.

-- Nephele

Goes to show that you have to be wary of any group that has the word "family" in it.

It astounds me that the Westboro Baptist Church consistently "stabs the heart" (to quote Sarah Palin's emotional tirade against Park 51) of grieving American families with their indisputably insensitive protests at the funerals of American soldiers.

And yet we haven't seen nearly the uproar from the conservative right over the Westboro Baptist Church as we are seeing over the plans for "The Ground Zero Mosque."

Nor are we likely to hear any calls from the conservative right to ban the building of Baptist churches in this country.

Now, I'm not saying that all Baptists are like those Westboro Baptist Church lunatics. But it should be equally understood that not all Muslims are like the lunatics who flew planes into the Twin Towers. Painting all Muslims with the same brush is as reprehensible as painting all Christians with the same brush.

-- Nephele

I don't think any religious center should be placed there. It is isn't appropriate. Really it is like building a christian church on or near the spot where an abortion clinic was attacked.. No doubt the libs would freak out if that occurred and really I couldn't blame them. Whether people like it or not Islamic Extremists were responsible for the twin towers, the same as Christian Extremists were responsible for some abortion clinic bombings. No church or mosque should be placed there (I can just imagine if they proposed building a church in the same spot, supporters of this mosque would likely freak out then). Oh Osama Bin Laden must be laughing his butt off at this.

For the record those who attacked the WTC were not just a small faction, Alkaida is one of the most powerful organizations in the Islamic Al-Qaeda world. You know those wonderful countries where women are treated like crap, where if you are gay or even trans you can be beaten or executed. While I know many in Islam are good people, especially those in the U.S., there are millions who are quite extremist in their views.

Also I find Olberman repulsive, always have. I can't stand the man.

It's not at the same spot, it's not even next to the same spot. This proposed structure is blocks away, and won't even be visible from ground zero.

Just what is the "Al-Qaeda world"?

I don't think it's really about what is or isn't "appropriate" to build right next to -- or several blocks away -- from Ground Zero.

I'm more inclined to think it's really about the Republican party seizing upon a divisive issue to split votes in the Democratic party, and thus get back into power again.

As I said before, if Republican conservatives were really all about sparing American families from getting "stabbed in the heart," they would be all over the Westboro Baptist Church. But they're not – because the Westboro Baptist Church is not a divisive political issue. The Westboro Baptist Church is hardly even news at all, these days.

Actually, if Republican conservatives were really all about sparing American families of 9/11 victims from getting "stabbed in the heart," they would've kicked the ass of their poster girl, Ann Coulter, long before now.

Not that I think the Democrats are any better than Republicans. But the opportunism and emotional bullshitting of the Republican party in this particular matter is especially repugnant.

-- Nephele
Who is perfectly fine with Christians building a church on a spot where an abortion clinic was attacked. Hey, if they OWN the property, then it's their business what they do with it. That's a Libertarian perspective.

This is false, there was an uproar from talk radio and other sources. Bill O'Reilly even gave the father of a son who was a victim to it thousands to cover his court costs. There has been plenty of it if you actually read or listen to conservative sources instead of hearing snippets whenever something comes up that the left doesn't like. That is what I hate about how media handles things especially left or right leaning media, they bury the fact that there was outrage on BOTH sides about Westborro morons

Also it is a blatant exaggeration to state conservatives are against building Mosques just building one so close to the site of one of the most horrific terrorist attacks on our soil. Also welcome to politics where each side will take an issue and run with it to affect voter opinion.

I know not all Muslim's are the same as the terrorists, but one would have to have their head buried pretty far into the sand to not say what an f'ed up society many of these Muslim run nations have (A reason why many move to other countries to get away from it). Human rights issues are sickening in these countries. As a feminist myself it revolts me to no end and forgive me for not playing patty cakes with my opinion of so many of these nations.

This Mosque issue is a great example of why I love this country, freedom of speech and protest. Even the Westboro morons have that right as well (Well not in the way they did it but they could do their stupid crap on the street or something). Liberals love freedom of speech as long as it agrees with their point of view. Me I love all forms of freedom of speech, no matter how much I may disagree or despise the message.

In regards to Al-Quaeda they are in a bit disarray now but before the Afghanistan war they had much more sway. So I guess I should correct it and say they had power before 9/11, especially under the Taliban.

None of it crossed the Atlantic, and we get Sky who are basically Fox UK.

Actually quite the opposite has happened. Before 9/11 they were the lunatic fringe. The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq has given them ammunition to recruit impressionable young men with, they can use both cases to point and shout "LOOK! America hates you because you are Muslim!" and they are doing it.

Al-Quaeda is a mess right now. I'm sorry but they had power before 9/11 especially in Afghanistan under the Taliban. Al-Quaeda is a network of terrorist organizations that spread from Afghanistan war with the Russians to places around the middle east. They were (and likely still are) a well funded group as well, people forget that Bin Laden is a very wealthy man. Even in Bosnia they accounted for a huge percentage of the terrorist cells. And of course the WTC 9/11 wasn't their first attack on America either. In fact the U.S. was debating for years whether they should take on Al-Quaeda more directly because it was seen as a threat.


Here is the story about O'reilly in regards to the Westboro scandal.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/oreilly-joins-marines-dad-in-battle-over-funeral-protest/19422884

Also as stated, Talk Radio was ablaze in denouncing these people, I know because I actually listened to Talk Radio around the time. Personally I think the ones at fault in regards to the Westboro Morons is the media coverage of things. The media loves latching onto to certain things, and this Mosque is the "big story" to them now because of where it is located. Outrage can be massive for something but if the media doesn't cover it, well you'd never know about it.

Oh yeah and the horrific Ann Coulter on the case saying the courts should rule against Westborro. That can't be though, she is EVIL.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,590507,00.html

Seriously I'm not a fan of Ann Coulter but she provided some great insight into it and why the Westboro morons should lose the court case. That may another reason why you didn't see the "outrage" as much, the Westborro case was very much a court case and many conservatives backed up Snyder in the case. It was something that would only be won through the courts.