Apparently President Obama has stepped into it yet again proving he’s as skilled as a politician as he is managing the affairs of state, which of course is of no great accomplishment. Speaking last Friday, the president declared that Muslims have a right to build a mosque on private property where they please in keeping with local laws. And yes he is of course correct, and that is saying something considering Obama’s knowledge of our semi-defunct Constitution is as lacking as is his prudence with spending tax payer’s money. For weeks we have heard the question asked…what is the president’s position on the Ground Zero Mosque. We have heard outcries over why this imam has selected this sight to build his mosque, but in our rush to question the intentions and prudence of this mosque project, we ignore the very liberties we claim to cherish.
We have heard conservative firebrands and even some leftist ones claim that this is not a 1st Amendment issue and this is of course not true. It is every bit a first amendment issue. The first amendment grants every citizen the right to freely exercise their religion. It doesn’t grant some people that right, it doesn’t grant only Christians and it doesn’t grant that right only to people who won’t offend the majority, indeed the inherent purpose of the Constitution is to protect the rights of minorities. The very same constitution also prohibits the establishment of religion by the state, which also restricts teh state from favoring one religion (or the absence thereof). In showing a clear distinction between Islam and other faiths, those politicians who have opposed this most on emotional grounds ignore the very real fact that this is a nation of laws, and just as we may abhor the words and deeds of nazis and communists and islamo-fascists, we cannot use our personal objections as a barometer for legality or constitutionality. These people have every right to build their religious center on private property if they so desire, or have we also declared war on the right to property and the 5th amendment as well?
Not only are property rights and the freedom of religion in danger, but the very concept of federalism is in jeopardy. Under what authority does the federal government have the right to dictate zoning matters. This is a matter for the people of New York, and neither the president nor the congress has any bearing on this heated argument. The truth hurts, but we cannot ignore the obvious fact that those who have injected politics into this argument are ignoring the constitution and the very principle of basic inalienable rights long cherished by generations of Americans.
All the complaints about the dangers of radical Islam and the emotional wounds of September 11th are entirely valid, but emotion has never been a basis for the law, nor have the feelings of the majority. While we may abhor the barbarism and savagery that is radical Islam and the views that inspired the terrorist attacks, we must not succumb to such beliefs, to defeat them we cannot become them. We cannot justify our prejudices and disregard for the rule of law by asserting that no church or synagogue would be allowed in a predominantly Muslim country in such a prominent location. Granted such arguments are likely correct, but America is not ruled by Sharia law and siting it as a means of opposing it defies both logic and common sense. We must ask ourselves a very serious question, are we a people of principle or have we become the very enemies of freedom we have so valiantly resisted for generations? Two hundred and thirty four years of history demands our answer.
Links:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/08/harry-reid-weighs-in-on-ny-mos.html
