We Are All of These Things By Choice

I'd like to offer congratulations and my appreciation and admiration to the media and political figures who have bravely been defending the First Amendment rights of Muslims in New York City who seek to build a community center that will include a prayer room (in other words, not a mosque) two blocks away from the location of the World Trade Center towers.


Kudos to Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his brave defense of these people's rights.  Kudos to President Obama for lending the issue his support.  He does so courageously and with no apparent political capital to gain; it may be one of the bravest things a sitting President has done.


Kudos to Fareed Zakaria for returning an award from the Anti-Defamation League after they came out against the proposed community center.  (And shame on the ADL- change your slogan, jerks.)


Kudos to former Bush aides Michael Gerson and Mark McKinnon for breaking with the conservative mold and speaking out against the barrage of intolerance coming from their camp.  


And to those who are fighting this, I say shame on you. Or, in the words of Keith Olbermann, "how dare you, sir!"  The so called "patriots" who so strongly believe in the Constitution are fighting against the Constitution itself and they make a mockery of American values.  


Shame on the Christian groups who are so filled with hate.  Gandhi couldn't have been more correct when he said "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."


Shame on Senator Harry Reid for not supporting this minority group just because his loon of an opponent is against it.  (And further more, why does a Nevada Senate candidate's opinion matter in an issue pertaining to lower Manhattan?  And to take that further, why would you take Sharron Angle's opinion seriously to begin with?)


Shame on the GOP and the Tea Party for using this as a wedge issue.  Shame on them for manipulating peoples' fears and misconceptions.  Shame on them for preying on the ignorant and intolerant.


Shame on the politicians for trying to make Islam into the Communism of our day.  Shame on them for attempting to whip up nation-wide panic due to hysteria, paranoia, and Islamaphobia.  They should be embarrassed for playing right into al-Qaeda hands.  They should be ashamed for trying to make people fear "The Other."


Shame on the media figures for their disgusting attempts to paint Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf as a radical.  


There are far too many people and groups who deserve the finger of shame wagged at them.  If you are against the rights of Muslim-American's to build a community center, you are against the First Amendment; You may be a citizen, but you are not an American.  


What so befuddles me on this issue is that I can't believe that we're actually having this discussion in the United States, in 2010 no less.  Clearly we are not the freedom-loving, good people we fool ourselves into believing we are; we are xenophobic, ignorant, bigoted, and hateful.  We are all of these things by choice, I might add.


I'm sure there are people I know personally who think that Muslims shouldn't be allowed to claim the same rights as their fellow Americans enjoy.  And I'm sure these people are disgusted by my views but to them I say: I'd rather be in the minority and be right on this issue than be in the majority and be wrong.