re: #397 marjoriemoon

Sorry… neighbor at the door.

I think yes, your first question, it’s a valid concern. While it was a trauma the whole nation experienced, it was obviously felt more acutely there. Emotions don’t make “legal” sense. It’s a fear which I understand, something I am personally trying to shake. Some people have a harder time moving past it.

OK, so let’s say I hear you completely.

I really do.

A good way to move past it is to remember several things:

1. Islam is not monolithic. Given the terrible history of relations between Jews and Christians, should you be opposed to people building churches? If you aren’t - and I hope you aren’t, some possible reasons to not be opposed to the construction of new churches is that Christianity is not monolithic either. Most Christians are not keen on re-starting the inquisition and moreover most of them would be appalled by it. The same applies to American Muslims.

2. We should only punish the guilty. To do otherwise is to simply be racist. If you meet someone who is German, do you hate them? I bring that one up because, honestly when I was younger and I first went to graduate school, I met some real live actual Germans. I could not help a pit in my stomach when I met them. Then I realized that blaming someone for the sins of their grandparents was just wrong.

3. American rights and liberties stem from freedom of speech and freedom of religion - in short freedom to believe as you will without being persecuted for it. Going down the slippery slope of making exceptions in order to assuage what is ultimately a charge of guilt by association and latent racism on your part is a loss for all of America.

4. In the long run the problem in 3 is a loss for you too. There are plenty who would rather not see a synagogue or a kosher bakery built as well. There are plenty who have issues with setting up an eruv. But it goes further than that. There are plenty who will have whatever grudge against this form or protestant or that form of Catholic. Would you argue that a Church that openly accepted gays should be closed or not built? You know full well that many in this nation feel that way to the point of violence. By making America free, the founding forefathers had the sense to prevent all of that, by taking it off the board.

5. American Muslims are just as American as you. give them the same honor for their faith as you would expect in return. Just like you respect the rights of Christians even though some tell you that are going to burn in hell for being a Jew.