Monday, August 30, 2010

Ryan Dawkins on Park51

Ryan Dawkins writes a very interesting piece about the Park51 project (aka Muslim Community Center near Ground Zero):


I can't believe I'm saying this, but I especially liked the quotes from George W. Bush.

Note: the following is a list of prominent people and entities opposing the Park51 project. I call them "Americans for Selective Constitutional Application": Carly Fiorina, Investors' Business Daily (IBD), Newt Gingrich, John McCain, Anti-Defamation League, the WSJ's James Taranto, Rep. Peter T. King, Rep. Rick Lazio, John Bolton, Howard Dean, Rudy Giuliani, Geert Wilders, Gary Berntsen, Jordan Sekulow, Michael Grimm, Andrew Breitbart, Ilario Pantano, Gov. David Paterson, Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, Michelle Malkin, and more...

I am most disappointed in McCain and Gingrich.

At least I can rely on Ron Paul's consistent brilliance:

It is repeatedly said that 64% of the people, after listening to the political demagogues, don’t want the mosque to be built. What would we do if 75% of the people insist that no more Catholic churches be built in New York City? The point being is that majorities can become oppressors of minority rights as well as individual dictators. Statistics of support is irrelevant when it comes to the purpose of government in a free society-—protecting liberty...This is all about hate and Islamaphobia.

Thank you, Mr. Paul. Props also to Roger Ebert.

2 comments:

Alison said...

You've probably seen these links already:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sumbul-alikaramali/ground-zero-and-harry-rei_b_685282.html

History of intolerance: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2011978_2179338,00.html

The Guardian's dig at the media: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/23/charlie-brooker-ground-zero-mosque

Re the suggestion Obama might be Muslim, why is it even being debated? Americans might like to take note the Chair of the Conservative Party in the UK (and the party in government) - Baroness Warsi - is Muslim. Horror! Ban Brits from Manhattan!

Albert Camus said...

Thanks for the shout out! I like the blog.