The Mosque

Okay, so I'm a pretty conservative guy. But in regard to all the latest hullabaloo over the Mosque/Islamic Cultural Center near Ground Zero, I am taking a position not identified with "Conservatives". That is, I do not oppose this concept. It does not mean that I like it. Doing the right thing often means doing those things we do not like. There is something known as the First Amendment that should be remembered in this debate. If the government can tell Muslims they can't have a mosque somewhere why should it bother me? Because who will be left when the government says we can't have a church somewhere. After World War II, Martin Niemoller said:

When the Nazis came for the communists,I remained silent;I was not a communist.When they locked up the social democrats,I remained silent;I was not a social democrat.When they came for the trade unionists,I did not speak out;I was not a trade unionist.When they came for the Jews,I remained silent;I wasn't a Jew.When they came for me,there was no one left to speak out.

In A Man for All Seasons, Thomas More has this conversation with William Roper regarding the law:

William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!

Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?

William Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!

Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!

I believe this is a political football and a dangerous one at that. Have we become so short-sighted that we have no idea of the long-term implications of this? We need to think this through for our own well-being.