There seems to be nothing President Barack Obama can do to stop controversy following him. The latest issue seems to be his support for a mosque to be built. This sounds rather innocent and innocuous enough doesn’t it? Now add the fact that the location is in New York and two blocks away from Ground Zero and the picture becomes clearer.
Obama is acting from the viewpoint of the First Amendment which protects freedom of religion. But almost everyone else seems to be acting from an emotional point of view with very little rationality. Although the bombing of the WTC was conducted by Islamist extremists, the religion in itself cannot be blamed for the actions and interpretations of some men. As a result, penalizing peaceful followers of the faith is unfair.
However, the Republicans and some Democrats don’t seem to see it that way. The GOP claims that Obama is out of touch with Americans and the dissident Democrats say that the President is causing confusion at a crucial time. Both parties seem to overlook the fact that two mosques have been located in the vicinity of Ground Zero for decades. On mosque is 12 blocks away and the other is only 4 blocks away.
But there are voices of reason, like New York congressman Jerrold Nadler. The congressman stated that it was absurd to ask the government to rule on whether or not there should be a mosque near Ground Zero because it was none of their business.
