[Polpolion]

In short, why people are opposed to the center.

EDIT: Come to think of it, I don't think I know anyone that's actually opposed to the community center.

[Flipside]

The whole thing is laughable, people like Sarah Palin being taken seriously is far greater evidence of where the Terrorists have won than a mosque would be. Apparently, if you can't beat the mentality, join it...

[mxlm]

Slacktivist delivers.

As a white male Baptist, it is my duty today to denounce the violence perpetrated by Patrick Gray Sharp, 29, who yesterday attacked the police headquarters in McKinney, Texas, in a heavily armed but ineffectual assault involving a high-powered rifle, road flares, "gasoline and ammonium nitrate fertilizer."

I understand that this denunciation must be swift and unambiguous and that, in the absence of such denunciations made by and on behalf of every and all white male Baptists, others are entitled to assume that every white male Baptist is fully in agreement with the actions of Patrick Gray Sharp and to therefore deny white male Baptists the rights others enjoy.

(snip)

UPDATE: Boy is my face red. This is so embarrassing -- I totally skimmed past the fine print on the unwritten rules and completely missed the exemption for hegemonic classes. It turns out that we white people, males and Protestants never have to worry about extravagant displays of vicarious contrition. As a white male Protestant, apparently, I don't need to promptly denounce every evil act committed by any and every other white male Protestant.

This is awesome. Do you realize how much time this is going to save me? Plus just the relief of no longer having to watch the news on pins and needles, worrying every time there's a crime or a gun-nut on a spree that it'll be some white male Protestant guy and that everyone is going to assume we're all like that. What an enormous relief to be judged only as an individual and not prejudged according to the worst thing ever done by anyone ever claiming to belong to my faith community, or sharing my gender or my ethnicity. It's not just a relief it's a ... oh, what's the word? ... privilege. Yes, that's what it is -- a fantastic privilege.

[MP-Ryan]

I'd like to know why kara felt it necessary to drop the entire HLP collective's IQ by 10 points by opening a thread on this asinine issue.  Shame on you, sir!  Seriously, anytime anyone invokes the cause and/or name of She-who-shall-not-be-named (lest we all lose another 10 points off our IQs) it simply devolves from there.  A small pinch of shame for Flipside for invoking the aforementioned name, too.

 

[Ravenholme]

I'd like to know why kara felt it necessary to drop the entire HLP collective's IQ by 10 points by opening a thread on this asinine issue.  Shame on you, sir!  Seriously, anytime anyone invokes the cause and/or name of She-who-shall-not-be-named (lest we all lose another 10 points off our IQs) it simply devolves from there.  A small pinch of shame for Flipside for invoking the aforementioned name, too.

 

I can probably invoke her name (though I shall refrain), as I have absolutely no ties to her, being as I reside in another nation entirely. However, we have our own devils who's name shall cause full blown IQ dives when invoked. Such as our dearest new prime minister.

[karajorma]

I'd like to know why kara felt it necessary to drop the entire HLP collective's IQ by 10 points by opening a thread on this asinine issue.  Shame on you, sir!  Seriously, anytime anyone invokes the cause and/or name of She-who-shall-not-be-named (lest we all lose another 10 points off our IQs) it simply devolves from there.  A small pinch of shame for Flipside for invoking the aforementioned name, too.

 

Most of us can afford a small drop. I was hoping that anyone against the mosque would actually drop low enough to forget to breathe.

[Flipside]

I think the whole thing had to put up for comedy value if nothing else. Seeing all those poor deluded prejudiced fools standing at Ground Zero saying that building a mosque was an insult to the victims of 9/11 was quite hilarious on a certain level. Especially if you consider that one of the other proposals for Ground Zero itself was a light airport... now, that is what I'd consider taking the piss....

[StarSlayer]

I'd like to know why kara felt it necessary to drop the entire HLP collective's IQ by 10 points by opening a thread on this asinine issue.  Shame on you, sir!  Seriously, anytime anyone invokes the cause and/or name of She-who-shall-not-be-named (lest we all lose another 10 points off our IQs) it simply devolves from there.  A small pinch of shame for Flipside for invoking the aforementioned name, too.

 

Don't say that word!

[Aardwolf]

What, Betelgeuse got a sex change?

[S-99]

**** news.  **** politics.  Let them build the damn COMMUNITY CENTER.

Most of us can afford a small drop. I was hoping that anyone against the mosque would actually drop low enough to forget to breathe.

Can i redirect those people to my blow up monkey doll video on youtube?

[Scotty]

No, I said what I meant.  Even if it was a full blown mosque, they should damn well better be able to build it there. provided they got the permits and stuff that everyone else has to get too.

[Flipside]

Ironic part is, if a Mosque or Community Centre was built there, how long would it be before some nutcase tried to plant an IED there, commiting an act of Terrorism in the name of 'stopping the Terrorists'?

[Bobboau]

well, probably a while cause there really have not been very many cases of that, at most it's normally a window getting smashed.

[NGTM-1R]

Ironic part is, if a Mosque or Community Centre was built there, how long would it be before some nutcase tried to plant an IED there, commiting an act of Terrorism in the name of 'stopping the Terrorists'?

A fairly long time since nothing of the sort has happened yet.

[iamzack]

Muslims are below gays and "abortionists" on the hit list.

[Flipside]

Ironic part is, if a Mosque or Community Centre was built there, how long would it be before some nutcase tried to plant an IED there, commiting an act of Terrorism in the name of 'stopping the Terrorists'?

A fairly long time since nothing of the sort has happened yet.

I'd suspect that this could be partly because it hasn't been built yet...

But, yes, I know what you mean, no mosques in other parts of the US have been attacked, but this one is in a somewhat 'unique' situation, and seems to be the focus of a great deal of ire from various quarters, like the targetting of high-profile abortion doctors, this is somewhat more of a target than most other mosques.

[StarSlayer]

Ironic part is, if a Mosque or Community Centre was built there, how long would it be before some nutcase tried to plant an IED there, commiting an act of Terrorism in the name of 'stopping the Terrorists'?

A fairly long time since nothing of the sort has happened yet.

I'd suspect that this could be partly because it hasn't been built yet...

But, yes, I know what you mean, no mosques in other parts of the US have been attacked, but this one is in a somewhat 'unique' situation, and seems to be the focus of a great deal of ire from various quarters, like the targetting of high-profile abortion doctors, this is somewhat more of a target than most other mosques.

Probably still won't happen  because the cud chewin' neobarb will be too dumb to accomplish it because they :

A) Will be looking for a mosque not a community center.

B) Will be looking around Ground Zero not a building a few blocks away.

[iamzack]

Ironic part is, if a Mosque or Community Centre was built there, how long would it be before some nutcase tried to plant an IED there, commiting an act of Terrorism in the name of 'stopping the Terrorists'?

A fairly long time since nothing of the sort has happened yet.

I'd suspect that this could be partly because it hasn't been built yet...

But, yes, I know what you mean, no mosques in other parts of the US have been attacked, but this one is in a somewhat 'unique' situation, and seems to be the focus of a great deal of ire from various quarters, like the targetting of high-profile abortion doctors, this is somewhat more of a target than most other mosques.

Depends how you define "attacked." There are some that repeatedly get windows broken and graffitti'd and such. But I think most people don't know where their local mosques are. Almost no one around here knows that there's a mosque a few blocks from my campus.

[Unknown Target]

While I personally believe that they are entitled to and if they really want to, have all the right to build the mosque there, it seems to me as if they're trying to "force" tolerance on people.

Don't get me wrong, again, I support the initiative and am not against it, but it's not like the other side is completely wrong either. They're building a very large Islamic community center relatively close to where the 9/11 attacks happened.

I think both sides should compromise; the anti-mosque crowd should accept a mosque near the area, while the pro-mosque crowd should be open to moving it to a less contentious property. Yes, religious tolerance is important, but you're not going to win hearts and minds by shoving this down what (at this point) seems to be half the country - you'll probably do a lot more harm than good in the end.

In the end, I guess my biggest problem with this whole thing is it's an example of how my country has practically split in two; on the one side, we have the who just basically say "lol idiots of course they can build it the Constitution says so and it's open and shut so stop being stupid backwards rednecks!" and the other side who basically says "**** you you children killers you killed thousands of us so get the **** out" - and there is almost no one in the middle going "Guys, guys - you both have legitimate points. Let's talk this over". This entire country and this entire debate have devolved into "I want it all or else" - for BOTH sides. Everyone needs to seriously take a step back and realize that maybe the other side might actually have something to say.

[BloodEagle]

While I personally believe that they are entitled to and if they really want to, have all the right to build the mosque there, it seems to me as if they're trying to "force" tolerance on people.

Don't get me wrong, again, I support the initiative and am not against it, but it's not like the other side is completely wrong either. They're building a very large Islamic community center relatively close to where the 9/11 attacks happened.

I think both sides should compromise; the anti-mosque crowd should accept a mosque near the area, while the pro-mosque crowd should be open to moving it to a less contentious property. Yes, religious tolerance is important, but you're not going to win hearts and minds by shoving this down what (at this point) seems to be half the country - you'll probably do a lot more harm than good in the end.

In the end, I guess my biggest problem with this whole thing is it's an example of how my country has practically split in two; on the one side, we have the who just basically say "lol idiots of course they can build it the Constitution says so and it's open and shut so stop being stupid backwards rednecks!" and the other side who basically says "**** you you children killers you killed thousands of us so get the **** out" - and there is almost no one in the middle going "Guys, guys - you both have legitimate points. Let's talk this over". This entire country and this entire debate have devolved into "I want it all or else" - for BOTH sides. Everyone needs to seriously take a step back and realize that maybe the other side might actually have something to say.

I think that you just described every modern society on every issue that there has ever been.