I initially cringed when I saw the online Breaking News that President Obama had made his statement concerning the building of a "mosque" in lower Manhattan. Cringed, because I knew it would be seen as validation of erroneous concepts of him by Americans who have been against him all along. I dreaded the next couple of days...conservative talk radio and conservative news having a field day with this one. Right-wing blogs and email messages sure won't let this go, no not ever, I thought....and it took only days before I received an email about our "Muslim" president. It appears that this may be the divisive and incendiary issue/event that will burn throughout upcoming and future elections here. Unless or until we come to our senses.
So I at first wished that Obama had just deferred comment to never. But I must say that I admire him deeply for it, and I didn't think it was necessary for him to days later add some caveat language of appeasement. I knew immediately upon hearing the news exactly why he would take such a stance. He is a legal scholar who understands the true meaning of the words behind the foundation of our democracy that a few too many Americans only purport to grasp. A better question would actually be: how could he not have come out in favor of the building of any church, synagogue, mosque, or temple on private land in the United States of America? Good God, it is a no-brainer……and, furthermore, as Keith Olbermann points out in his commentary below, it is not even a proposed mosque – it is a proposed community center.
(If you want to get to the nitty-gritty of the U.S. Constitution: First Amendment, the text and annotations-case law and codes FindLaw is a great source.)
