My first reaction when I first heard of the “Ground Zero” mosque was an extremely visceral one. I was enraged to the point of nausea and still have a difficult time thinking about it without getting into a struggle with myself over the principle vs. appropriateness viewpoints of the situation. Most who know me know that if I am nothing else, I am an unapologetic and inarguably vehement patriot. And before anyone pipes up to question my authority to speak, please know that I took an oath and served and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. I put mine on the line against what the radical believes.
We are a nation with planks of our foundation steeped in religious freedom. Just as there are no caveats to any of our other inalienable freedoms, our right to freedom of religion is one of the ideals that we have shed our blood to protect. Countless American warriors have laid down their lives to protect that which is sacred to our beliefs of self reliance, self preservation, self governance and religious freedom. So why should this change now?
Knowing what I know about the fanaticism of those who readily sacrifice themselves to further the mission of having the world submit, there is little doubt that this mosque would be a future sight of significance if the world was to submit. It will be the sight of the turning point. The first major blow to the great demon of civilization in their eyes. However, if we remain steadfast in our devotion to the freedom we have lost great lives and patriots to protect, it will never be anything more than a standing testament to the tolerance and freedom we stand for.
Repulsive as it may be to our sensibilities, it pales to the hypocrisy we would perpetrate if we were to forbid it’s existence. We are a nation of laws. We are not a nation of convenient guidelines that wax and wane with the pain of what has been or what may be. The battle is not in the name on the building or the activities within. It is with ensuring that we protect that which allows such an affront to our sensibilities. It is with ensuring that we do not dilute our concentration of freedoms with the liabilities being free allows us to pursue.
Let’s remain focused on what matters. We the people control this nation. Our power and authority lies in the ballot to speak to those who represent us. We cannot let them forget that they serve us, and if they do not, we must not let them think they can bribe us with that which is already ours and replace them with those who understand what it means to be a statesman and not a politician.
Don’t say you can’t do that here, when you readily buy something made in Japan. The principle is the same. Remember Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, Bataan, what they perpetrated on the Chinese before we intervened. Remember that some of your clothing reads “Made in Vietnam”. That you pay taxes that are used for back room deals with foreign nations that would bleed us dry if allowed. It’s been 69 years since Pearl Harbor and I’m sure nobody is suing to prevent Japanese steel from being used in American structures. Time has changed the principle of that matter, and it will change the principle of the “ground zero” mosque. We should be more worried by what time is doing to erode the principles that made us what we are now. For if they change, so will the fabric of what this nation is and then will not be recognizable as the great hope and dream that it is.
“Action is always better than inaction, but sometimes choosing to not act is the boldest action of all” - Richard Marcinko USN (Ret.), Founder of Seal Team Six
I think not acting against our claim of religious freedom is the right thing to do here. It’s not easy, but it’s simply right.
August 12, 2010- -
-
Report