We have been watching this tempest about the proposal to build a mosque near Ground Zero in Manhattan with some bemusement.
We have a bounty of self-proclaimed authorities on the Constitution running amok these days, but we find it troubling that so few of them are motivated to stand up for their principles in this case.
Actions always speak louder than words and in this case, the actions of our self-minted Constitutional scholars seem to say, “Liberty and justice for all… so long as we agree with them.”
Opponents of the plan argue that building an Islamic center near the site of the former World Trade Center, an area populated with numerous bars, at least one “gentlemen’s” club and a sex shop, is an affront to American values and an insult to the families of the victims of the 9-11 attack.
It may be true that this proposal would be better served moving to a less sensitive area, particularly if the goal is to foster understanding and dialogue between the Islamic culture and the wider American society of which this particular group is a part.
However, sensitive or not, like it or not, this is a free country and as any serious Constitutional scholar could or should tell you, freedom of speech, assembly and religion are three central tenants of our great nation.
The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom of Christian religion, but all religion.
A funny thing about freedom – American style: We either embrace all of it, or we have none of it. This is why freedom of speech is such a slippery thing to regulate.
The very freedom we claim to cherish so highly is the very same freedom allowed to people who disagree with us. If we truly believe in freedom, and not just as a political talking point, then we have to embrace a fundamental right to disagree.
The more American-than-thou set would have you believe this mosque is Islamic spittle in the face of all we hold dear. We disagree.
The desire to build a place of worship, particularly in the face of staunch opposition, is as American as it gets. People routinely die for this kind of thing in other countries. Mormons might argue Joseph Smith died for it in Illinois.
Here’s the thing. If you are going to refer to the Constitution as your guiding document, you can’t oppose this mosque as anti-American. You don’t have to like it, and on its face, we don’t, but we have to respect and uphold the right to build and establish a legal entity, one specifically endorsed in the Constitution.
Failure to do that is truly un-American.
