Building a Mosque at Ground Zero

There is a plan to build a mosque in NYC at ground zero.  I am opposed to the idea. I'll admit that when I see someone in middle-eastern garb, I usually feel and think something. And it's not nice. This doesn't change unless I actually personally interact with someone and decide he or she is a nice person. I don't want to see a mosque at ground zero. I don't want to see a mosque anywhere, but seeing one at ground zero is like a slap in the face.

I do believe that many mainstream Muslims in the U.S. are secretly sympathetic to the people who participated in the September 11, 2001 attacks on our country. Just like I'm sympathetic to those who died at Ruby Ridge and Waco at our government's hand. But I really don't know what mainstream Muslims think. And even if I did, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be allowed to build their mosques wherever they want to.

Last time I checked, this was still America. I see commentary everywhere, with a lot of people saying, "We are duty-bound as Americans to prevent this mosque from being built."  But if we are duty-bound to do anything as Americans, it's to allow religious freedom to continue to flourish here. Because without religious freedom, there is no America. 

There's a reason that religious freedom is considered sacred. If government controls your religion, it's controlling what you think. We've already lost countless freedoms over the War on Terror and the War on Drugs. If we allow a precedent like preventing Muslims from building their mosque at ground zero, where is that precedent going to take us as a country? Is it going to be cited in two years to prevent a Jewish temple from being built? Is it going to be cited in 10 years to keep a Baptist church from being built?

If you're one of the angry voices saying that the government should act to prevent the mosque from being built, step back for a moment and think about what such an action actually costs. If it was your church, what would you say if the government prevented you from building it? 

Because if the government were to do something so stupid as to manufacture a reason to prevent this mosque and we were to allow that to happen, your church, or even your house, could be next.

Here's a note for Sarah Palin: I know that riding a mob's wave of sentiment is a common way to gain political power. I knew others would stoop this low, but I really didn't think you would. Shame on you.