Park 51 ranting.

I spent 5 minutes doing some research this morning. This hot-button issue of the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque" got Nate & I thinking. We decided to figure out exactly what the controversy is, exactly why people are so upset. After my brief foray into the issue, I've decided that, thus far, nobody has presented a good argument for why Park 51 shouldn't be built. For one, it's two blocks away from Ground Zero, not immediately in the face of the memorial. Also, I refuse to hold an entire religion responsible for the actions of a small percentage. That's like saying all Catholics are child molesters thanks to those handful of horrible priests. I won't do it. Given, most of my information comes from Google and the Park 51 website, but honestly, if they achieve half of the proposed goals in their mission statement, I see it as a good thing. A community center fostering togetherness, education, recreation, and understanding. Oh, that's right, Americans don't like people who tell them to get along. Honestly, though, nobody has presented me with a sound case against the building of Park 51. The one thing I can think of against it is the fear for the safety of those who would want to use the center. I can only imagine some moron attacking a group of college students walking in for an art exhibition in one of the galleries. It doesn't seem fair to me. It is private property, they have a constitutional right to build whatever the hell they want on that property so long as it is within the letter of the law. Last time I checked, a mosque was legal, a recreation center was legal, a gym was legal, and art galleries were legal. What is the big deal? Why is nobody considering the constitutional rights of these American Citizens to peacefully worship however and wherever the hell they choose? I'm frustrated my the lack of any cohesive argument from the opposition. Given, I may just be optimistically buying into the hype that the Park 51 developers have put out into the world, but I'd much rather believe in the goodness of people than assume that everyone in the world is bad and out to get me based on religious differences.