Throughout this experience blogging on the subject of the Ground Zero Mosque, I definitely have gained some knowledge. At the beginning of the project I initially believed the mosque should be built because our Constitution says it should be. Although my stance still remains that the center should be built, I am aware of so much more dealing with this issue. I started off by learning where the problem came about and how it started with the initial proposal, and what exactly was being proposed and how the building actually is not just a mosque and it is an Islamic Center. Also, I found out at this time that the building is not actually at Ground Zero, which so many people believe. As I dove further into the subject I learned more about the two sides and their arguments. I learned that those who support the mosque do not only support it because of the freedom of religion which is what I had first thought. I found out that supporters want the center to be built from more of a moral standpoint, and to try to put Anti-Muslim feelings down the drain. I even found out that some of the families of the victims of 9/11 support the mosque. On the other hand, I also learned some things that the people who oppose the center believe. I found out that they think the construction of the center would be a victory for the terrorists and it should not be done. Some of their arguments put some new thoughts and perspectives in my mind I must admit. Finally, I learned a lot more on the political aspect of this debate. I learned how there will be some implications politically with the elections coming up. I learned different views of many politicians such as Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and even Barrack Obama. This blog definitely has made me expand my knowledge and raise my awareness.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Americans Polled on the Issue
The debate over the Islamic Center has sparked some polls to be taken and here are some of the main results:
· 23% of people surveyed believe the mosque would serve as a symbol of religious tolerance that America has
· 44% of people surveyed think the mosque would be an insult to those who died from the attacks on September 11, 2001
· 27% of people surveyed believe that both sides present valid arguments
· 6% of people surveyed had no response or was not sure what they thought on the issue
I think these stats show that more Americans are against the construction of the Islamic Center than for it. They do have valid reasons to believe that the mosque should not be built because honoring those who died in the attacks is very important. However, a later poll taken had startled me a little when Americans where surveyed on their view of Muslim religion…
· 22% of Americans surveyed find the Muslim religion somewhat unfavorable
· 21% of Americans surveyed find the Muslim religion very unfavorable
This poll I find to be upsetting. 43% of people surveyed find the Muslim religion at least somewhat unfavorable, and almost half of those find it very unfavorable. I think this poll shows that Americans still are against the Muslims and I fear that there truly is discrimination against them due to these feelings. Furthermore, I am afraid that these feelings will lead all the protest of the Islamic Center and it will be more about getting rid of the Muslims than honoring the 9/11 victims. I believe this country need to work on their religious tolerance because it is one of the building blocks of what America is, and allowing the center to be built would be a good example of this.
Families of Victims' Growing Support
The honor of those who suffered and still are affected from September 11, 2001 is definitely something Americans want to do. Nobody wants to seem like they do not care about what happened almost ten years ago on that tragic day. In response to these feelings, much of the protest for the building of the Islamic Center has come about. There is much feeling that the construction of the center would not be what the victims would want and what the families deserve. However, that is not entirely the case.
As it turns out, there is a lot of growing support from the families of 9/11 victims. They want the center to be built and believe people have every right to build it. Although those families in support of the center are still the minority, their numbers are growing. Many groups have started from the families along with civil rights and religious groups to support the mosque.
Personally, I find this remarkable. This is an example where I am proud to be an American. The families have gone through so much and have withstood tragic occurrences that I could hardly imagine and they still have it in them to stand up for a religion that the terrorists had followed. In my mind, this is what America is all about and those families should be applauded. Everyone has a right to freedom of religion and the families do not want this event to make our country stray from what it stands for.
Is This Not Honorable?
The tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001 is one that will never be forgotten. The horror, chaos, and lasting scar that was left on our nation is quite dramatic and still affects us to this day, almost a decade later. There were so many miserable deaths that we should only see in movies. All of the victims on 9/11 and those that were affected by it in some way should be felt for.
That is the case why the proposed Islamic Center is causing so much debate. Many Americans feel that building such an establishment would be a disgrace to all those that suffered from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Americans want the victims to be honored and respected and they believe that building the center would do quite the opposite. Although there is suppose to be a freedom of religion, everyone has to ask themselves if this is the right thing to do. It is a tough question to say the least, because nobody wants to insult those who had the tragedy strike them directly.
There is some outrage going on and much protest. People are arguing that the mosque will be a victory for the terrorists and we should not give in. They believe the mosque would be disrespect and it would almost be like choosing the terrorists over our own people. So the real questions are, is the building of the center what the terrorists would have wanted? Would all the victims appreciate the center or would they feel lack of respect if we built it?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Where did it all start?
The mosque debate is one that is very heated and one that is regularly discussed, seen on television, and read in newspapers. However, it is a debate that people seem to just “jump” in the middle of. So where did it all start? It started with a real estate partnership purchasing an old, vacant clothing store. It was lead by a 51 year old man named Hisham Elzanaty who helped pay the 4.8 million dollars to acquire the lot. They had proposed the Islamic center as they were working on purchasing the lot. The partnership was supported by many donors and has also contributed to charities for Palestinians.
This information probably does not swing a person one way or another but it definitely is good to be informed on the situation before making a decision or coming to a conclusion. This will keep people from making an uninformed decision. The more information a person knows on the subject, the better decision they can make.
Class Links Post
I started reading these blogs in our class all for the same basic reason: I could relate and I am affected by the issues they delve into.
This blog should be no surprise that I followed it because it was on the same topic I chose for my blog. It was nice to hear another person’s point of view on all the commotion that is going on in society about the mosque being built near ground zero. This blog gave me some new thoughts and insight that I had not been able to think of on my own. I found this blog to be personally helpful and enjoyable.
This blog I kept up with because sugar sweetened beverages are a part of my everyday life. I consume them every day (mostly in the form of Gatorade) whether it is in my room, during class, or in the baseball stadium. I was particularly interested in the implications post that was put on the blog because I’m curious as to how the current debate over a tax would affect consumers.
What college student wouldn’t be interesting in reading a blog about the legalization of marijuana? I found this blog interesting because I have heard so much about the issue in California and I finally got the opportunity to hear what is actually going on and what the real debate is. I found this blog to be very informative and intriguing. It discusses the prepositions and effects that this debate contains.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Links Post
These links should set the stage for readers to understand why the Ground Zero Mosque is such a big controversy still. They provide the background of the issue, and they show polarized sides and their reasons as to why the mosque should or should not be constructed.
This article discusses the beginning of the mosque debate and explains the purchase of the space by Ground Zero. This article helps because it shows how it all started and gives a good foundation to start understanding fully what the issue occurring in New York is all about.
Although a pretty goofy character giving the information, I find this link to be one that can be very useful. It provides the audience with good information that can further the knowledge one knows before deciding what their view is on the issue. I think it would be especially helpful to people that are being very extreme about the problem because this link explains how the mosque is not right at Ground Zero and how it is not exclusively religious; it gives a calmer approach that some people might need to understand the problem fully.
This link is very helpful because it simply spells out what the debate is between: freedom of religion and honoring those who suffered and still suffer from 9/11
This link provides the idea that most Americans are proposing, still build the mosque just move it further away from Ground Zero.
This link has the First Amendment in The Constitution. It spells out the freedom of religion that every American has the right to. Most supporters of the mosque use this as the backbone of their argument to allow the mosque to be built.
This link provides factual information on what Americans think of the issue. It has the results of polls that were conducted, and they show that about 71% of the Americans surveyed think that the mosque would be an insult to the 9/11 victims.
This link shows that the construction of the mosque might not be such an insult. It describes families of 9/11 victims who support the mosque. This shows that even those who were directly affected by the terrorist attacks still think the mosque should be able to be built.
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