On Ground Zero

To begin, let me state my stance on the "Ground Zero Mosque" or "Park51". I am in full support of it. As for my main reason, here it is:

1. They have a permit.

They went through the appropriate channels to obtain a permit for construction, which means that it's legal.

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On a strict scale, this would be fine. However, the rise of several debatable issues lead me to address them as well.

1. We should honor the families who died on 9/11

I agree completely with this, but it doesn't pertain to the issue. Just like the pastor from Florida. If he had a permit to burn any holy book, then on a technicality he should be allowed to under the protection of the First Amendment. It may be in bad taste, but that doesn't mean it's illegal. Not to mention the fact that families of both sides of the argument disagree with each other on this issue, which leads to the question of who should we side with? If we side with the families that support the Mosque/Park51, we won't side with the families that oppose the Mosque/Park51. If we side with the families that oppose the Mosque/Park51, we won't side with the families that support the Mosque/Park51. Either way, it's superficial to say that we should respect the families of those who died on 9/11. The only way I would consider this is if ALL families would want or wouldn't want the Mosque/Park51 to be built.

2. The funding of the Mosque/Park51 is suspicious/lead by terrorists.

I've only heard this once or twice, but I'll address it anyway. This is, in my opinion, a red herring. One reason is that I don't really think that the people who oppose the Mosque/Park51 would have cared whether it was funded by terrorists or regular people; I think they would rant regardless. Another reason is that I wouldn't care who's building what with what money. If, hypothetically, the KKK wanted to build something right next door to my apartment, a red flag would raise in my mind. If the city allows it, then I'll side with the city. The main point is that they have a permit; therefore, they have a legal right to build it, regardless of the funding. However, if you really want to see who's financing the project, be my guest as I could care less.

3. It's two blocks down.

I'll use an extreme point to showcase my view. Assume that 2 blocks is not enough. Ok, then what about 3? If not, how about 5? If not, how about 10? If not, how about out of NYC? If not, how about out of NY?(That was rhetorical and exaggerative. I'm trying to say that "close" and "far" are subjective terms.) To me, the only test on closeness for me is if was 0 blocks down; that is,if it's right on the WTC. And honestly, I'd oppose any religious organization trying to build it right on the WTC. 1 block difference is enough for me.

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And now for attacks on people (which may or may not be ad hominem):

1. Those who feel that Arizona should be able to pass their law, but that the Mosque/Park51 should not be build.

Honestly, blatant hypocrisy is amidst. These people believe that Arizona has the right to pass an immigration law (that generally belongs to the federal government), but believe that New York City should not let people build something.

My personal take on is is that Arizona has the right to pass the law, even though I disagree with it. There are also some portions which may be considered unconstitutional, but other than that I support Arizona for putting it's citizen's interest, even if there are dire consequences. For the Mosque/Park51, these same people who champion more local government are bashing New York City for allowing the Mosque/Park51 to be built. If you don't see the connection, please post in the comments and I'll elaborate more. I would bash Obama on immigration reform, but that's another topic.

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I may add more to this, but this is all I can think of now.

The Beginning of a Long Rant

Since there's so many topics that I'd like to cover but can't really decide on which ones, I'll post a list of things that pop up in my mind that I have things to talk about. Please pick any one of them, and then I'll decide on how to elaborate my position.

Gay rights/Gay marriage
Democrats
Republicans
Tea Party
Park51/Ground Zero Mosque/Whatever people call it
Role of Government
Economics
Health Care
Bailouts
Tax
Laws/Reform
Privacy
And many more...

If you have other suggestions, please feel free to message me on twitter (which I rarely check), via email, or through a PM. Of course, you can also just reply here as well.