When at first I'd heard of the proposed construction of a new Islamic community center mere blocks from the former site of the World Trade Center, I admit to having some reservations. To this day, my eyes swell with tears when I see footage of the destruction. I'm from New York City, and when I still lived with my parents, I could see the tops of the Twin Towers from the kitchen. I absolutely adore New York City, and for strangers from a strange land to come and destroy its most recognizable landmark and kill thousands had me angry and depressed.
I joined most of the rest of the nation in the knee-jerk spasm of nationalism in wanting to start bombing every Islamic nation back into the stone age. To see the governor, then Rudy Guliani, walk bravely and gallantly amongst the ruins, later joined by then president Bush, had me fist-pumping and chest-thumping to get the bastards. Their speeches inspired me to think that no answer was better than retribution.
That was then.
Since, I have come to realize the err of my thinking. In fact, I wouldn't put it past the administration of the time to have been at least implicit in the destruction of the towers. Knowing what I now know about how our government goes about the business of keeping America distracted with bread and circuses makes me suspicious of everything it does.
So, now we are faced with the prospect of people who share the same god as those who were accused of the atrocities of 9/11 wanting to build a community center near the scene of the crime. They do so, now, with my blessing.
Hearkening to my suspicion of all things of our government, the infighting we are engaged in plays to the distraction from addressing the needs of our nation and the accountability of our politicians. Much better to argue over something as moot as a globally accepted religion building a place of worship than ask our elected officials the tough questions and start doing the business of making America better than it now is. We have problems so much more grand and pressing than where a mosque is built. Many of our fellow citizens go to bed sick or hungry, should they even have a bed. The United States uses 25% of the world's energy. We are killing innocent people in foreign countries. Some of the youngest and bravest among us - our soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen - are risking their lives for global dominance predicated upon the control of resources and the oppression of those with no voice for change.
Now, the American people have an opportunity to prove to the world that we are of tolerance and generosity. We have an opportunity to cast the seed of virtue and show the global community that kinetic altruism that at one time made us the apple of the world's eye. We have an opportunity to prove our founding documents are more than just the words that compose them. Instead, we fight amongst ourselves over a building.
