From the proposed mosque and Islamic cultural center at ground zero to the Koran-burning pastor in Florida, America is questioning rights versus what’s right.
The ground-zero mosque supporters say they have the right to build their mosque anywhere that’s legal. That is true. If it is legal for American citizens to build a mosque at that location, then they have the right to do just that. But, is it right? I know Islamic extremist make up a small percentage of Muslims and most do not condone what their more extreme counterparts are doing, but they should be sensitive to the pain America is still feeling.
To build this center so close to the site terrorists crashed jets full of passengers into the World Trade Center is a slap in the face to America. To me, it seems to say, “Hey, look, we brought down your two tallest buildings and now we’ve got a mosque there.” That is most likely not what is on the mind of those who want to build this mosque and cultural center, but it is certainly what it says to me and, I’m sure, millions of other Americans who watched as the planes hit the buildings. Do they have the right? Yes. Is it right? No.
On the other hand, we have a Christian extremist, pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, who wants to burn the Koran on 9/11. That doesn’t sound much like world outreach to me. I don’t know enough about the Koran to either support or condemn it, but burning it does seem to me to be extreme. What’s the difference between Christian extremism and Islamic extremism? Remember the crusades?
The federal government has apparently gotten in on this action, but they can’t do anything about it as it is a First Amendment issue. The military are concerned about the fallout and increased risk to Americans who are still in the Middle East if this Koran-burning occurs, a valid concern to be sure. This church has the First Amendment right to burn the Koran, but should they do it? They have the right, but it is not right.
Americans enjoy certain rights (for now) and the most revered is the first one:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Maybe we need to not only enjoy our rights, but focus more on what is right.
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[...] my previous article, Having the right doesn’t make it right, I make the point that just because someone has the right to do something doesn’t mean it is [...]
[...] may be guaranteed by the First Amendment, but that doesn’t make it the right thing to do (Having the right doesn’t make it right). When we start picking and choosing which groups the First Amendment applies to and which it [...]