NO WAY
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s No
Mosque:
Wow. What a great piece on one of the obvious upside-down
issues facing America. As a proud member of the “Country Class,”
I am refreshed by reading articles that mirror my thoughts. Great
job.
— Candy Snipes
Mobile, Alabama
I have read that what is proposed is an Islamic centre and
the Mosque is a small part of the centre. So I think that it is
time that when discussing this issue we should not refer to a
Mosque but the Islamic centre. If this is done, then those that
approve of this building will, perhaps, lay of calling opponents
bigots.
I don’t think that the issue is framed properly. In
history, when one religious sect battled and defeated another
they always destroyed the existing religious centre and built a
new one on top of the it. This was usually done to show the
superiority of the victors and to denigrate the losers. This was
and is true of Islam. Some writers have suggested that this is
what the builders of the centre are all about. It is necessary to
understand the true motives of the builders and those that are
financing the centre.
Is it educate non-Muslims in what Islam is, is to
commemorate the victims of 9-11 as the builders have said, or to
show the superiority of Islam over all others. If the reason for
the centre is to educate then why locate so close to Ground Zero,
If it is to commemorate the victims, why, it is not needed as a
memorial is set up already (Ground Zero itself). So we are left
with the last motive and this is what the debate should be
about.
— Mervyn
Freedman
Bayfield,
Ontario, Canada
Do I see collusion when you couple proposals to build a 13
story mosque two blocks from Ground Zero and a proposal by
Obama’s DOJ to try KSM and his cronies in lower Manhattan as
well. Coincidence? I haven’t heard too much about the KSM trial
lately, but it’s still on, isn’t it?
— Anthony Reese
The Mayor of New York is a pompous ass. After the attempted
car bombing in Times Square, Hizzoner had the audacity to scold
Americans about backlash against Muslims. Then, standing with the
Statue of Liberty as a backdrop, he once again seriously intones
and preaches about tolerance. He is so far out of touch with the
average beer drinking Joe (like me) that it makes me want to
wretch. I’m from Pittsburgh but if he smugly gives me a lecture
one more time, I’m driving to New York and socking him. As
always, you have hit the proverbial nail on the proverbial
head.
— Ray
Rieber
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
It would seem to me that the project, which will probably
move forward as a sign of the strength of our diversity, could be
delayed until we’re all dead by the fire inspectors, the
electrical inspectors, the concrete and steel inspectors, and on
and on and on…once that layer is breached, then the labor unions
should be able to step in and get a floor built every 20 years or
so….kind of like the asymmetrical crap we’ve had to put up with
for the past 10 years…then final certificate of occupancy could
be delayed due to the fact the fire evac system is so outdated,
they’d have to re-install it and that could take years
The Country Class is needed to install the damn
thing, so let us use the leverage we have over the ruling
class.
Just my two cents worth.
— Ted Marolf
San Juan Capistrano, California
Please address the underlying issue. That the Mosque
represents not a true religion — but a theocracy. Unless a
“Moderate” Muslim calls
for the end of sharia and a reformation of Muslim beliefs
from the ninth century (which they have declared finished and
done and unchangeable),
they by definition, have as their “religious” goal to
obtain submission from all non-believers and install sharia
law.
Since this is a direct threat to our Western civilization;
even though they cross national lines, they are our declared
enemy.
For example, name another religion that requires death for
all those who will not convert? And does not recognize government
— unless they use that government’s laws to overthrow it.
The Country Class is educating themselves in Islam. And
common sense is common sense.
Jefferson would never have been so
blind!
—
Jo Anne Kroener
Dallas, Texas
I think what Lincoln once said applies here: “If slavery is
not wrong, nothing is wrong.” If putting a mosque this close to
Ground Zero is not wrong, nothing is wrong.
— Robert Nowall
Cape Coral,
Florida
Don’t forget to add that America was formed as a
Judeo-Christian nation — this fact is what has driven
Islamisists to declare war and hate us so
much.
— Deanna
Whitfield
Aiken, South Carolina
IF the mosque is built, would hog farmers and hog
slaughtering plants be willing to very quietly donate hog lagoon
waste water for the cement and concrete, hog waste sludge to
disperse over the ground, and other pig parts for that
ground.
Even a bit of pig feces in that concrete and cement. Then
announce those actions after the place is built.
Just an idea.
I’m sure that all involved in the actual construction work
would be willing to cooperate.
—
Donald A.
Holloway
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Yes Mosque
— David Schor
THIRD TIME’S A CHARMER
Re: A. James Antle III’s A
Losing Proposition:
No matter where one stands on Gay Marriage, the fact is, a
judge completely overturned a duly won election. Where are the
“voter’s’ rights” of those who voted FOR Prop 8 which passed by
52% in spite of the tons of money poured into this election to
defeat Prop 8.
Disgusting. It’s the third time that I’m aware of which
election results have been overturned, by a non elected entity —
Prop 187, and California’s initiative making English the Official
language of the State are the other two.
— SarahSue
San Francisco.
California
VOLT FACE
Re: Eric Peters’
Electric Sticker Shock:
If you could get beyond the mindless New York
prejudice against American car makers for a minute, you might
remember that someone at General Motors did tell Obama that
Americans don’t want a $41k Camry. He used to be the CEO; Obama
had him fired.
— Dennis Duggan
Unless I am wrong, the press releases have said that the
electric component of the Volt will be good only for 40 miles
before re-charge is necessary…meaning that a 20-mile commute to
work or other activity is the best hope for a day. But the
manufacturer has covered this with a 340-mile capacity of the
gasoline engine component. Which is to say that this car is
designed to run about 10% green and 90% by traditional internal
combustion. Some things just never seem to change.
Questions for those who would buy, rather than lease, a
Volt. What will be the electricity cost to charge its battery?
Where will such a large battery be disposed? And how does it
affect resale price when the second buyer has to factor in
replacement of a multiple-thousand dollar battery?
I think I’ll stick with my Impala.
— John R.
Tannehill
Dallas,
Texas
MISSING THE TARGET
Re: Jed Babbin’s
Bonfire of the Neocons and
Bonfire of the Neocons, Part 2:
Jed Babbin stands vindicated by the facts in Afghanistan.
“Nation building” was the optimist’s corollary to Colin Powell’s
statement: “you break it, you own it.” Well, Powell was a warrior
once young and brave. But he later embodied the caution of
bureaucratic and political war that cannot understand the simple
fact of a hard lesson delivered bluntly and without apology.
Better the Mideast and all of Islam fear the secular West, which
they can, than try to convert them into respecting and embracing
us, which they won’t. We can break them and not own them. And we
can break them again if called for. And again. We mean them no
harm until they seek to harm us, then lights out. Let them own
the consequences of their behavior. Anyone who makes war without
a sense of historic pessimism should not be a general or national
leader. War is tragedy because we must wage it from time to
time….nation building is the silly idea that this war can be the
last. In Afghanistan, we should administer a frightful offensive,
hunt and kill the Jihadist leadership, leave our calling card,
then pull out waving the flag of victory.
— Christopher
Roberts
Brattleboro, Vermont
Mr. Babbin’s two-part series on the notion of
nation-building is the best short analysis I have yet read on the
subject of our spectacularly less than successful
ventures into Iraq and Afghanistan. We may
have “Scotched the snake” of al-Qaida and
the Taliban but we are a long way from killing it.
Our policy of short-sighted war in which we confine
ourselves to the battlegrounds of our enemies
choosing and stubbornly refuse to hunt down and destroy the
enablers of the fight against us is analogous to a doctor
prescribing only an antipyretic for a fever and refusing to
prescribe the antimicrobial necessary
to kill the organism causing the fever. That is medical
malpractice. Our way of 21st Century war, so far, is
political malpractice verging on national calamity.
I hope those in positions of authority hear and heed the
words of Mr. Babbin.
— Keith
Varni
Excuse me, but aren’t all the arguments here going in the
same circle? If the root of the problem is that a militant,
malignant, and imperialist version of Islam has taken over the
discourse and policies of that civilization, then what other cure
for the disease can America apply except the “nation-building,”
which both political parties hold in horror but neither can seem
to avoid as a practical proposition? Isolationism was a bankrupt
ideology in FDR’s time. Today it is simply an escapist fantasy,
as is the other rabid extreme of nuking them all.
Bush II and the neo-cons applied nation building without
being honest about why it is needed. The old-line conservatives
identify the problem but deny the cure, even while their own
formula for withdrawal and disengagement makes Neville
Chamberlain look like George Patton. (The liberals’ program is
abject surrender and the performance of indecent acts, as always.
Further than this we need not go, Allah be praised.)
IMHO, the train left the station some time ago. We should
never have been reduced to such limited choices, but there’s no
help for it now. It’s either shoulder the White Man’s Burden
(suitably re-named) or collaborate in our own destruction.
— Martin Owens
Sacramento,
California
