- What is your opinion on a Mosque being built near (two blocks away) Ground Zero?
- Should the President be allowed to be a guest on talk shows, such as The View and David Letterman? Why or Why not? What impact does this have on the Office of the President?
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Blog #1 - August 20 - Controversial Issues
Since this is your first blog, I will not be providing an assigned reading from which you are to answer questions, as is usually the task. This week I will start you off with two very interesting and potentially controversial questions. Answer them with your opinion and back them up with facts from the Constitution.
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If the proposed mosque is built within the land use codes, it’s within their constitutional rights to build a mosque on private property. It seems that most people have a problem with this because it’s so close to ground zero and the grand opening date is September 11th, 2011. This does spark controversy between the Muslim community and what seems to be a lot of people. Does it disrespect the many people affected by 9/11 to open this particular mosque on Sep. 11, 2011? It seems rather insensitive to the many Americans affected by the terrorist attacks.
ReplyDeleteI want to know this. Is it a radical jihadist mosque being built as a place to celebrate a “victory” of the 9/11 attacks? Is it a Muslim community peacefully expressing their constitutional rights to worship as they please?
I don’t see these sensitive Americans being very friendly to a group of radical jihadists worshiping near ground zero. I however don’t see any problems with peaceful Muslims building a mosque where they please. Other religions have this right as well and should respect this equal liberty.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”
Is this what I was supposed to do?
oh yeah,
ReplyDeleteI think that the president communicates very well through guest talk shows just because Americans love their media, but should the president keep himself separate from this media? I think it's a great way to communicate with the people, but that the president shouldn't become an object of entertainment.
Muslims certainly have the right to build the mosque, but the issue is that many people think it is a slap in the face to all the people who lost loved ones on 9/11. What people need to remember though is that America was attacked by Al Qaeda not by Muslims. It might not be the most sensitive decision on where to place the Mosque but these people are more than likely not guilty of any terrorism crimes and would just like a place to worship in New York City. No religion can be denied, according to the Constitution, to establish a place of worship. There would be no controversy if Christians or another religion were to build a church at ground zero so we can not discriminate against Muslims.
ReplyDeleteMoving on, I do not believe that the President should be allowed to be on talk shows because this transforms the image of president into a celebrity. This causes a loss of respect because Americans begin to gossip and the President will recieve the judgement and harrassment that comes with the title of celebrity. He already has a great number of people who do not approve of him, talk shows would just cause that number to increase. The presidential office should be one of respect and esteem. When other nations see the U.S. president on David Letterman they are going to think of him as a joke and view the country as weak.
I fully support the freedom of worship by any religious group. This is a right guaranteed by the Constitution. The problem lies in the fact that anything is built over ground zero. I would be unhappy with a Christian church being built there about as much as I am with a mosque being placed on that site. I believe the reason that there is so much controversy, as my classmates have stated, because it is a slap in the face from the Muslim community. I can't imagine any families of 9/11 victims wanting anything related to middle eastern culture or people on that special place. If anything, why not build a memorial or a place of tribute where the twin towers once stood?
ReplyDeleteHayden, The mosque isn't being built "at" ground zero as the media has told us. It's two blocks away. You can't see the mosque from the site either. I think this whole thing is a really big case of Islamaphobia.
ReplyDelete1. I do not see a problem with a mosque being built near ground zero. In fact, I do not think the two should be related at all in the minds of Americans. To start, one core belief in this country is freedom of religion and to infringe upon that would be unconstitutional. I would consider that a "slap in the face" to our forefathers. Further, the twin towers were attacked by Al Qaeda, which is an extremist group based in Islam. It is not condoned by most members of the Muslim faith.
ReplyDeleteI can understand how families and friends of the victims of 9/11 could be upset, but their animosity towards this particular issue is misdirected. What happened was terrible, but was not the fault of most of the Muslim people living in America. I think the overwrought arguing from the right and left is unneeded and a poor subject to focus on so close to the Nov. elections.
2. I think that the president should be allowed to communicate with the American people through any medium he sees fit, just like any other American can. If he sees talk shows as a fitting way to do this, then I think that is his decision. When JFK was running against Nixon in 1960, people were wary of the television debates because they believed that the populace would side with the more attractive JFK. I do not think having the TV debates made the election any less valid, just as having Pres. Obama talk it up with Oprah makes what he is saying on the show any less pertinent.
I don't really see a problem with a mosque being built near Ground zero. However, I do see how some people feel that it is offensive towards those who lost loved-ones in the 9/11 attacks. It would be a different situation if the mosque was being built on the actual site of ground zero, but being built two blocks away is fine in my opinion. In the constitution, the Bill of Rights states that we have the freedom of assembly and religion. I'm not sure if it necessarily says where these assemblies and religious practices are to be held, but either way, denying the Muslims to build the mosque is taking away from their constitutional rights. And even though their religious views are different, they are still Americans.
ReplyDeleteI think that the president should be allowed to be a guest on t.v. shows because it gives them more chances to talk about what is going on in government. It's also a good way for the citizens of the U.S. to hear what the president is doing about the problems that are going on. Some people, like myself, don't watch the news on a regular basis. So if the president is on a show that people regularly watch and is able to get out what he has to say without being interrupted, it gives them a chance to be aware of what's going on. Then, the media can be one-sided at times, and make things sound a lot worse than they really are. Plus, if the president wants to go on a t.v. show like the View, he/she has that right according to the Bill of Rights that allows you to have freedom of speech and press. Is the t.v. not a form of press? I figure if the president can have a press conference on t.v. that he should allowed to go on t.v. shows.
1.) It is their constitutional right to build their Mosque wherever they please. However, if Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf really wants to promote peace among religions, why couldn’t the Mosque instead be an interfaith center where believers of any religion could hold services rather than a place where only Muslims can enter? Why can’t he see that most Americans don’t support the Mosque’s location? It doesn’t seem like an effective way to promote peace. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf himself said the US and the West must acknowledge the harm they have done to Muslims before terrorism can end, that it was the Christians who started civilian attacks. He also said the West had to understand the terrorists' point of view, as if somehow they were justified in killing 3,000 innocent people. In my opinion, this Mosque will only divide our two religions further.
ReplyDelete2.) The president can guest on any show that he thinks is necessary but, I think that he should deeply consider which ones he appears on. In my opinion, it wasn’t wise to be a guest on a show such as The View since it is essentially a gossip show. He should focus on being a guest on a show where he can educate the public on his decisions such as CNN or FOX.
I think that if they want to bulid a Mosque two blocks away from ground zero then thats ok.It not like its smack down in the front of the place.The Mosque is their place of religion that if their not allowed that then its like their freedom of religion is been taken away.I understand the date issue with it being sep. 11th and all but if this isn't the same religious group so whats the problem. Maybe people are putting more to this then what this really is.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the president being on talk shows I think its ok as long as he's on his p's and Q's about what he says.I think it show he's human and it gives us inside scopes on whats going on.
As far as the mosque being built near or "two blocks away from ground zero" as has now been brought to light, I think the issue is less that there is a mosque near the world trade center. The mosque isn't being built by Islamists, it is being built by Muslims(who are not the group responsible for 9/11). However, I think the issue should be considered from a world view because even though the Islamists aren't building the mosque, they may see this as a bold move on America's part - daring them to continue to cause destruction. Therefore I think maybe a little more should be considered before the building is finalized and maybe there is a better location for them to build it. But if it does end up being built, I don't see it as a disrespectful move on the Muslim part because they aren't the ones who caused the destruction originally.
ReplyDeleteThe president should be allowed to appear on shows like David Letterman because it gives him a more personal feel and gets him talking and listening to more people.
My oppinion on the mosque being built two blocks away from Ground Zero is that it is disrespectful. I do respect freedom of religion and I can understand why it is supported by people but the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear this issue, is how this is to be viewed by the families of those who were killed on september eleventh. A lot of them feel as if this is a slap in the face to their loved ones' memories. I do respect the Muslim religion but I think it would be best for the mosque to be moved else where as not to offend the families.
ReplyDeleteAs for the president appearing on shows like David Letterman, I think it's acceptable. This can help him seem more relatable to the people and more connected to popular culture.This makes the Presidential Office seem more reachable and not as out of touch.
1.I think the two biggest concerns with the mosque are the location and the religion. As far as location, the mosque is only relatively “at” or “on” Ground Zero. Would it be different if it were three blocks away? Or four? If it’s by how many lives were affected and how many families were hurt, we should call the whole city Ground Zero because New York City really took the blow and it resonates now through the entire municipality. However, it’s impractical to create boundaries based on who was hurt. If the government was going to create a “slap-in-the-face-free” area, it needs to nationalize a set radius from the site of the Two Towers and control whatever’s within. Anything outside the national territory would fall under public jurisdiction.
ReplyDeleteAs far as religion, I think that even though America is a melting pot, we as Americans are still really clueless about other religions. We should know better that a place called a “mosque” is not synonymous with “a place where people who hate American ideals gather to preach hating American ideals”. The Muslims that gather there could care just as much as Protestants about the hurt experienced by the families affected by the 9/11 attacks. Maybe they could even console them and help them out. It’s pretty idealistic, but I mean compare having a cultural center as opposed to having a mini-mart or a corner bistro. Which one do you think can potentially do more for a community? If it were a Buddhist temple would everyone be as upset?
These aren’t questions meant to make anyone angry, but I think they’re important to consider. There’s no question about the legality of building a mosque near Ground Zero because the very first amendment in the Bill of Rights is “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Now it is up to the American people to decide whether or not they are willing to accept that there are different religions out there, and that not all Muslims are the extremists that the terrorists are.
2.The President should be allowed to appear on talk shows because here is nothing in the Constitution that prohibits him from it, but I think it’s best if he doesn’t. In the four years that the President has there are a million better uses of his time than to appear on The View or The David Letterman Show. I don’t know if political opinion talk shows are part of this question, but the shows listed are primarily entertainment shows. The President could be negotiating peace treaties, talking with advisors, refining new policies, or simply spending time with his family instead of chatting it up with Letterman. No one else in the world can do these things to the same effect that he can. So, if he wants to it’s his choice because the Constitution doesn’t stop him, but that choice still reflects where his priorities are.
I don't think that the Mosque being built near Ground Zero is that big of an issue. It is stated in our Constitution that pepople have the right to their own religion. I think it is ignorant if people are afraid that there will be "terrorists" worshipping near Ground Zero. It is complete discrimination for Americans to feel any threat towards a Muslim because of 9/11. There is no connection between the two.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be okay for the President to appear on talk shows as long as he is mindful of which shows. The View, for instance wouldn't be a bad idea. It might give viewers a personal view of Barack Obama. Other serious talk shows could become risky for the President and his image. We do all know that everyone is not his biggest fan and I'm sure if given the opportunity, people would take advantage and go in for the kill with interviews.
I dont see a problem with them building their religious place next to ground zero, because, considering the fact we, A M E R I C A N S, let other countries come and live in our country and considering the fact that we S U P P O S E to be a F R E E country, and we kinda sorta have the R I G H T S to do whatever,and we gave them that opportunity T O O, then why not? I also dont agree because if someone blew up my stuff and tried to build something next to it then, i would be E X T R A angry..! (since they were trying to say that the people were muslims...dont quote me)...
ReplyDeleteAs far as Obama it shouldnt be a problem to be on a tv talk show, because i mean he is our president and let us, citizens, know whats going on... then again, he should be getting our country together, so who has time for a talk show..?
The mosque being built two blocks from ground zero doesn't have to be as controversial as people make it out to be. They (muslims) have the right to build a place of worship wherever the would like. The constitution gives EVERYBODY the freedom of religion. I don't think building it right next to ground zero was a very wise choice in that of sparing peoples feelings but it doesn't make it wrong. In addition, it wasn't muslims that were responsible for 9/11 but should be taken from a overall perspective of the nation in constructing this and allowing this to have its grand opening on 9/11.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, the constitution grants us the freedom of speech as well; therefore, Barack Obama has the right to appear on talk shows but should be wise of which shows to participate on. The media can be celebrities and those in authority's worse nightmare and twist every word that comes out of their mouths. My opinion is that he should, so that people can better understand that he's a human being just like we are, just one with more responsibilities and a lot more to consider. This may draw more people to and rely on him more.
I don't see a problem with building a Mosque TWO BLOCKS away from ground zero. The Constitution clearly states citizens have the freedom of religion, why let them live here and not give them their rights??...so I think it should be okay as long as they are not directly on Ground Zero.
ReplyDeleteAs for Mr. Obama, I think that it's okay for him to be on different talk shows, but The View is not one of those shows. Shows that are all about gossip should not be the type of shows the President chooses to be a guest on. He is supposed to interact with the public but he should focus on more important shows such as fox, like stated earlier. This could be negative and positive for the office. People could look at this and say he shouldn't be on talk shows and should be focused on more important things, but others may think that it's good he's making time for the public...
1. I don't think thew building of the mosque near ground zero is a big deal really. The paranoia of people though have seemed to greatly blow this out of proportion.It is within any citizens rights given by the Bill Of Rights to express their religion as they chooose in whatever setting they choose. Ok yes they're muslim and they just so happen to build a mosque near Ground Zero. Does this mean they're up to some terrorist action maybe, maybe not, but people, in America we can't let all our opinions, views, and lives be shaped by one single issue.
ReplyDelete2. On the thought of Obama gguest staring on talk shows I welcome the idea with open arms. This gives the public a chance to possibly get a few questions answered that they may have. The makes the president seem more like a person than an iconic figure that we only see every blue moon. By letting the president join talk shows opens doors for changing views in general on the president. This idea would be good for The Office of President but in Obama's case right now though I don't see that as anything that would be positive for him right now, seeing as a many people have alot of ignorant preconceptoins and assumptions about him. For Obama to go on a talk show would be more of a roast than a friendly guest staring.
Lena, I agree with your opinions the most.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, it's probably going to do more harm to either religion than anything else. They are opening themselves up for a lot of hate crimes. If I were a muslim I'd personally be afraid to show up at that mosque because it will be targeted by those who want to lash out against muslims. It's just a terrible idea and people will probably suffer because of it, regardless of legality.
I also agree with your opinion that the type of show matters. A president should be able to tell his views directly to the public instead of have us hear little cuts and quotes that the media gives us. A gossipy talk show isn't the place, nor is a show where the interviewer is there for laughs. I think something like Larry King Live and then, to look more bi-partisan, a FOX show as well. Or vice versa, as long as he made sure to appear on both a "Republican" and a "Democrat" network.
1. The morality of this situation greatly depends on the intentions of the leaders of this specific Islamic community, which is non-objective and would not easily become public information. Obviously Constitutionally there's nothing wrong with building a Mosque in this location.
ReplyDelete2. Should the President be ALLOWED to be on talk shows? By who's authority? I don't think my opinion matters on what decisions someone like the President, the figure head of our nation who is entrusted with the greatest authority of an individual in this country by the majority (specifically President Obama since personally I support him as a leader), makes. Who am I, or anyone else who doesn't know him personally, to say they know what decisions are best for him on such matters.
Drama.
I also really don't think there is an issue with experimenting with mediums of communication, especially considering this society is changing exponentially with technology. I would put my faith in the President's Cabinet concerning what they think will have the most positive image for their purposes.
I think that the Mosque being built near ground zero is not as big of a deal as some people make it out to be. There's so much controversy just because there CAN be, it would be weird if people DIDN'T oppose to the building of this sight. Within the Constitution in the Bill of Rights it says that we ALL have our right to religion, and I'm pretty sure this was written WAY before 9/11 and all this drama. I kind of think that maybe they picked the location JUST so Americans would have a media splurge. In the end I do believe that it is disrespectful either way.
ReplyDeleteI think that President Obama should just think about what he says on t.v. shows. Shows like David Letterman seem like more of a joke or gossip show. It doesn't really seem like the shows' purpose is to INFORM people of what's going on. If he had to choose I think he should go for something like CNN or something of that nature. But not everyone watches CNN or CSPANN. So I think it could be good for him to appear on different types of shows so that maybe those people that judge him can see what they're talking about before they actually judge. Some people judge before even listening to him and I doubt they're likely to watch the news to listen, so it's kind of like just another resource to the people.
I like how Ben M. states that we don't know if this is a terrorist action and we can't let our lives be shaped by one single issue. I also like how Diamond say that it wasn't a WISE choice, because it really wasn't. I'm sure they sat and thought about this before hand and expected this type of reaction.
ReplyDeleteOn the 2nd question I kind of agree with Julian. Who are WE to say what decisions may be best for him? I also agree with Chasity when she says "...who has time for a talk show?", because really, does he have time for a talk show? I don't know. I think Deja and I really agreed on letting him be known to people that may not watch the news.
1) I don't necessarily agree or disagree with the proposition of the mosque being built TWO BLOCKS away from Ground Zero. Considering the fact that the Constitution clearly states that ALL AMERICANS have the RIGHT to RELIGION. It's set in stone that they have the RIGHT to do so. Hypothetically of course, lets also put ourselves in the SHOES of many of the family and friends that had and lost victims in the 9/11 attack. Would you REALLY say that it's no problem.. simply CONSTITUTIONALLY. Should every Muslim have to pay for the disgrace of the 9/11 terrorists? Lets think OUTSIDE the box! It's something to REALLY meditate about.
ReplyDelete2)I agree with Jessica, I also think that it is a good idea for the President to be on talk shows, but the type does matter. I think it gives us as Americans the opportunity to focus on him more as an individual and allows him to enlighten us somewhat of what really going on.
Posting this for Cortez
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the issue of the proposed mosque near Ground Zero is basically this, if the Muslims own the land that they are going to use to build it on then nobody should say anything. I understand that ever since September 11 all people of the Muslim faith have been stereotyped as "evil terrorists" but the bottom line is that by making a big deal out of this we are discriminating against legal American citizens and that is wrong. I feel like if the American public fights against this mosque just on the grounds that the people who attacked America almost ten years ago were of the same faith then all that is doing is promoting hate and ignoring out constitutional rights of assembly and worship.
As for the president being on talk shows, i think that that is perfectly acceptable. But I also feel that he must guard against becoming a "celebrity" thus losing his political credibility. Being on television makes the president seem closer to the public, but if done wrong he can develop a "rock-star" immage and that will damage him personally and the office of president as a whole.
At Merril, i see where you are coming from with you're veiw on the mosque, but i feel that if we sest a precident of telling people what they can and can't do with their religion then we open a door to a whole new set of problems. Today it is fighting against a mosque, tomorrow it could be the instution of a national religion.
Mosque near Ground Zero? WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?? Really! America is supposed to be a country that's not discriminate towards the religious choices of it's inhabitants. Article 1 of the Constitution CLEARLY states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibit the free exercise thereof." So why should there be any questioning towards whether or not the mosque shall be constructed near Ground Zero. To deny the Muslims of this right which is blatantly pronounced in our Constitution is certainly wrong in my book. One other concept of mine is, they are NOT actually building it ON THE SITE of Ground Zero. It's two blocks AWAY!! It shouldn't really be a major issue unless it was actually being placed on the EXACT SITE! And the retard that would actually grant permission to let them do that, well, yea... their hamster is obviously NOT on the wheel. I believe that the stereotypical thoughts of some people are the obvious reasons for concern on the mosque's construction.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that he should. He has the same rights and equivalent opportunities as other Americans in the US do. Now exactly what he says while on these mentioned talk shows should be monitored closely. Reason being, that there are now many shows who's sole running purpose is to pick apart other running reality shows and talk shows. Shows such as Tosh.O and The Soup are in the forefront of this category. We all know, that we Americans love our media and any information we can get our hands on just feeds that inner hunger to gain info on the latest juicy gossip. These shows use that to their advantage. So when the President comes on and is just being his usual self (no fake facades portrayed) they tend to pick at every little detail to use as an advantage for mere viewer ratings. Something so simple could be said and they tend to only show a clip of a certain segment of the entire conversation and alter words into meaning something ENTIRELY different from what was originally stated. Now don't get me wrong, I also watch these shows too, but hey, I'M ONLY HUMAN!! At least every American can say that they have watched one now or at another point in their lives. Now whether or not they looked at the "lies" as the TRUE story being portrayed within said shows is only up to them and whether or not they want to believe in them.
1. I feel it is ridiculous and frankly embarrassing for this to even be considered a controversial topic. Do people even realize MUSLIMS DIDN’T CAUSE 9/11? It’s the same thing as if a group of American Neo-Nazi’s or KKK member’s had gone into a foreign country and bombed buildings. I highly doubt we’d have any qualms about them building a Christian establishment next door. So why should we have double standards and restrict the minority’s rights because their region had a terrible group of people who acted independently from the religion. Don’t take that in the wrong sense because September 11th was a terrible day and everyone who died that day will never be forgotten. But then again building a place of worship isn’t saying “Hey we’ve forgotten about 9/11 and want to conspire to do it again”. I feel just as much sympathy for the American Muslim community as I do the families of the victims, as soon as those attacks took place the views toward them changed. Suddenly you’re gas station attendant looked like a terrorist or if a foreigner was on your plane you weren’t flying. Think of all the innocent people who aren’t directly “persecuted “but aren’t treated the same because of their affiliation with a religion/culture.
ReplyDelete2. As far as the President appearing on talk shows, I believe it is acceptable. I mean he can’t be saving the world every moment of everyday. He doesn’t even directly deal with most issues. But it is important for the public to get a fair view of what he’s like because he is a person in charge of our country and we have a right to be interested in him outside of oil spills and war. I don’t think he should use them to solely focus on political gain or commentary but if he can explain stuff in way people can understand using humor on a talk show, by all means go for it. There are definitely boundaries of how far to go into some topics and what to avoid, but this man is our President so I’m just going to assume he’s not idiot and has manners. I think getting a inside look at him as a person humanizes him in a way that maybe will show those 13% of Americans that he’s not Muslim terrorist out to rot America’s good name.
1. As most people have said, I think it is completely vulgar and vile that people of the Islamic faith build a Mosque. Not just at Ground Zero, but anywhere. I kid though. It should be perfectly fine for them to follow their faith as they choose through legal means, and they have done just that. I don't know enough details about the situation to have a solid opinion I readily stand behind, but my first impulsive response from what I know is that the attacks of 9/11 should not be tied with these innocent people. I think I read that the Mosque is opening on 9/11, which is rather foolish in my opinion on the Mosque's part. It may have been an attempt to commemorate and honor those who had fallen in such a tragic day of our country, but they should have known some ignorant New Yorker was going to go bananas. "And that's all I have to say about that..."
ReplyDelete2. I personally don't have a problem with the President being on talk shows. My agenda for the President is fairly useless because I don't have all the information and credentials necessary to deem what is wrong and what is right for our President's actions. Everything he does publicly is probably a well thought out plan of action that fits within the framework of a general outline for his successful presidency (which was made by some of the sharpest minds in politics). I think that the President going on to talk shows would basically be an attempt to become more human and personable to the people he is representing. He will obviously not go into things he shouldn't, but at the same time he can show his country that they elected a good man.
To lena, I agree completely with your ideas on the fact that the mosque will most likely divide Christians and Muslims further. The idea of a multi cultural faith center seems like a much better solution to peoples' ignorance about both religions.
ReplyDeleteTo Madison,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the connection you made to the KKK and the Nazi's. Just as how every white person is not a member of the KKK or a neo-nazi, not every muslim person is a terrorist. I think that Americans perpetuating this myth is just drawing out a prejudice that is uneducated and unfortunate.
And I also agree with what you said about the Pres. not being able to "save the world" every moment of the day. Obama being on a talk show gives us a chance to see a lighter side of him that we may not have otherwise gotten to know.
A+!
It is clear that Muslims have a right to build a mosque on private property. The issue is not the building of the mosque it’s the location. In my opinion, and that of many other Americans, is that it is too close to ground zero. Sixty-one percent of Americans do not agree with the LOCATION of the mosque and feel that it is inappropriate and insensitive to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11. Feisal Abdul Rauf says he wants peace between religions, he also says that he picked this location because it was close to ground zero and he means it to show tolerance and peace. However, if polls show that a majority of people do not want the mosque that close to ground zero wouldn’t the best way to demonstrate that peace be to move the mosque to a further location?
ReplyDeleteI think that the president should be able to decide what shows he wishes to guest on. I don’t think that going on shows like the View or David Letterman will help him educate the public on his plans for the economy ,for example than, an actual show based on informing the public on current events.
1. Well like just about every post I read said, yes i do think it's stupid how everyone is forgetting this is america and you have the right to own private property and worship who or whatever you want to. I also hate the fact that people are blaming the Muslim community as a whole when it was just a small terrorist group that just so happens to be full of Muslims. Also as my mom just told me, "Why do these people care, what they need to worry about is how things are going to be once the troops start returning from war.". Also I hate that the media is putting stuff like this into peoples head why should anyone gas that a church is being built around the corner from a sorta "national landmark".
ReplyDelete2. Now to other matters, I do think he president should be able to be on shows floor the view because it could give the public a chance,mabey, to voice it's opinion on certain matters and get involved in some of they're always complaining about. It also may give us a chance to really get to know the people we elect into office and better understand them, bought hey need to better understand us.
2. Now on to other matters, I do think any president should be able to appear on talk shows bit at the same time I think it's just too much publicity. But having these shows where the presided can just sit and have a chat wot one or more of the citizens he governs would give us an a chance to see what really gose on at the white house and also talk about some of the issues we ar having and Mandy get him or her to helps us out. We could also use this to voice public opinions on things and Mandy jave
Madison, I love the point you make about the KKK and neo nazis. Also I'm glad we share similar views on how America views president Obama. Peolpe should understand that the things that he is trying to accomplish will take more than jus a few months or years.
ReplyDeleteAlex You also make a good point that a whole race shouldn't suffer a stereo type just because of the actions of few.
To Lena: I feel what your saying about if Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf wants peace why not make it one big building for different religions but, why should he have to? It's his right. Maybe a building like that would cause more problems then helping the issue cause people will see things different at times then you have new problems. Just like the flip flop issue we wanted to be able to wear them so were we just going to give up because people at the board were all for getting rid of flip flops? no, so I don't think we should accept them to give up what they want so easily. Don't get me mixed up cause I understand where your coming from.
ReplyDelete1. I don't see any reason why the Mosque shouldn't be allowed to be built. They have freedom of religion, and like Deja said, freedom of assembly. We can't just simply neglect their Constitutional rights. Although I believe they should be allowed to build it, I still just feel funny with ANYone even proposing something built there. I watched the President state his opion on this whole matter, and I agree with him that it wouldn't be appropriate to just disregard their rights.
ReplyDelete2. I have no problem with the President doing talk shows. I think if he manages them carefully, they could be a very good thing for him. He should makes these appearances in moderation though, not many at all. I believe if handled properly, its not a problem at all.
Lyndsey, I completely agree with your comment relating Roosevelt's fireside chats to President Obama's appearances on talk shows. My only concern is as to which shows he appears on, as Nancy stated. I think using modern mediums to communicate on a personal level with the American people is a great idea, but if he appears on shows that have gossip as their primary objective, then what does that say about our President?
ReplyDeleteAnd to Ben, I know that it isn't being directly on "ground zero", that was just my fault for not thinking that through. Thanks for pointing it out though.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I agree with you that the whole Muslim community shouldn't be thrown under the category of "terrorists". Of course there are a few radicals, but those come with every group of people. It's being ignorant assuming that all of them have harmful intentions.
ReplyDeleteJust a friendly FYI since most of you seem unaware.
ReplyDeleteThere is a building called Freedom Tower that is being built on Ground Zero and has been planned to be the only thing built there since 2003. It will be replacing the twin towers as the new world trade center.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center
I personally dont agree or disagree with the mosque being built near ground zero. I understand how some Americans may feel that this is a slap in the face but I think they should get over themselves. Yeah, it may have been a BAD spot to build a mosque and YES another spot would be better but who are we to tell them where they can and cant celebrate their religion?? The Constitution clearly gives citizens the freedom of religion and we cannot discriminate against a whole group because a small portion did something detrimental to our country. I believe this is where the ignorance that has plagued this country for so long comes into play. We as Americans judge people without even knowing any truth. Who says that these Muslims are even affiliated with those that attacked on 9/11?? Who said that the plane jackers were even Muslim?? Bottom line if we were truly being American we'd let them and their Mosque be and do as the Constitution says..Let them freely practice their religion.
ReplyDeleteI think that the president has a limit to how much media time he can partake in. Kick backs with Jay Leno and games with Connin O'Brian would be considered as too much publicity for a man of such high power. I believe that if he does want to participate in media activity it should be on a professional level such as being on CNN discussing some political issue or giving a speech or even throwing the 1st pitch at an MLB game. I honestly think that President Obama has had too much media time and he is, like Megan said, more like a celebrity than an important political figure and leader.
@ Nancy: Totally agree with you on the whole President thing but i think that's okay while the election is going on because he is going to need as much publicity as possible. After he wins then I think that's where business should take over pleasure and he should spend less time on tv and more time dealing with this jacked up country. I just feel if he always seen on tv "kickin it" with talk show hosts then people wouldn't take him as seriously and he'd just have authority and no power
ReplyDeleteTo Nancy and Madison, I totally agree with your points made about the discrimination against Muslims...I made a similar point.
ReplyDeleteMona, you have made a valid point and brought something new to my attention.
1. I personally feel that it is ok to build a Mosque near Ground Zero. The constitution says that we have freedom of religion, so how can we we deny a group of individuals to build their place of worship. I do feel that they could have built their Mosque in another location, but that is not our decision it it theirs. That is just like me giving you 5 pieces of gum, and then try to take it back when u try 2 give it away to a friend of yours. You can't do that because you were only giving away what was YOURS.
ReplyDelete2. I believe the President should be allowed to be guests on talk shows. I say this because theses shows allow us to see another side of our President and it makes him "realistic" to a certain extent. To me, this has a small impact on the Office of President because as long as the President is being professional there can be no harm done.
To Lyndsey: I agree with your argument that as long as the people who are organizing the Mosque have pure intentions, there shouldn't be a problem. I think most of the anger is directed towards the fact that no one really knows where all the funding for a 13-story Mosque is coming from.
ReplyDeleteI also found out that right in front of the Twin Towers was a Greek Orthodox Christian church that was also destroyed on 9/11, but has yet to be rebuilt even though they were assured authorization from the port authority two years ago insuring that they would be able to build a new church 100 yards from the original one. In 2009 however, the new location for the church had been "taken off the table". Reverend of the church Mark Arey, has yet to hear any new information about the rebuilding of his church. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
@ Alex,i agree with you one hundred percent on how we prejudge Muslims. We can't categorize them or anyone else, it's just not right to do so.
ReplyDelete@all of the people who said the president would become a celebrity:
ReplyDeleteI wanted to point out that in Obama's case he became a celebrity the second he started running for President. I mean, he kind of made a very big first in history. I also feel like there is some very negative connotation on the word celebrity that I would argue could never be applicable to Barrack Obama. He is a very morally sound human being and purely used these talk shows to reach out to a wider audience.
Also it's very important to note that in the case of the View, (which I happened to watch the show he aired on) neither Obama nor his cabinet had intended appearing on the View as a part of the overall presidential strategy. Obama simply happened to be in New York City at the time of the show and was invited on. I'm sure he has very justified reasons for agreeing to do so.
There is also this large misconception of what happened when Obama appeared on this show. The man simply reinstated his most recent policies/ideas/what have you, so that the audience would understand where the nation stands. I would be willing to bet, as sad as it may be, that more people learned about what he was doing from that show than any other source. Other than that they talked about his family and then he left. No biggie.
I think that a mosque being built near "Ground Zero" is very inconsiderate to peoples feelings who had loved ones who died on September 11th. Even thought the Constitution does say people have the right to freedom of religion, I think there is a certain extent you can go to when you express your freedom of religion. I think that is a respect issue.
ReplyDeleteThe President being on talk shows really doesn't bother me. As long as our President is not discussing top secret information or just flat out making himself look like a fool then I feel that it should be okay for him to be on talk shows. President Obama is a pretty well-rounded person and I think he can handle being on a talk show and still be seen as "Our President."
ReplyDeleteI don't think it has much impact on the office because our President shouldn't be discussing things that only the office should know.
In regaurds To ben:
ReplyDeleteI understand that the muslim people have the right to express their religion according to the Constitution, but have u considered how many people they are affecting? Better yet have the people who are builing the mosque considered how many people will be affected by this transition?
Hayden I totally agree with the fact that you said you would be just as upset if a Christian Church was being built there. That place is now sacred ground and doesn't deserve to be tarnished like that.
ReplyDelete@ Julian: When I made the comment about the view, it wasn't so much as to the things they discussed, but more as a reflection of the nature of the show itself. And about the Freedom Tower, I personally don't see that as much better, I understand reasons, but I think the best thing to do in true honor of those who lost lives or loved ones would just to leave the site as is. But the building is already being built and should be finished by 2013, but I personally see that as no different that a mosque being built.
ReplyDelete@ Lena: I didn't know that about the Greek Orthodox Christian church. That is truly interesting.
Madison, I agree that the mosque shouldn't be an issue because we do have freedom of religion, but we have to think about the people that lost loved ones that day. They should not be criticized for opposing the mosque because not only do we have the freedom of religion but we have the freedom of speech as well.
ReplyDeleteMerrill, the Muslim people aren't the ones who attacked the united states on September 11 it was the islamists of Al Qaeda so what i think the general public needs to realize is that there probably were a good number of Muslim people working in the world trade center on 9/11 and that there is a huge difference between Muslim people and islamists.
ReplyDeleteParis: I know you already agreed with me but I really liked what you said to about the president being on talk shows. Too much publicity, in my opinion, has ruined the public opinion of him. Someone in such a high position should be somewhat private about their personal life. It would be different if he was on the shows that you mentioned but other shows like Jay Leno are innappropriate. He should be talking about issues that matter as to show us how hard he is working and prove that Americans made a good choice. When he appears on these other shows society "gets to know" him as people have said and that effects the way the world views him. He should stop acting as if he is still campaigning and get to work.
ReplyDeleteMerril, i see you point, but like Ms.M said, they are going to use the land how they want if they own it. It's being built two blocks away so it's not like it's directly on top of Ground Zero. That would be disrespectful. Seeing as how it is two blocks away, i don't think it should be that big of a deal. Besides they do have the right to worship where they want. We cannot discriminate.
ReplyDeleteMadison, I think you made an EXCELLENT point!! The MUSLIMS did not cause 9/11, so why take it out on them? I love your connection to the KKK and Nazi's as well.
Paris and Megan, I didn't look at The President situation in the way. You are right, the President should be more Private about his personal life...that's probably why everyone has so many negative opinions of him now.
ReplyDelete@courtney, dashelle, and paris...im just like yall neither agree or disagree, because like we all have stated...that we are a F R E E country.. so why not..?
ReplyDeleteand i went on google, and some sites were saying muslims were apart of the attack and other sites were saying that they weren't....
@everybody who said its okay for him to be on a tv talk show, i agree with yall, because like diamond said he does have a F R E E D O M of speech just like everyone else..! we should also know whats going on..!
Oh! and I just wanted to add that the location they chose for Mosque is still considered Ground Zero because parts of the airplane that hit the twin towers did actually hit that building.
ReplyDeleteMegan, yes Barack Obama is the president of the United States of America but, he is still human like all the rest of us. Also, being president IS being a celebrity in a sense because of the position of authority that he's in. However, i totally agree with you about him maintaining a respectful and dignified image because he does represent more than just himself.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Nancy, I wholeheartedly agree with your perception of the issue. To deny the Muslim's of their right, which is, once again, CLEARLY stated in the Constitution, would be considered unconstitutional. In comparison of the two issues, they should NOT be related. You're correct in stating that the attention of America is pinpointing this one minor issue when we obviously have BIGGER issues at hand.
ReplyDeleteJulian you couldn't have stated it any better in the Barack issue!!!!
ReplyDeleteCORRECTION: Julian you couldn't have stated it any better ON the Barack issue.
ReplyDeleteTo Lena, I don't think that building the mosque is promoting peace either. I think that Obama knows that most Americans are not supporting the location of the mosque, but thinks that even if he decided to over rule the decisions of the mosque being built two blocks away from Ground Zero, how would he with the effect of the Constitution.
ReplyDelete@ Merrill
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, I frankly have to disagree with your opinion that it is disrespectful to build a Mosque near Ground Zero. The location and timing was an intended act of honoring the idea of cohesion between cultures. I can understand why some people would feel upset about the location, but I think it is simply unfair, unjust, and borderline insulting to maintain that kind of opinion for too long. Yes, the gesture was misguided and rather counterproductive, but it shouldn't have been that way in the first place. These people are obviously not terrorists, and it is a very vile generalization to associate these people with extremists. If there was more of a Muslim voice in the United States, I almost feel that there would be public outrage from U.S. Muslim citizens that this reaction occurred. It is blatant stereotyping to associate this Mosque with extremists. And I don't understand how the families of 9/11 victims are the only ones who can be upset about wrongs against their loved ones. Plenty of innocent Muslims have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan by U.S. soldiers, and yet they bear good will towards other Americans in an act of friendship like this. The least we could do is to not be so selfish and pompous as to think that we are the only ones who have suffered a tragedy. In fact, we have inflicted some as a country upon others ourselves. Coexisting together as a unified country would be the best way in my mind to recover from the 9/11 attacks.
(The reason I am posting so late is because my internet was down until now. We installed and set up a new linksys router tonight. I CAN BRING THE BOX FOR PROOF DOUBTERS!)
@ Nancy- I thought I might have been pushing it with the connections but it just shows you that every group has a few people that are a little crazy. For instance the fact that KKK members are mostly church going men but they have a diluted sense about what they're believing in.
ReplyDelete@ Mona- I agree I don't know I sort of went on a tangent. But I do think their feelings should be considered but should not affect whether or not the mosque is built. Their loss was tragic but doesn't grant them rights to persecute others.
亲爱的太太马西森：
ReplyDelete这个问题是不是我们的关注，这是完全没有争议我们正在承受。整体。
Ben B. – Excellent response and very thought provoking questions.
ReplyDeleteMegan – Excellent points. One thing to consider is that there are radical Muslims in Al Qaeda and this is where the connection is made.
Hayden – It’s not actually being built on the site. It’s two blocks away (see Ben’s comment). What about the second question?
Nancy – Interesting thoughts. Something to think about, what about a Japanese memorial at Pearl Harbor or a German memorial at Auschwitz?
Deja – The Constitution does not stipulate where institutions of worship should be built because they can be built anywhere.
Lena – Very good points. To answer a question, Muslims do not officially recognize any other religion, therefore the location could not be interfaith.
Te’Kara – Didn’t quite understand your next to last sentence in paragraph one. Proof read before you post.
John – Excellent points.
Merrill – Great points. Proof read before you post.
Jessica – Excellent responses and thoughts to think about.
Mercedes – Good response, but think about the first question a little more and relate it to the people who were in or near the Towers on
9/11. Great something to think about in paragraph two.
Chasity – Good comments. Please proof read before you post in that this is a formal writing exercise.
Diamond – Good points. Please proof read before you post.
Courtney – Good comments and points.
Ben M. – Good points. Please proof read before you post.
Julian – Very good response.
Jennifer – Great response, plus something to think about.
Da’Shelle – Excellent points. Where is your response to question two.
Cortez – Excellent comments and points. Proof read before posting.
Erin – Excellent post. Something to think about. The Constitution does state the rights, but how can you legislate personal feelings?
Madison – Great post. Many good points.
Andrew – Very good post. Some highlights to think about.
Lindsey – Good post. Great connection to the Fireside Chats.
Mona – Great post with comments to think about.
Alex – Good comments. Proof read before you post .
Michael – Your points were good.
Paris – Excellent points.
Amber – Interesting metaphor.
Amani – Good points. Be on time next time though.