You have failed to really understand a concept that is clearly outside of your finite conclusion on this topic. First, my perspective is simple. It's obvious that you need people to speak in small sentences lacking complexity.

This is not an issue of racism, religious persecution or anything else for that matter. The beauty of this country is that each person gets to have an opinion. This is why people flock to our country every day. It's my opinion that the mosque and its location are disrespectful. Now, does this mean I think they shouldn't have the right to build it there – given they have followed the appropriate processes and laws? Absolutely not. I CAN however not like it.

Now, I can't even believe that you would talk about discrepancies on filing taxes. It's screamingly obvious that filing inaccurate tax returns is a practice that you are close to. I on the other hand, pay to have mine done correctly, and pay (if I owe anything) with no issue. That's quite possibly the gayest retort that you could have come up with. Scraping bottom are you?

And spare the condescending history lesson, would you? The more you defend your feelings the more ignorant you look. The mosque and the uneasy feeling that a majority of the country feels towards it, in no way compares to slavery.

I remain "behind anonymity" as you call it, because it's clear you are the least objective person I have come across in a long time. If I had to guess, you're the type of person who would look to attack another person for the purposes of attacking another person and not to have a real and open/objective conversation. Waste of time.

A brief refresher on American history and elementary math:

Slavery was officially ended in America in 1865 after the passage of the 13th Amendment. But I was not referring to slavery, nor to our country pre-1865.

A century is 100 year. Half a century is 50 years. Just over "half a century" ago, would put us in the late 50s, early 60s. That was called the civil rights movement, where after 100 years of slavery being abolished, many parts of our country were still segregated under an idealogy known as "separate but equal."

Segregation fueled racial bigotry, and is what led to the civil rights movement.

Substitute Muslims for Blacks and we have, in effect, repeated history. Same plot, different characters, still just as bad.

The location is without question, suspect, given the circumstances. But that is a separate debate from the legality of whether or not they can build an Islamic center there. Furthermore, simply by the nature of their being Islamic does not a terrorist organization make; any more than Mexicans who drive trucks are landscapers.

If the real reason for such a heated debate is a religious institution's proximity to ground zero; then why aren't you making a case to ban all religious institutions within a certain proximity of sacred landmarks? No ones' feelings will be hurt because there's nothing to be taken personally. Plus it shouldn't take more than a day for the cable news folks to find something else for you to be angry and/or afraid of.

Best regards,

Jeremiah

- Where did the money come from? How does it compare to your tax records? Are there any discrepancies? If yes, then halt progress. If no, then despite the resentment towards those who committed those acts against our country, it still doesn't make all Muslims terrorists; they have a right to build if they acquired the property within the confines of the law and have legitimate sources of funding.

Blending the two breeds thoughts and ideals in favor of inequality and segregation; neither of which I will ever support.

I personally saw Rauf appear on a 60-Minutes special that was somewhere around 20 days after 9/11 and he was asked quite pointedly if the USA deserved this vicious attack. His response was as such (and I looked it up to quote it, because I remember being appalled the second he said it) – “I wouldn’t say that the United States deserved what happened. But the United States’ policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.”

Then, and here’s the real gem, he says, “Because we have been accessory to a lot of innocent lives dying in the world. In fact, in the most direct sense, Osama bin Laden is made in the USA.”

This is the guy who is organizing the urban development of this mosque. So Jeremiah, you miss the point on anything you’ve so flippantly written here. It’s pathetic that you would even make such correlations to this event and slavery. And – No “repita, por favor”?! If history was repeating itself, Jeremiah the building wouldn’t be moving forward with development, which it is. It is our right to have an opinion about it.

Welcome to America, fool.

Well that drives the point home, now doesn’t it? There is an uneasy and disagreeable feeling from people within the Muslim community as to the decision to build a huge multi-level mosque within viewing distance where not only 2 historic landmarks brought to the ground in an instant, but more importantly where over 3,000 Americans were murdered by Islamic jihadists.

People aren’t bitching because of bigamy or religious hatred. They aren’t even bitching because they feel they should have the “right” to build their mosque there. The issue above and beyond all else is that we grant all people living within the borders of the USA the rights and freedoms that are afforded to them by the laws in place and their constitutional rights. It’s not a pass to do to the Americans that perished that day what they demand respect, tolerance and sensitivity to their choice of beliefs.

And beyond what is seemingly blatant, the refusal of the release of where the funding is coming from to build this mosque is suspect. Rauf and his organizers dodge the inquiries refusing to share what should be public knowledge. Now, why is that? There’s something to be said when even Nancy Pelosi is vocal about investigating where the funding is coming from. She’s bat-shit loony. I never thought I would see the day that I would ever quote one damned thing this woman ever said, but she went on record saying…

“The freedom of religion is a Constitutional right. Where a place of worship is located is a local decision… “I support the statement made by the Interfaith Alliance that ‘We agree with the ADL that there is a need for transparency about who is funding the effort to build this Islamic center. At the same time, we should also ask who is funding the attacks against the construction of the center.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated in regards to this very topic – “Should government attempt to deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship on private property based on their particular religion? That may happen in other countries, but we should never allow it to happen here.”

Fair enough Bloomberg, but his generic – We’re a free democratic country that allows our people to build where they’d like to (under proper legalities) and worship where ever they find their God under whatever name they call their religious beliefs.

It’s curious though, that if the controversy surrounding the decision to build a mosque 2 blocks from ground zero is being made to be all about tolerance and sensitivity. It seems that the people organizing the building of this mosque would show the same decency and respect that they so adamantly demand when it’s in relation to their personal and religious sanctity.