Grace Period

In the New Paltz Journal:

Bob Tyrrell wraps up the case against this flagrantly obscene move on Ground Zero in Manhattan:

There is nothing irrational or bigoted about thinking that a mosque does not belong at Ground Zero or at the Pentagon or on the Pennsylvania countryside where United Flight 93 crashed.  Americans traditionally raise on such sites monuments to freedom, to courage, to the sacrifices of those lost. Now the Ruling Class wants to place a mosque at the site of September 11. It is the only time I can recall the Ruling Class ever being in favor of placing a religious manifestation anywhere. Yet in favoring this mosque, the Ruling Class does put itself squarely in opposition to the Country Class, so it does have a logic to it.

Note that Tyrrell has adopted some of the terms (Ruling Class and Country Class) from Angelo Codevilla’s recent assessment of the approaching Dark, America’s Ruling Class — And the Perils of Revolution, which is a prolonged but important read.

As for the mosque in downtown Manhattan, it will win no favor for Muslims, not an iota. I consider this a grace period, while there is still opportunity to cancel the construction. But the moment that the first wrecking ball hits the building that is currently there with the intent of taking it down to build the mosque, not another dime of mine will go to a Muslim-owned business anywhere.

I suspect this is absolutely correct.  And that is as it should be.
I have largely been holding back on the topic of this mosque, other than to suggest that allowing it to go up is the wrong move.  The constitutional rights involving Muslims or anybody else being able to correct any building they see fit on any piece of property they own is beyond question. But that it is a bad idea in the extreme at least from the standpoint of Americanism, is also beyond question.  This is Cultural exploitation and expansionism on a level which should not be tolerated by our society.

Constitutional rights however only involve government, and restrictions on its reaction to the actions of individuals or groups of Americans.  I suggest there is no clear-cut way for government per se’ to deal with such issues. Nor, I think should there be.  I suppose the subject of zoning ordinances will come up, but frankly , I’m with Billy on this point, it strikes me as anti-freedom.

The proper reaction to such things, is as New Paltz  suggests. I have been saying for the last decade and longer, where are all that good Muslims?  Let’s see some of them stand up and say this monstrosity is exactly that a monstrosity and a bad very bad idea.  Barring that, they don’t deserve any trust in our society.  I’m not suggesting governmental action  at all…. I’m suggesting that they be shunned at a societal level.

I think most people would be surprised how effective that treatment can be.