Obama Lost Me and My Heart is Broken I am a democrat. I’m pretty liberal but the president, Barrack Obama, has lost me and I’m really sad. Actually, my heart is broken.
According to the most recent Fox News (I generally watch CNN) poll 64 percent of Americans think it’s building a mosque there is “wrong”. I’m not a political pundit but I feel more strongly about this than any other issue in years, and I live in Arkansas and I’m a Democrat. Still, I’m ready to find a picket sign and march (for the first time in my life) in the streets of NYC.
Generally, I side with being politically correct (I can feel you all rolling your eyes), I am bathed by Southern guilt. I want to do and fix everything for every one and I was hoping President Obama would help me with my agenda.
But the idea of a mosque next door to ground zero is too much. How can he even talk as though it is their “right” to build that mosque/community center on that site. Right now, I don’t care about their rights. I care about the heart, soul and blood of America. I care about my friend Pamela Block Works who lost her husband on 9/11.
New York City Gov. David Paterson offerd to help find the Muslem community a different piece of land, still close to this location. And his help was rejected.
Well, case closed. For me. that’s all I needed to hear. They want to build their Mosque/communtiy center next to Ground Zero and they obviously don’t care how we feel or what’s right. They don’t care about healing wounds or education. Their motives aren’t in question, they are black and white and highlighted in yellow. They want to build their structure on Ground Zero, the most painful scar on the American landscape, so we never forget what they did to us.
And still the President, who I voted for, doesn’t seem really angry. He doesn’t seem pissed off. Now I get it. He simply doesn’t “have the back of the American people” and at the end of the day I need a Commander in Chief that is sometimes politically incorrect, who is sometimes enraged and overcome with emotion and always has my back.
I’m sure there will be more to write on this subject for years, because it will not be settled quickly. But for now these are my non-pundit, heart broken thoughts.
Diana,
Our President (and former Law Professor) clarified his comments when he said “I didn’t say I agreed with the wisdom of the decision; I only said I agreed with their constitutional rights.” I feel the same way about certain other “constitutionally=protected” activities (which include freedoms just as making nasty comments about people of the other political party, and until recently — flag-burning). In the same fashion as I wouldn’t want a Fundamentalist Protestant Snake-Handling Church built next door to my house, I think it’s in *very* poor judgement to build a mosque that close to Ground Zero. But constitutionally . . . . . . they are both protected.
If we start down the slippery slope of “whose religion should be constitutionally protected/banned”, we Episcopals here in the Bible Belt could find ourselves on the outside!
I hate it when you throw law, leagal and truth stuff at me. That’s so not fair.
Thanks alot this made for intresting reading. I really like your site, the theme is extremely cool. I have visited here a number of times but have never commented, just wanted to let you know… Keep up the good work! Another thing i like to do when reading blogs is play Flash games 🙂 Worlds Hardest Game and Crush The Castle are the two favorite.
Thanks Natisha, I should have a new story up tonight. I love the comments, lets me know people care.
Diana
heres something to think about
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2010/08/19/for-strip-clubs-near-ground-zero-its-business-as-usual-amid-mosque-uproar/
Well Jack,
Those are some smart and well spoken strippers.
Gotta say I agree w/byates on the second glance comment.
As I’ve stated, before, He lost me before the election,
but it’s better to wake up now, than not at all.
I really wanted to be wrong about him…
Well done, Di.
Oliver Wendel Holmes pointed out that with every right there is also a responsibility. In this case, where I believe they do have right to build there, I also ardently believe they have the responsibility to be sensitive to the situation, which would require them to not build on a site so close to ground zero. Unfortunately today too many people and groups do not seem to have much of a sense of decorum or manners and we are consequently dealt situations like this.
What amazes me is that President Obama had the option to not speak to this issue and have his spokespeople defer it as a local issue or something else. But instead, he picked a political, social and passionate wound in which to lightly sprinkle salt. This clearly cemented his feet in a position not many Americans are pleased with (to wit: Hampoland). Possibly not the best decision he has made in the past few days.
Nicely done Diana.
i have met a lot of mulims who don’t want it built there around the world. they say that it is just not the right thing to do. hmm
As a conservative, I feared my liberal friends would blindly side with the President on this. Your column heartens me. At least some Dems aren’t smoking the Hopium the Prez is peddling.