Monday, August 23, 2010

The "Ground Zero Mosque" Controversy

Instead of reiterating the more or less obvious reasons why the community center project should never have been the target of protests in the first place, I want to quickly address why it is in the media at all. 
Why do we keep talking about this issue? I know, especially for liberals, the knee-jerk reaction is to say this is a silly non-issue since the proposed project is so inoffensive and it is merely feeding the fire to react.  
Well, I would respond that it is, firstly, a legitimate issue simply because it has been made into one. Ignoring fear-mongering and hatred even over an ostensibly idiotic protest, is dangerous. And secondly, this "ground zero mosque" thing is clearly just the outlet years of pent up anti-muslim sentiment has taken on. Spurred by the far right, this match has finally sparked a debate that has been a very long time in the making.  
Regardless of the impetus, this issue exposes that the public is just begging for some significant education on what Islam and Muslims are and are not.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Welcome To My Blog.

Here is my blog. It is the result of a singular simple question I have been asking myself for years now: Where are all the reasoned people? Everywhere I look on the web, in print, on TV; it is one irrational lunatic idea being spouted off after another. What happened to moderation? To thoughtfulness? To deliberation?
Of course, yes, there are many reasoned and reasonable voices out there. Some even get air time. However, on a cursory glance of the media world, it seems their voices are drowned out by the extremes.
And what is my blog? Just another drip into the sea of voices, but hopefully one more drip of reasoned thought that will eventually shift the tide.