In an attempt to finesse a haphazard 'treaty,' Governor David Paterson, along with Congressman Peter King, are celebrating that the State of New York is prepared to offer developers of the Cordoba House, the Ground Zero Mosque, a parcel of state land, much further away from the World Trade Center area, free of charge, in exchange for their agreement to build their mosque on the state land, far from Ground Zero.
Free land in New York City? Pretty sweet deal, right? Unfortunately, for Paterson and King, they are practicing one of the most bigoted forms of public policy that has greatly hurt America - redlining.
It was around the 60's, 70's, and sadly, well into the 80's that local governments wrestled with the idea of 'integration.' After all, the federal government had passed numerous Civil Rights bills, guaranteeing that all people in America, regardless of skin color, religion, or sexual orientation, would be guaranteed the same opportunities - but the broken chain within this fence was municipal policy.
As the jaw of integration sunk its teeth into local laws, municipal governments would proudly talk about the modern housing projects they would build and restore, like Cabrini-Green and Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago or the Roxbury Projects in Boston. And to these municipal leaders, these 'modern' apartments in Cabrini-Green would be state-of-the-art and zoned for 'lower-incomes' or 'rent-control,' meaning that good, 'hard working' Americans, could finally find a home, especially disenfranchised minorities. After all, for the municipal government to spend so much money and time in developing these apartments specifically for poor minorities - was this not the height of American compassion?
The result?
Documented cases show mortgage and loan companies often steering African-Americans and minorities into housing projects, concentrating them far from 'white' neighborhoods. Once placed in such projects, minority populations were aggressively redlined, with banks denying mortgage and business loans that would help minorities leave, sometimes only on the basis of geography.
But worse is the theory of 'planned shrinkage' often discussed by scholar Robert Wallace, who argued that as African-American and minority populations were increasingly concentrated into housing projects, municipal services would suddenly leave, leaving the inhabitants of the projects to their own devices, where sadly, street gangs determined the law of the land, as police forces, public schools, and all forms of government assistance subsided.
So allow us to review - Peter King and David Paterson are suddenly offering a group of minorities (Muslims) a free piece of land - a 'sweetheart' deal of compassion - in exchange for their permanently leaving a major business section of Manhattan and never coming back?
America, we have seen this before.
Was it Peter King's ilk who cut the red ribbons when projects like Cabrini-Green first opened, hailing the low income apartments as a great 'compromise' between forced integration and municipal response?
But David Paterson is the one who cannot be figured out? I know he is without vision, but even Governor Paterson should know that he is an African-American? And has it occurred to the Governor that he is attempting to practice a bigoted policy that continues to devastate the African-American community to this day? If Governor Paterson isn't bigoted against Muslims, then he is certainly a failed student of American History.
And lastly, it is my hope that the developers behind the Cordoba House reject this awful deal. While the minorities of the 60's, 70's, and 80's were fooled by a compassionate face, the minorities of America today are far too educated to be bamboozled in such a manner - or so I think?
As my favorite, fellow Republican, George W. Bush, would say, "Fool me once? Shame on you. Fool me twice? Shame on me."
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Salam Al Marayati: 5 Questions Swirling Around the 'Ground Zero Mosque' Debate
I hope that despite the fact that I think it's the wrong thing to do. I happen to think that you don't build a bridge to understanding and community by picking a fight (which for better or worse, is what this location is going to breed). But despite my thoughts, it's their right as Americans to build the project exactly where they intend to.
And at the same time, I hope that those people who choose to protest the project continue to do so peacefully.
In this case, the triumph of the system and of our Constitution will likely leave everybody unhappy, at least in the immedaite.
And I personally hope that's exactly the way it happens.
I'm not against Islam being practiced in America and I'm not against mosques being built in America in general, but I'm against hypocrites who would abuse their Constitutional rights by being blantantly insensitive, and worse, to promote their very UNconstitutional ideas that go against the concept of separation of church and state.
I'm also blown away anyone would attempt to appease these people by offering them free land in New York. That's wrong: not because it's "redlining," but because they don't deserve it.
I don't care if anything in this post is "politically incorrect," because I'm tired of the censorship political correctness has inflicted on Americans. All the founders of the project have to do is cry "bigot," and, all of a sudden, the leftists on this site jump up and come to their support without doing any investigation of their own and scream "shut up" to the opposers, as if the opposers don't deserve their own first amendment rights!
Remember AreYourJoking - not everyone was happy when slavery was abolished.... but it was the right thing to do, which ultimately dictates our wonderful country
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fajita, there are TWO Christian churches practically on top of Ground Zero (which the mosque certainly is NOT): St. Peter's Catholic Church and St. Paul's Episcopal Chapel. Within a few blocks, we have Trinity Episcopal Church, the Battery Park Synagogue, St. Joseph's (Catholic) Chapel, and John Street Methodist Church. Beyond THAT, we have the Wall Street Synagogue and two more Catholic churches. It's one of the most "churched"-up spaces in Manhattan.
The redlining of the past was unfortunate and really doesn't compare to our contemporary society. Today we are supposedly at war, and it is increasingly confusing who the enemy is, or might be. It wasn't white, protestant Americans who tried to blow up an SUV in Times Square recently.
I think the developers of the Park51 project, and all other Muslims who have been welcomed into this country and found good fortune, owe it to themselves and their fellow Americans to speak out more against terrorism and to educate their American neighbors about why they, their religion and their religion's buildings and symbols are not a threat.
Law abiding Americans who have never done anything wrong in their lives are now searched every day in the airports when they try to board a domestic flight. This abuse of the 4th Amendment is a direct result of Muslim terrorists. This is but one small part of the huge grievance that non-Muslim Americans have against Muslims, whether they be American or not.
I do politely disagree with the analysis - many American Muslim groups and leaders, including MPAC, CAIR, AMC, etc, as well as myself (I started Muslims For Bush and Muslims For America) have worked hard to condemn terrorism - whether the media reports it is another story
I do agree that the organizers should spend more time talking about Islam and its peaceful aspects - this entire dialogue breeds an opportunity for that and I agree there
I don't think we are that foolish and I truly believe that love, peace, and acceptance will prevail
Please post comments - I will be doing my best to reply to most comments later this evening
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Love and peace all! I'll be back in tonight!
- Muhammad Ali Hasan