TRICIA'S TIDBITS

Regarding this morning's show - I read a story about a Republican woman who said the President gave the appearance at a speech last year in Cairo to the Muslim world that he is Muslim. She said the President said in that speech that he IS a Muslim, even though he has repeatedly said he is a Christian. Now, I don't think I'm shocking anyone by saying I have a bit of a Republican bent. I think I am way more conservative than liberal in my viewpoints, but really, this kind of thing makes me do a palm to the forehead smack.

First of all, I doesn't matter what religion the President practices. That is the beauty of living in the United States - you get to choose, and, theoretically, it's not supposed to matter to whom you bend your knee because our Founding Fathers said you can worship whomever you please. However, because of the War on Terror, we equate Islam with terrorism. That is a dangerous leap to make because next thing you know, people will say that all people of Mexican extraction are drug dealing illegals. How's that work for ya?

The plain fact of the matter is that you have to defend people's rights whether you agree with their particular position or not. You don't get to choose who or when someone should get the full and equal protection of the Constitution. We all do all the time, that's the beauty of being a US citizen.

Now, do I think that a Muslim community center should be built near the site of the worst terrorist attack on US soil? No. I think it is in bad taste and more than a little disingenuous for the group who is going to build it to think that there would be no backlash. I also think that the people who have a problem with the community center should be allowed to voice their opinion just as much as I think the people who want to build it have a right to build it. This is America, people, love it or leave it. If you have the right to say they have the right to build it, I have the right to say indeed they do, but not so close to the World Trade Center site.

Discuss. . .