There's been a lot of talk regarding the community center/mosque to be built mere blocks away from where the World Trade Center once stood. At first I thought this would not be a good idea on the grounds of sensitivity. That was before I found out there are currently 2 mosques within mere blocks of ground zero, one of which was opened in 1970 and actually predates the WTC. (The other has been around since 1985.) Or that a strip club is located a mere 2 blocks away. Now, I truthfully don't know. I really appreciate the feelings and concerns of those who lost loved ones at the WTC on Sept 11th but there are big inconsistencies in this situation. Huffington Post contributor Bob Cesca addresses them. Namely...
...there's going to be a shopping mall literally in the ground of Ground Zero. "Below-grade" means "in the ground." The Ground. In other words, Sarah Palin and her entire gaggle of various babies and ghost writers can visit Ground Zero and honor the heroes and victims of 9/11 while trying on tankinis at Juicy Couture (or whatever clothing stores end up there) constructed within the actual ground of Ground Zero.
This bears repeating: unlike Park 51, which is blocks away, there's going to be a 55,000 square foot mall under the same ground where people fell to their deaths on that terrible day. Ground that's mixed with the remains of the dead. A mall.
Is anyone asking those who oppose this new mosque about the discrepancy between de-facto hallowed ground and soon-to-be commercial real estate? I personally don't have a dog in this hunt, I'm just trying to gauge where people are coming from on this matter. But there's some obvious contradictions here and acting on a whim is probably not a good idea.
Here's the rest of Bob Cesca's piece.
