Missing the Point: Ground Zero

I have been watching the battle over the proposed Ground Zero mosque in NYC with great interest.  Some have argued that opposition to the mosque is a clear-cut attack on free exercise of religion.  Those opposed to its construction say that religion plays no part in their unease.  It is the location of the proposed mosque and the radical imam behind it that they find frightening.  It has become a source of debate nationwide with even the President weighing in.  The new outlets have interviewed every lawyer, activist, imam, and politician in the country.  But it seems as though the voice of the locals, who will actually have to live and work near the mosque, are being drowned out by the sea of “experts.”  Sure, we see footage of protests and town-hall meetings, but is it having any influence?  When the final decision is made, will the wishes of the community even be considered?  And if the people of New York believe this mosque poses a threat to their physical security, why should anyone else’s opinion even matter?

Every community is different.  It has its own look, culture, and economic make-up.  and our country was designed to encourage this uniqueness.  It started with a relatively broad set of rules laid out in the Constitution.  States were free to draft more specific laws as long as the stayed within the bounds of the Bill of Rights.  Counties, cities, and even neighborhoods contributed further.  Some places going so far as to dictate the length of your grass and color of your Christmas lights.   For generations, people have had the ability to settle down in a place that was perfect for their lifestyle.  Whether you are a green-living liberal vegan or an SUV driving gun-toting conservative, there is a neighborhood just for you.   If you like to landscape your home so it matches the latest photo spread in Town and Country or if you believe that a Lazy Boy looks just dandy sitting on the front lawn, there is a neighborhood just for you.  And these laws go beyond the superficial.  They effect the style of education your child benefits (or suffers) from. They determine whether a community has a booming downtown area or remains strictly residential.  But even more importantly, the safety and overall atmosphere of an area is ultimately decided by the people who live there.  And that is the heart of the issue.  This case raises the question of whether or not a community has the right to determine for itself what does or does not pose a threat to its safety.

One of the arguments in favor of building the mosque is that because there is nothing illegal about building a mosque, no one has the right to stop it.  In our country, it is perfectly legal to open a strip club, bar, casino, or porn shop.  Most of us would agree that an adult store ought not to be located next to a playground where the children can peer into the windows.  We would also say that before a casino is built, the community needs to weigh the possible economic benefits against the inevitable change in atmosphere and the growth of a criminal element that usually follows.  Many times the locals decide that the possible jobs created by the casino are well worth any risks, sometimes they don’t.  The point is, they have an open debate on the issue and it is ultimately decided by those who will have to live and work nearby.  The only restraint is that the decisions cannot violate any Civil Rights.  A municipality cannot just decide to banish guns, eliminate Miranda rights, or interfere with the free exercise of religion.  Which brings us back to New York.  There are more than 100 mosques in New York City.  There is not, nor has there been, any attempt made to prevent Muslim worship within the city.  This is about the safety of the community.  The imam has openly blamed the U.S. for 9/11, says he would like our country to be Sharia compliant, and has ties to Hamas.  The fundraising for the $100 million project is shady, to say the least.  And, of course, there is the location of the mosque to consider.  Even if you believe the imam has good intentions ( I’m willing to bet your also prone to excitement over e-mails from wealthy princes who want to deposit 2 million euros in your bank account), you should be able to recognize the sort of attraction this project will, in all likelihood, become.  Residents fear that every America-hating would-be terrorist in the world will be making a pilgrimage to see the site of, what they believe to be, Allah’s victory against the great Satan!  The ultimate vacation spot for suicide bombers to mix and mingle.  This has nothing to do with religious intolerance or any other such foolishness.  This is about a group of people who have purchased homes and spent their life savings to open up business in an area that may soon become Hamas’s version of the Hamptons!  Just because the act of building a mosque is legal, doesn’t mean that the community shouldn’t have some say in it.  If residents believe it poses a significant threat to their safety and way of life, then their feelings ought to be considered.  New York City is a big place.  No one but the people of lower Manhattan ought to have a say in this.  It is a local issue.  It shouldn’t be decided by people who live on the opposite side of the city, or Mayor Bloomberg, or the White House.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the way this story is headed.

The problem facing New York residents is a common one.  People from all over the United States have come to the conclusion that they are powerless to shape even their own neighborhoods.  Lawsuits, judicial activism, and over reaching state and federal governments have gradually worn away the authority of small local governing bodies.   Even worse, this shift seems to be entirely one-sided.   While courts have decided that places like strip clubs have the “right” to be located anywhere the owner chooses without restriction, they have repeatedly ruled that people don’t have the right to pray in public lest they offend someone.  What about the people who were offended by the strip club?  What if that offends their religious sensibilities?  The point is, that if we believe in individual rights and the concept of private property, then we must also allow the people of each community to have some say in matters that will directly affect their living and working environment as well as their property. We can’t continue to rely on fallible judges  to make all of our decisions.  If a portion of a community believes that something will negatively impact the lives of their families and the value of their homes, they ought to at least have their opinions heard.  Maybe the other residents will agree with them, maybe they won’t.  But as long as the community respects the Civil Liberties of all its citizens, it is no one else’s business other than those who live there.

Ironically enough, it is the voters of largely liberal areas like New York that have gotten us to this point.  The point where the reach of the big government keeps getting bigger, the power of the local leaders gets smaller, and the influence of special interest groups trumps everything.  They have willingly surrendered so much of their power as individuals and now they want it back.  But in order to reclaim that power, many residents need to change their entire frame of mind.  And if other communities don’t wish to end up like Manhattan, then people need to get involved.  We have to dedicate ourselves to the concept of keeping government small and local.  We have to stop begging the federal and state governments to solve all of our problems.  We can’t run to the courts to settle every dispute between neighbors.  When you allow someone else to decide what’s offensive or dangerous, you lose the power to decide for yourself. If we truly value the structure of this country, the diversity of our citizens, and the character of our communities then we must preserve our power as individuals and as neighbors.  You may not agree with the people of lower Manhattan, but ask yourself:  If you believed that a man with ties to terrorists wanted to set up shop next door, would you trust people from the other side of the country to make the right call?  Would they be able to grasp how hard you worked to buy the perfect house or open your dream business in just the right neighborhood?  Would they understand the fear you felt for your family’s safety?  Could they ever, living miles away, really get it?  Of course not.  We can’t imagine what it’s like for the people who witnessed 9/11 firsthand, we don’t know how this mosque will affect the community.  So they should decide.  It’s their neighborhood.  And if you still think Feisal Abdul Rauf was treated unfairly, then by all means, invite him to your town.