"The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave"

It's time to Break It Down!

Have you ever heard of the “Defence of Fort McHenry?” Sure you have; but probably by another name. That was the original title of the poem Francis Scott Key wrote in 1814, that would eventually become our national anthem. And yes, that is the way Defense was spelled.

Key wrote the poem to depict what he saw during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the Chesapeake Bay, which occurred during the War of 1812. The Navy recognized “The Star-Spangled Banner” for official use in 1889. The Office of the President began using it in 1916, and in 1931, President Hoover signed a congressional resolution, making it the national anthem.  And you thought the Depression was the only notable occurrence in the Hoover era.

Land of the free and the home of the brave has long said a lot about who we (believe we) are, as well as to who we aspire to be. Over the last several days, however, I have been forced to ask, “Are we also The Sanctuary of the Hypocritical?”

Have you ever heard of The Cordoba Initiative? Sure you have; but probably by another name. The Cordoba Initiative is the effort designed to build an Islamic Community Center in Lower Manhattan, often referred to pejoratively as The Ground Zero Mosque; at the very least somewhat a misnomer. The facility would include a Mosque, but is not just a Mosque, nor would it serve predominately in that capacity.

Two hundred twenty years ago today, George Washington, responding to a proclamation from the Jewish Community of New Port, Rhode Island, on the occasion of his visit to their local Synagogue wrote, “For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.”

That commitment to freedom from bigotry, religious and otherwise, seemingly declared inviolable at that moment, by the nation’s 1st Commander-in-Chief, seems to be for some today, a concept made noteworthy, only by its transitory nature. Friday, the nation’s 44th Commander-in-Chief cited the U.S. Constitution, and its religious freedom protection as a reasonable basis for accepting the local decision to allow the Cordoba House to be erected two blocks from Ground Zero. Based on the reaction of some to his statement, one may have thought he made a Heil Hitler salute, and broke out in a Goose Step.

In fact, one detractor, Newt Gingrich, who happens to be a potential challenger to Mr. Obama in 2012, used a Nazi reference to enunciate his opposition to the project. He argued, that “Nazis don't have the right to put up a sign next to the holocaust museum in Washington." Interestingly, perhaps ironically; maybe just without recalling, Mr. Gingrich made this analogy, even though, just a year ago, a guard at the museum was killed by a white supremacist trying to enter the museum with a gun.

Mr. Gingrich, like many contemporaries in his ideological camp often fashions his opponents as reflections of some previous American arch-enemy. He recently authored a book in which he alleged Mr. Obama and his fellow Democrats were “secular socialists” who represented as great a threat to America as Nazis or the U.S.S.R. did at one time.

Numerous reasons have been advanced, in opposing to the Cordoba Initiative. Let it be clear, a recent CNN Poll showed that 70% of Americans oppose this project; only 29% favor it. New York Mayor Bloomberg appears to be in the early stages of negotiating the selection of an alternative site. A number of analysts theorize that locating the project at 45-51 Park Place (Park 51), two blocks from Ground Zero, will never happen.

Perhaps it will not. But in ceding to often bombastic demagoguery, instead of fostering reasoned discourse and civil debate, are we as Americans honoring our stated values…or trampling them? It is clear, the principal of religious freedom has taken a huge hit, and if the project is relocated, that blow will be all the more debilitating. What of the next time the issue arises, for some other faith tradition?

Much of the heat and light attached to the issue has centered on the sacred nature of Ground Zero. There are twin considerations that at warrant inclusion in any discussion about Ground Zero as a location, as well as any conversation about the concept of the site being sacred.

First, while it may not be clear from the arguments that abound, the project is not located at Ground Zero. It is not located across the street from Ground Zero, it is not located around the corner from Ground Zero, and it is not even located just a block away from Ground Zero. The site in question is in “the neighborhood,” two blocks away.

Second, the contingent of debaters arguing that Ground Zero, or more appropriately the neighborhood around it, is sacred has clearly and conveniently redefined the term sacred. The Ground Zero Neighborhood (GZN) is a typically diverse city area that covers approximately 12 city blocks. Included in the GZN are numerous establishments, including, but not limited to:

• 18 Banks

• 17 Pizza shops

• 11 Bars

• 10 Churches

• 3 Synagogues

• 1 Buddhist Community Center

• 1 Hare Krishna facility

• 1 Mosque

The GZN is also home to two strip clubs, an adult lingerie shop, and an Off Track Betting Parlor. Some of these establishments are as close to Ground Zero as the proposed Cordoba House.

In the final analysis, I believe the people of Manhattan should decide whether to locate the Cordoba House in the GZN. I have no compelling argument from afar that contends this is either the only location acceptable, or even the best one. Rather, I make instead, a clarion call to those who stand proudly to proclaim that here in America, we live in “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave,” to also insist, just as proudly, passionately, fervently, and frequently, that we support all the freedoms accorded by our Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. I am convinced that for one to do otherwise is to act as a hypocrite...of the highest magnitude.

I’m done; holla back!

PS. This post marks the Third Anniversary Edition of "Break It Down!" It has been a truly amazing ride.


If you have been around frequently, or sporadically since 2007, I hope you have witnessed an organic and ever-evolving web log. I am confident it is not what it will be, but certain it is not what it was. To all whom provided thoughtful suggestions and/or criticism, thank you. If you have ever provided feedback about the blog to me directly, via an e-mail, or on the comment page, I appreciate your contribution to my growth as a blogger, and to the content and quality of my posts. If you have read the blog, but never commented, thanks for returning to check out this issue. If this is your first time receiving or reading the blog, thank you for tuning in.

To every one, enjoy; feel free to weigh in, and tell a friend about "Break It Down!"


Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Scott_Key

http://www.cordobainitiative.org/

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/name-that-mosque-ground-zeros-other-neighbors/19590651

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/16/2010-08-16_a_sea_of_filth_near_ground_zer0_mosque_gets_all_the_press_but_porns_around_corne.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia

http://www.newser.com/story/98257/ground-zero-bars-strip-clubs-abound.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/08/newt-gingrich-compares-ground.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7949530/The-battle-over-the-mosque-at-Ground-Zero.html

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/todays-question/archive/2010/08/would-the-construction-of-a-mosque-near-ground-zero-dishonor-those-who-died-there.shtml

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/08/obama-president-bloomberg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goose-step

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS390&q=heil+hitler&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=JW1rTJGHBcKC8gaOxpigAw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDYQsAQwAw&biw=1259&bih=490