Mosque Letter One

Dear Editor:

I have noticed that there is a community of Muslims in New York that are trying to build a mosque a couple blocks from Ground Zero. I was surprised to find that after the mosque was already approved by the city there were people still protesting the idea. Even though the protesters were outnumbered by supporters, I still find it absurd to be protesting the mosque. The Muslim community owns the land that they wish to build the mosque on and they are U.S. citizens through birth or naturalization. These people are no less U.S. citizens than anyone else. They have the same rights. One of these rights is the freedom of religion. The Muslim community has the right to follow whatever religion they wish. By protesting the mosque people are protesting this right in the Constitution.

Many people saying that they believe the mosque shouldn’t be built are afraid of terrorism and also say that it is an insult to the people who lost their lives because of 9/11. These people are not the people who helped in the 9/11 terrorist attack. The only way it would be an insult would be if the Muslim terrorists who helped in the 9/11 attack were asking to build a mosque. The mosque that is going to go up isn’t even going up on Ground Zero. It is two blocks away and is owned by the Muslim community. If they wish to build a mosque on their land then they have every right to do so. The mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, also believes that the mosque should be built, saying,“ The attack was an act of war, and our first responders defended not only our city but also our country and Constitution. We do not honor their lives by denying the very constitutional rights they died protecting.”

According to an article in Upfront Magazine, “Islam: Not In My Backyard,” 67% of Americans believe that the Muslims have the right to build the mosque. However, 71% say that they find it inappropriate. The mosque is not inappropriate, however, because it is not being built on Ground Zero. Also according to this article, 43% of Americans say they feel at least a little prejudice towards Muslims. The reason that people do not think the mosque should be built is because they do feel prejudice towards Muslims. People are trying to take a couple of Muslims who were terrorists and group them with every other Muslim out there. This not the right thing to do and should not be the reason why the mosque isn’t built.

Sincerely,

Josh Gary

Ten Years After: What's Next after bin Laden? By Grahm Kwasnick

Even if you live in a cave in Pakistan, by now most of you of have caught wind of the news that the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks of September 11^th, 2001 -- Osama bin Laden -- has been killed by United States troops.

Since 2001 bin Laden has been in hiding in the Middle East with the aid from his al Qaeda allies. This game of hide and seek came to a patriotic end when in the midst of a 48-minute firefight, Osama and three other men were killed. Thankfully, no civilians (or American solders) were killed in the firefight that erupted in the suburban city of Abbottabad. Osama bin Laden was killed and his body was buried in the sea by American solders. Back home in America, millions celebrated the death of the terrorist and voiced their patriotism in parades, breaking out into song and speaking proudly and passionately to reporters on the scene of the many celebratory gatherings.

But as the media storm and celebration settles, what's next? Are we going to pull troops from the Afghanistan and bring them home to their families and loved ones for good? Or are we sitting ducks for a retaliation attack on bin Laden's followers?

The death of Osama bin Laden swept across the nation and thousands of Americans hit the streets to celebrate the death of the wanted terrorist. But now that the celebration is over, and some weight has been lifted off America's shoulders, what comes next? While the death brought joy upon American citizens, it also brought fear for a possible retaliation by Pakistan.

The Obama Administration had this to say regarding this fear, “There's no intelligence yet pointing to specific or imminent plans for future attacks, but its spies are watching and eavesdroppers are listening carefully for any such signs.”

While we may be “safe” for now as far as global terrorist attacks are concerned, there are indeed possibilities for attacks here in America. The FBI and Homeland Security made sure that all law enforcement officials should be vigilant for extremists that wish to retaliate on American soil. Precautions are still being taken as far as suspicious behavior elsewhere in America – so not much has changed since the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001. Monitoring airports, background checks on employees, and other curtailments of our cherished freedoms will continue.

Don't expect our president to bring the troops home soon and calling it quits on the current relationship we have with Pakistan, Afghanistan or even al Qaeda. Our troops will still be overseas making sure that things continue to cool down and we develop a stronger friendship rather than a stronger enemy with Pakistan.

You can read much more about the death of bin Laden as well as what many believe is next for America at these links, each of which were used for this story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://www.foxnews.com

http://www.nytimes.com

Governor LePage, reality TV star? By Matthew Principe

As we get to know our governor Paul LePage I guess we can say he likes to speak his mind, a lot. He is different then most governors. In just four months he has sparked controversy many times with his words and deeds. Just when I thought he was settling into a routine, Governor LePage came up with another great idea. Turns out he's just like many of us – he wants to be a TV star. Paul LePage wants to launch his own television show called “Inside the Blaine House.”

I didn't know what the Blaine House was until I researched this article. It's the governor's mansion, basically, and LePage wants to be in a reality show from his house. His reasoning for doing this is to get his message across to the Maine people without all the interference from the state house press corps. LePage has had a strained relationship with the media. He wants to speak to Maine people directly, not through the press. According to the Lewiston Sun Journal, “There will be no edited sound bites or one-sided stories.” LePage believes this is the best way to to talk about the issues with Maine people while encouraging them to find out the facts with their own research.

The show would air via the Internet and Channel 9. Democrats, however, say Governor LePage is stepping away from his promise of government transparency. Time Warner Cable said that LePage's show would first start out on the Internet on a biweekly special at 5 p.m. Next it would move to cable on Channel 9. Everybody is not totally OK with the idea. However a former governor of Maine, Angus King had is own call in TV show called the Capitol Connection. He loves the idea and supports LePage fully.

“It’s a chance for the governor to speak directly to the people in a direct and unfiltered way,” King told the Lewiston Sun Journal. “I think it’s a a great idea. I applaud him for it.” Meanwhile, Maine State Historian Earle Shettle worth doesn’t ever remember any other governors with T.V. shows.

Although the governor's idea reminds some of an Augusta version of “Jersey Shore,” producers of the show have said that some pre-taping will ensure quality dialogue about meaningful issues. Cameras will shoot people asking LePage questions and the governor answering them at the Blaine House. The idea is unfiltered messages from the governor, although to some it may look like propaganda. Says Brain Pomerleau, a former electrical engineer doing video production “Were trying to provide a platform where these people can speak directly to the public... without being controlled by the media.” When he refers to “people,” he is talking about government officials.

Who knows what Governor LePage will think of next.

(Material from The Lewiston Sun Journal was used for this story)