Fanatical Religious Hypocrisy

So every once in a while I watch Fox News because, well, I'm a political masochist.  But today the news, dare I say, was nearly "fair and balanced" - so Glenn Beck must be on his meds.

That was until I saw this report of a Fox News poll where despite 61 percent of those polled felt that there is a right for there to be mosque/community center built at "Ground Zero" in Manhattan, 64 percent of those polled felt that it is not right for one to be built there.

If there's one thing that really drives me nuts, it's hypocrisy.  You can guess which number was discussed with greater importance by the Fox pundits.  And since it is just a poll, really it doesn't matter it all.  But if we pretend it did, the only one that actually has any clout is the fact that the group has a RIGHT to build a mosque there.  It doesn't matter if it is insensitive (which it isn't - at all) or that the majority of people don't like it.  It's America - as long as it's legal you can do it.

Apparently President Obama commented at a dinner celebrating the beginning of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan that he felt that the group looking to build there had every right to do so, but would not comment on the "wisdom" of the matter.

The pundits of course then tried to deduce what the President means in all this.  Their conclusion was that Obama chose the "politically expedient" option for his public opinion.  GWAH!  Why does it have to be "politically expedient?!"  Perchance it's not some conspiracy of Obama playing the game and is actually what he thinks, you know, since he's a constitutional scholar?  The commentators also would like to see him weigh in on their other polling question, which Obama refused to do, because he is "supposed to be the moral leader of our country."  NO HE ISN'T!  He's a citizen chosen to "protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."  Which he did by saying he believes the Islamic group has a right to build there.  That's it.  It's not a conspiracy!  It's all there for you America! It's right there in front of you if you'd only open your eyes!

...

Sorry, I Beck'd out there.  Pop pop swallow.  Whew that's better.

What I'm saying is I wish people in this country would stop thinking one person or group or whatever is morally superior than another.  You aren't.  I'm not.  No one is.  You want to be Constitutionalists?  Go read the Constitution.  Freedom to practice one's religion doesn't just extend to you.  Freedom to marry doesn't just extend to you.  Freedom to speak, to protest doesn't just extend to you.  It's everyone's right, and so until we start coming up with real solutions to real problems and not these imaginary culture war ones, things aren't going to get better for anyone but those who profit from schemes and loopholes and hurting those weaker than themselves.

There are Japanese Shinto temples near Pearl Harbor.  There are churches in countries in which the vast majority of citizens are Muslim.  There are three religions living in Jerusalem.  There are Muslims in Israel, there are temples in Gaza.  Let people practice their religion, and as long as it is not going out of it's way to hurt anyone, let it be practiced in peace.  In our country diversity and tolerance are not a sign of being conquered - it is a sign of strength and testament to the resiliency of or founding documents.