Media Reports It's Too Lazy To Report On Nuanced Views Of Mosque
The mosque has been the hot and only topic in the news recently as the dog days of August set upon us. This certainly isn't any reason to think that news organizations are going to take the time to explore any nuances in the mosque issue. If you depend on the media you would come to the conclusion that there are only two sides to the issue. You are either a freedom loving American who supports freedom of religion and the founding principles of our nation, or you are a racist bigot who hates America. Consider Our Mosque Madness by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times. She takes on Obama's seemingly pro-mosque speech and subsequent backtrack saying, "You cannot take such a stand on a matter of first principle and then take it back the next morning when, lo and behold, Harry Reid goes craven and the Republicans attack." She then re-enforces the statement arguing, "the ultimate victory for Osama and the 9/11 hijackers is the moral timidity that would ban a mosque from that neighborhood." This is a myth I have already deposed in my Reasoning with Radicals article but I will go ahead and reiterate. If a mosque is built at ground zero radical Islam will claim it as a victory and if we force it to move elsewhere radical Islam will claim it evidence of America's anti Islamic slant. You cannot reason with radical Islam.
Consider John Stewart, Keith Olbermann, Derrick Jackson, Dick Cavett, almost anyone from the lame stream media and they will tell you that this is an issue about freedom of religion. This couldn't be further from the truth. No one with any clout is arguing that the mosque shouldn't be built on any constitutional issue. Even Fox News released a poll finding that 61 percent of voters think there is a right to build the mosque there while 64 percent think it is a bad idea. The objection is purely a matter of taste.
I personally support the freedom to open mosques anywhere. I support the freedom to open bacon specialty restaurants next to any mosque. I also support our freedom as Americans to point out that these are dick moves by folks. Freedom to do something doesn't mean it is right. The media doesn't get that.
Finally I will point out that somehow the lame stream media has defied all reality and turned this into a political issue. 59 percent of New Yorkers are Democrat but 63% of New Yorkers are against the mosque. This isn't a party line issue. The assertions in the media that this is a Republican initiative are baseless unless they are willing to admit that an unprecedented number of voters are now Republican. This is entirely a common sense issue and I hope the media can eventually fess up and acknowledge it's false comparisons.
Tyson Bam
August 22nd, 2010
