Quran Burning Story: This Is How The Media Embarrass Themselves

Don't really know where to start with this one; it's just that good. It's a wonderful summation of our media's ability and willingness to bend to the whims of the small percentage of retarded that seem to dominate our political/social discourse:

Quote :

Quran Burning Story: This Is How The Media Embarrass Themselves

Earlier this year, an organization called the Cordoba Initiative were granted permission by the appropriate authorities in New York City to turn an old Burlington Coat Factory at 51 Park Place in lower Manhattan into a community center. The organization was headed by an Imam named Feisal Abdul Rauf, who has made it his life's work to stand against radical cults like al Qaeda and teach young Muslims that America is a place where one can freely worship at the appointed times and then join other faith communities in America in the task of building a great nation. The proposed community center was to include a basketball court and space for different religious communities in New York City to have interfaith relations. It was also going to have a place for Muslims to pray, if they liked.

The news didn't sit well with many people in New York, most notably people who didn't live in Manhattan. This is because they were told by a gaggle of dumb Islamophobes that what was planned was a "Ground Zero mosque." Of course, the planned community center was not, strictly speaking, a "mosque." And it was most definitely not "at Ground Zero." "Ground Zero" is the site of an interminable municipal construction project. There are no plans to build a mosque there. "Ground Zero" is also not the name of a recognized New York City neighborhood, like DUMBO or Murray Hill. But, here's the thing: even if it was, the battle to stop the "Ground Zero mosque" was already lost, because there already is a mosque in that neighborhood.

This logic failed to sink in, because very few people outside of me and the good people over at Wonkette made any attempt to bring these facts to light. But it might not have mattered, because the fertile field of opposition to the Park51 community center was the raw wound of the September 11th attacks. Obviously, many people are still feeling the loss of that day. And that loss breeds many emotions, among them sadness and anger. And people definitely do have the right to express their sadness and their anger. But what people don't have the right to expect is that the government will intervene to remedy claims that have no basis in law.

That small percentage seems to be mostly far far right - every once in a while the far left shouts out too.

Oh, absolutely. But I just don't see them having the ability to influence the media and take over the social discourse like the right does. 9/11 Twoofers have been around for a while now, but thankfully, I don't think the media has ever taken them seriously. I unfortunately can't say the same about creationists, AGW "skeptics", birthers, and those slathering over a non-existent "Ground Zero mosque".