Closing Argument: A New York Cabbie Attack

Yes, I think the rhetoric has become TOO HOT. People should be able to disagree and argue a point in a civilized country without become disagreeable. I don’t think the mosque should be built so close to ground zero either, but I wouldn’t go around stabbing anybody. Stabbing the cab driver shows that the argument has DEGENERATED into pure MOB HATRED, and that usually rules out any common sense and a signal that people’s BRAINS HAVE TURNED OFF, and they’ve become like ANIMALS. All sorts of bigots who always like to latch on to any situation to show their hatred & depravity are now using this as an excuse. That’s the problem with whipping up people’s emotions without an appeal to their MINDS; you may not be able to turn it off. Especially if the people you’re dealing with are ignorant imbeciles anyway. I don’t think the mosque should be built in that location; it’s not worth the trouble. Move it elsewhere and let the country rest, please. We have other more impt things to do. It’s too much of a distraction. People have strong emotions tied to 911 (of course), and so pls respect their wishes and change your plans.

No, the debate has not grown too hot. Obama’s Muslim Mosque should not be built at Ground Zero, and the debate has not yet gotten hot enough to stop it from being built.
But, stabbing a cabbie does not solve anything, and the guy who did it should spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The correct answer is for We the People of the United States of America to put pressure on the do-nothing government office holders to do their jobs and stop Obama’s Mosque from being built at Ground Zero.
Build it somewhere else or not at all.

The debate has definitely become too hot. The rhetoric used and the ignorant views of certain Americans with regard to peaceful, non-militant Muslims is a continuation of our country’s inability to have productive conversations about controversial issues. Take for example the ongoing debate about health care. Senators who voted for the bill were attacked at their homes. So-called “American patriots” have lost all sense of civility.
That aside, there is also the issue of continued negative stereotyping, discrimination and racial profiling. Even one of the previous commenter’s (who failed to name himself) kept referring to “Obama’s Mosque.” Despite Obama’s overt Christian beliefs, he is still “accused” of being Muslim. However, the obvious inherent problem with this is that being Muslim is used as an accusation to discredit and smear the president. Why is being Muslim considered a bad thing?
I am Christian and I am also American. America was founded, in part, because a large group of Englanders decided they didn’t want to be Roman Catholic. This provided the impetus for creating a nation supposedly based on freedom of speech (expression) and the right to believe in whatever you choose. Obviously, that doesn’t mean if you believe in killing people for your God, it’s okay–which is why we have laws in place for murder and hate crimes. However, it does mean that law-abiding citizens have the right to peaceably assemble and build a community centered on their lawful beliefs.
Just because one particular militant sect of a religious group does a horrible thing, it does not define the views, beliefs and perspectives of everyone in the group. Christians led the Crusades and Jim Jones led 900 people to suicide, but few would consider Christians to be terrorists.
I believe public leaders on both sides have a responsibility to pioneer productive discussion on controversial issues instead of playing to bipartisanship and emotions to secure votes. Instead of jumping down Obama’s throat about his comments at the White House Ramadan dinner, Republicans should have had the guts to remind America that the builders of the Mosque have a legal right to the land at ground zero. Unfortunately, our opinions on whether or not they should are irrelevant. The law is the law.
The consequences of heated, emotionally-charged rhetoric on controversial issues are too great. Public figures need to learn to temper these discussions, lest they continue to inflame ignorant America and give rise to American militants like the guy who stabbed the Muslim cab driver. He is just as much of an abomination as the terrorists who bombed the WTC.
At this point, I’m afraid for the Mosque to be built at the site near ground zero. God forbid “American” terrorists blow it up out of spite for a group of people who had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks.
Be reminded that Muslims also died in that tragic event that scarred the U.S. Now they’ve been doubly victimized because a great number of misinformed Americans believe the terms “Muslim” and “Taliban” are synonymous.