OpenMike 9/11/10
from: Michael Moore's daily blog

I am opposed to the building of the "mosque" two blocks from Ground Zero.
I want it built on Ground Zero.
Why? Because I believe in an America that protects those who are
the victims of hate and prejudice. I believe in an America that says
you have the right to worship whatever God you have, wherever
you want to worship. And I believe in an America that says to the
world that we are a loving and generous people and if a bunch of
murderers steal your religion from you and use it as their excuse
to kill 3,000 souls, then I want to help you get your religion back.
And I want to put it at the spot where it was stolen from you.
There's been so much that's been said about this manufactured
controversy, I really don't want to waste any time on this day of
remembrance talking about it. But I hate bigotry and I hate liars,
and so in case you missed any of the truth that's been lost in this,
let me point out a few facts:

1. I love the Burlington Coat Factory. I've gotten some great
winter coats there at a very reasonable price. Muslims have
been holding their daily prayers there since 2009. No one ever
complained about that. This is not going to be a "mosque," it's
going to be a community center. It will have the same prayer
room in it that's already there. But to even have to assure people
that "it's not going to be mosque" is so offensive, I now wish they
would just build a 111-story mosque there. That would be better
than the lame and disgusting way the developer has left Ground
Zero an empty hole until recently. The remains of over 1,100
people still haven't been found. That site is a sacred graveyard,
and to be building another monument to commerce on it is a
sacrilege. Why wasn't the entire site turned into a memorial
peace park? People died there, and many of their remains
are still strewn about, all these years later.

2. Guess who has helped the Muslims organize their plans
for this community center? The JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
of Manhattan! Their rabbi has been advising them since the beginning.
It's been a picture-perfect example of the kind of world we all want to
live in. Peter Stuyvessant, New York's "founder," tried to expel the
first Jews who arrived in Manhattan. Then the Dutch said, no, that's
a bit much. So then Stuyvessant said ok, you can stay, but you
cannot build a synagogue anywhere in Manhattan. Do your stupid
Friday night thing at home. The first Jewish temple was not allowed
to be built until 1730. Then there was a revolution, and the founding
fathers said this country has to be secular -- no religious nuts or
state religions. George Washington (inaugurated around the
corner from Ground Zero) wanted to make a statement about
this his very first year in office, and wrote this
http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/milestones/hebrew_congregation_read.html
 to American Jews:

"The citizens of the United States of America have a right to  applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and  liberal policy -- a policy worthy of imitation. ...
"It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the  indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their  inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States,  which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires  only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good  citizens ...
"May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land  continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants -- while  every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall  be none to make him afraid."

3. The Imam in charge of this project is the nicest
guy you'd ever want to meet. Read about his past here
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/nyregion/22imam.html.

4. Around five dozen Muslims died at the World Trade Center
on 9/11. Hundreds of members of their families still grieve and
suffer. The 19 killers did not care what religion anyone belonged
to when they took those lives.

5. I've never read a sadder headline in the New York Times than the one on the front page this past Monday: "American Muslims Ask, Will We Ever Belong?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/us/06muslims.html
That should make all of us so ashamed that even a single one of our fellow citizens should ever have to worry about if they "belong" here.

6. There is a McDonald's <https://twitter.com/anildash/status/21165825058
 two blocks from Ground Zero. Trust me, McDonald's has killed
far more people than the terrorists.

7. During an economic depression or a time of war, fascists
are extremely skilled at whipping up fear and hate and getting
the working class to blame "the other" for their troubles. Lincoln's
enemies told poor Southern whites that he was "a Catholic."
FDR's opponents said he was Jewish and called him "Jewsevelt."
One in five Americans now believe Obama is a Muslim and 41%
of Republicans don't believe he was born here.

8. Blaming a whole group for the actions of just one of that
group is anti-American. Timothy McVeigh was Catholic.
Should Oklahoma City prohibit the building of a Catholic
Church near the site of the former federal building that McVeigh blew up?

9. Let's face it, all religions have their whackos. Catholics have
O'Reilly, Gingrich, Hannity and Clarence Thomas (in fact all five
conservatives who dominate the Supreme Court are Catholic).
Protestants have Pat Robertson and too many to list here. The
Mormons have Glenn Beck. Jews have Crazy Eddie. But we
don't judge whole religions on just the actions of their whackos.
Unless they're Methodists.

10. If I should ever, God forbid, perish in a terrorist incident,
and you or some nutty group uses my death as your justification
to attack or discriminate against anyone in my name, I will come
back and haunt you worse than Linda Blair marrying Freddy
Krueger and moving into your bedroom to spawn Chucky. John Lennon
was right when he asked us to imagine a world with "nothing to kill or
die for and no religion, too." I heard Deepak Chopra this week say that
"God gave humans the truth, and the devil came and he said,
'Let's give it a name and call it religion.' " But John Adams said
it best when he wrote a sort of letter to the future (which he called
"Posterity"): "Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the
present Generation to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will
make a good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven that
I ever took half the Pains to preserve it." I'm guessing ol' John Adams is
up there repenting nonstop right now.  Friends, we all have a responsibility
NOW to make sure that Muslim community center gets built. Once
again, 70% of the country (the same number that initially supported
the Iraq War) is on the wrong side and want the "mosque" moved.
Enormous pressure has been put on the Imam to stop his project.
We have to turn this thing around. Are we going to let the bullies
and thugs win another one? Aren't you fed up by now? When would
be a good time to take our country back from the haters?

I say right now. Let's each of us make a statement by donating
to the building of this community center! It's a nonprofit, tax-exempt
organization and you can donate a dollar or ten dollars (or more)
right now through a secure pay pal account by clicking here
http://www.cordobainitiative.org/?q=content/donate . I will personally
match the first $10,000 raised (forward your PayPal receipt to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). If each one of you reading this
blog/email donated just a couple of dollars, that would give the
center over $6 million, more than what Donald Trump has offered
to buy the Imam out. C'mon everyone, let's pitch in and help those
who are being debased for simply wanting to do something good.
We could all make a huge statement of love on this solemn day.
I lost a co-worker on 9/11. I write this today in his memory.

"The man who speaks of the enemy / Is the enemy himself."
                                                                       -- Bertolt Brecht