It's about what's right.

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up."

These words were spoken by Martin NieMoller, a pastor and German citizen, in 1946. For the previous eight years (freed in 1945) he was a prisoner of several concentration camps. His crime was that he did not support the government's attempts to nationalize religion. As a member of an influential organization he and that organization stood by quietly when when one group after another was demonized and attacked by citizens and government. Finally, there was no one left to protect him and they arrested him.

More than any other cause or belief, our country was founded on the ideal of religious freedom and tolerance. In the 17th century pilgrims from England crossed a terrifying ocean and braved deprivation and death to worship as they wanted. In the centuries following, millions more have come for this reason.

Our very first amendment to our contistution, reads "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." It is no coincidence that this was the first.

Since that time, over one million Americans have died and millions more injured, fighting to preserve our principles and way of life. So, why after centuries of struggles and the blood of millions of Americans, spilled to protect our freedoms are we now, actually debating whether or not a Muslim group has the right to build a Muslim community center in NYC? Did I miss something? Does the first amendment make an exception for Islam or for religions which are currently not in fashion? Give me a sec while I review it......well I'll be damned, there are no exceptions! So, why then, are so many Americans who fly a flag outside of their homes, wear stars and stripes on their ball caps and attend Tea Parties with copies of the constitution and with tears in their eyes, proclaim they'll die defending that constitution, so willing to piss on it now?

We all know what happened on September 11, 2001. An act of terror and horror was committed against the people of NYC. All the terrorists involved in this most despicable act were self proclaimed Muslims. They were almost all Saudis. So should we not blame Saudi Arabia too? Should we not allow Saudis to own property in our country as well? Hell, they were all men. By this reasoning, we should discriminate against all men. Or maybe just men of a darker skin color or men with accents?

It takes no stretch of the imagination to realize what's going on here. Despite the ideals of this country, bigotry and intolerance are always present and politicians and news people are always willing to exploit this dark bit of evil. The politicians in this case are almost overwhelmingly Republican. Luckily for them they have a propaganda machine that Goebbels would envy. Fox News, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of right wing media have been trumpeting this call to arms to it's bigoted and/or ignorant followers day and night, until now we are actually debating whether or not a religious organization has the right to build a community center in a US city.

I get that it's blocks away from ground zero and I get the trauma and pain (not that I have an idea of the actual pain felt) the survivors and families must feel. I also get that what the terrorists on 9/11 wanted was for us to change. They wanted us to resort to that basic instinct of revenge and hate and to become just like them. Because if we do, they can then say to the rest of Muslim world, "See, the America you believe in is dead. All they want is to discriminate, hate and kill Muslims". This of course leads to more hate and more violence. This is what they want. This is not what America is all about.

We can't paint every Muslim as someone to fear just because there are Muslims in the world who want to do us harm. Just as we can't paint every African American as a criminal just because there are more African American men in prison than any other ethnicity. Do you realize the stupidity of such logic?

Just because we are still a white, Christian majority it does not mean we have greater rights than anyone else. Just because your immediate world is being filled with more and more people that don't look like you, does not give you the right to lash out at those same people.

This is America. The first country born on the premise of religious freedom. A country which men and women have shed blood to protect that freedom. And a country which if it is determined to carry on those ideals must look very hard at itself and decide if hatred and intolerance are to be the rule or if our rights are untouchable and resolute. Because if we choose the former, one day by the time they come for you, there will be one left to speak up.