Not as diverse but certainly diverse enough to have large immigrant populations and also significant Muslim populations.
I don't think a mosque should be built on their and I'm shocked people are endorsing it. This isn't about a mosque, that spot should be used to honor the people that died, build something for them, or rebuild World Trade Center. Having any sort of religious building there is absolutely ridiculous, imo. I blame govt for not stepping in and saying no this is sacred ground and nothing can be built on it. Build a mosque next door to it that is fine, but why does it have to be on that exact spot?
Yea I misunderstood haha. I'm not 100% where it was but I skimmed a lot of stuff and I was wrong on that, sooo I retract my statement.
I wouldn't be surprised if a significant portion of the opposition to this mosque actually believe it is being built on Ground Zero and not 2 blocks away.
my mother in-law was one of those people. she told my wife she didn't think anything religious should be built directly on the site. when my wife corrected her and told her it was two blocks away, she didn't understand what the big deal was. that's what they get for watching fox news.
Once again it's said that the sanest and most poignant voice in all of this is a comedian: <table style='font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='360' height='353'><tbody><tr style='background-color:#e5e5e5' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com'>The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a></td><td style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;'>Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c</td></tr><tr style='height:14px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-19-2010/extremist-makeover---homeland-edition'>Extremist Makeover - Homeland Edition</a></td></tr><tr style='height:14px; background-color:#353535' valign='middle'><td colspan='2' style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:360px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right'><a target='_blank' style='color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/'>www.thedailyshow.com</a></td></tr><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><embed style='display:block' src='http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:350602' width='360' height='301' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='window' allowFullscreen='true' flashvars='autoPlay=false' allowscriptaccess='always' allownetworking='all' bgcolor='#000000'></embed></td></tr><tr style='height:18px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><table style='margin:0px; text-align:center' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='100%' height='100%'><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/'>Daily Show Full Episodes</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/Tea+Party'>Tea Party</a></td></tr></table></td></tr></tbody></table>
Yesterday, the Associated Press issued a memo directing staff to avoid using the phrase “Ground Zero Mosque.” As one of the “world’s most powerful news organizations,” the AP provided the guidance to ensure articles “stated clearly” that “the mosque is not at ground zero, but two blocks away in a busy commercial area.”
Unfortunatly European countries are not different. Just look at the Dutch election a couple of months ago. I wanted to start a thread about it, but I was afraid I would start crying if I actually had to type the results on this forum. we used t be a tolerant country. still most peple are tolerant here, but the group that isn't is getting bigger Unfortunatly it is human nature to fear that what is different (or they do not understand). Let's hope people at some point will accept our differences and focus on the things in which all humans are the same. However I fear the only way that will ever happen is if we are invaded by aliens
Did I say European? I'm talking Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and such. Europe is far worse than here, but that doesn't excuse our practices of discrimination.
He, I wouldn't say far worse. I do not live in the USA, but the impression I get from tv, and this meggase board is not that Europe is Worse. For example Fox news would never be as popular in the Netherlands as it is in the USA. We do not try to get laws specific for immigrants (Cough cough Arizona). Ofcourse it doesn't matter which country/continent is worse. It doesn't excuse discrimination.
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The areas you listed have "significant Muslim populations"? Really? Australia took the brunt of the Bali bombings. I don't think they're laid back wrt their Malaysian neighbors or the extremist nut jobs who are down with Wahhabi rhetoric. If you're clueless about population density, California has more people than America Jr.
two words, geert wilders. isn't he basically in your new coalition? and i bet he forces you to get some laws that will be very tough on immigration. at least those from muslim/arab countries.
It is very different in our coalition than in the USA. he got much more votes than I wanted (15%), but he was not even one of the top 2 parties at the election. So 15% of the Netherlands supports that lunatic, which means the large majority does not. Over 40% of the votes were for Parties that stated before the election that they would never become part of a coalition with the PVV (Wilders Party) and didn't even want to start negotiations with him. Furthermore many people voted wilders not because of his Muslim stand points, but more because they wanted change (were have we heard that before). When Wilders speaks at the 9-11 gathering, he does NOT speak for the Netherlands. The way it looks now the Liberals and the Christians will get a coalition, and the Party of Wilders will support them, but he will not be part of the coalition. That being said that is the ideal situation for him to be in. And a terrible situation for me. I do fear that if Wilders get more power he does want to change those laws, but I still have hope that that will not happen. That being said, I was shocked that 15% of the voters support his ideas. I'm really sad as a result of this, like I said we used to be a tolerant country. Not anymore, but I would not say that the USA is more tolerant, A party were Glen Beck is so popular, and Fox new is by far the most popular new station is not more tolerant than the Netherlands.
and i like the netherlands a lot. but currently your new government's viability is dependent on greet wilders. and yet he shares no responsibility of governing. given the minority status of the gov't they'll need wilders to support some of their agenda, and in exchange obviously wilders will want crazy anti-muslim legislation. all im saying is, our gov't is way better than your gov't, right now and given that you aren't a muslim-blood-thirsty-wilderian, you'd probably agree.
Howard Dean: Bigot? -- "I don't think -- I honestly -- I think some of my own folks at my end of the spectrum of the party are demonizing some fairly decent people who are opposed to this," he said. "And again, in no way am I defending the right-wing of the Republican Party. Sixty-five percent of the people in this country are not right-wing bigots. Some of them really have deep emotional feelings about this."
