BEHREND BEACON
8 Op
September 10, 2010
www.thebehrendbeacon.com
The Behrend Beacon is
in its definition a function
of the First Amendment to
the United States Consti
tution. It is particularly
worrying, then, to see
such bipolar defenses, and
attacks on, that amend
ment.
The rights to free
speech, press, religion, pe
tition, and assembly em
body some of the most
important rights American
citizens hold. Many people
hold strong defenses of
the First Amendment, and
often times, it is very easy,
particularly when it comes
9 after 9/11
JENNI BOLSTROFF
staff writer
Year after year Americans are asked to remember
"Where you were that Tuesday morning?" fol'
"What are your reflections "X" years later'
mark the ninth Anniversary of 9/11, America,
facing economic crisis, natural disasters, polil
unrest and escalating national debt. It seems
though the tragedy of that day set off a neat
decade-long game of chutes and ladders.
The construction of an Islamic cultural
center and Mosque, two blocks from
Ground Zero, in New York City, has taken
the hot seat throughout the press; even
Donald Trump felt compelled to become
involved. Allegations against US soldiers
and Pastor Jones' threats to burn the holy
Quran further negate the uproar. But
Americans need to sort through the
garbage and drama the press is selling
and ask two new questions, "What current
issues do we need to tackle, now?" and,
"How can we re-unify our country while
doing what's right for America?"
Fear and the media are driving forces of the
debate over the mosque. People are afraid
what might happen if we build the Islamic cull
center and mosque so close to Ground Zero;
' inspire more terrorism? Is it respectful to vict:
ilies? Weren't the hijackers Muslim? The media
a radical Quran burning-pastor as the patrd**
opinion; President Obama fears the incident will stem
a growth in al-Qaida members.
This "fear of what might happen" caused the crash of
the American Airline industry. Fear in the economy
fuels recession. I feel that if we [Americans] don't
protest, because we fear "what might happen", we are
letting terrorism shake America's foundations.
The Koran (018:021) states: "Build a
building over them, their Lord knows best
about them;" and those who prevailed in
their affair said, "We will surely make a
mosque over them."
However, the erecting of the Ground
Zero mosque is not a triumph of radical
Islam, but rather a potential symbol of
American unison.
The Quran, for anyone that does not
know, is the central religious text of Islam.
And, really, ignorance is the reason we are
having this discussion.
The Quran passage above reflects how
a victory in Jihad, (Holy War), works. A
triumph constitutes a built mosque over
the ground in which the victory was won.
MARISSA LANICH
It's that time of year again.
Over the last several weeks we
have all spent hundreds on text
books, gotten accustomed to new
schedules, and already figured
out which professors are out to
completely rip our social lives
into pieces this semester.
However, if you're anything
like me, you've also spent the last
several weeks coming to terms
with the end of our summer.
Every September since the
start of my academic career, I
have mourned the loss of my fa-
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Editor-In-Chief: Business Manager
Connor Sanely Dan Whiteford
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First Amendment requires uniform application
to the right of someone to
dissent. If someone re
dresses the government
over an infringed right,
everyone immediately
jumps to their defense.
It is not easy to defend
the First Amendment
when you don't agree with
it. When a group of people
wants to build a mosque
next to Ground Zero, for
example, it's fairly pre
SHAWN ANNARELLI
contributing writer
Enjoying the summer without regrets
vorite season - wishing that my
afternoons could still be spent in
the sun at the beach and that late
nights could still just as easily be
come early mornings.
stall writer
Although most of us have
traded the innocence of sleep
overs with our best friends and
swimming in backyard pools dur
ing the summers of our child
hoods for sleepovers with our
summer hook-ups and drinking
at the local bars during the sum
mers of our young adulthood,
there is still an excitement sur
rounding summer vacation that
remains the same.
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SIGH IN
° ° ''''"^ ( /' 7 Y ° 6 ^ tre )'/ Free Expression
Peace should prevail throughout
However, in the case of the impending
Ground Zero mosque, the site of the struc
ture will not even be built on Ground Zero.
The mosque is being built two blocks
away from Ground Zero at 45 and 51 Park
Place, which, if you would walk those two
blocks in New York city, is about two min
utes walking distance apart from each
other. So if two blocks away is too close
to Ground Zero, how far away is accept
able? Three, four, ten or outside of New
York?
It is also apparently difficult for those
opposing the construction of the Cordoba
Center to accept that this mosque and
recreation center is being built for New
York Muslims. These people are not gun
yielding, air plane crashing, American hat
ing Muslims - though some may not be
fond of their fellow Americans after en-
As Tom Petty once said, "The
work never ends, but college
does." While I absolutely believe
in making the most of one's edu
cation, I also firmly believe that
making the most of one's life
Sadly though, as a senior who takes priority.
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dictable that some would
object.
We support the right of
those citizens to object.
We also support the reli
gious freedom of the Mus
lims involved to build a
place of worship where
they please. In the eyes of
the Constitution, a
mosque is the exact same
structure as a church, or
as a synagogue. It is not
gaig'4A( .gz/,'A(z-A(
What do you think?
E-mail us at bmbs29o@psu.edu to re
spond to any opinions on this page.
will be graduating next spring
and entering the "real world"
soon after, the days of my care
free summer vacations are nearly
over.
While I realize that spending
my summer doing something re
sume-enhancing would have
been advantageous, I also realize
that I would've missed out on
something far more important.
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MAJORITY OPINION OF THE BEHREND BEACON EDITORIAL STAFF
the government's right to
prohibit its construction.
However, that support
of the First Amendment
must apply to all situations
within its scope. A Florida
pastor that wants to burn
Qurans, for example, has
as much right to express
himself in that way as an
other citizen who wants to
start an anti-war blog. Or
a citizen who wants to
during nine years of ignorant non-Mus
lims.
You see, the extremist, radical Muslims
of al-Qaida that caused 9 / 1 1 are approxi
mately 1,000 in full out of the world's 1.57
billion Muslims. al-Qaida is dwarfed by
the 600,000 Muslims living in New York
City, who could potentially utilize the Cor
doba Center which plans to have a capac
ity for 2,000 worshippers. Calculate those
numbers and get back to me on what the
likelihood is of an al-Qaida member ever
even entering the Cordoba Center is. I'm
waiting.
There have also been questions circulat
ing about the men wanting to build the
mosque. Meanwhile, one of the leading
men behind the Cordoba Centers con
struction is a confidant of sorts to the FBI
and George W. Bush. His name is Feisal
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send an angry letter to a
representative.
We do not necessarily
agree with the tact used by
Pastor Jones and the Dove
World Outreach Center,
and we readily admit that
the event is a bad idea.
The fact that the pastor on
Thursday announced that
the event is "on hold" is
definitely the right choice.
We support, though, the
once again, both heavily-dramatized situations
the chance to prove this country stood for more
,ran political peer pressure and strategic gains.
Here were two perfectly and highly publicized in
stances where the American people had a chance
to show the world that no matter the issue, we're
Americans. Tea Party members had a real chance to
stick to the constitution by supporting the First
Amendment in both cases. Those who supported the
"Ground Zero Mosque" on the grounds of "freedom of
,peech" had the opportunity to stick to their guns. In
ed they whined that the Quran-burning would hurt
Um feelings. _
, uess what? The Islamic center hurt the feelings of some
9/11 victims. '
iocrisy in this country is astounding and I won't stand
it. Instead, I'm standing for my rights as an American citizen to
speak, practice and demonstrate as I see fit. To prove that I have
this right I should burn an American Flag this September 11.
I don't hate this country, I love this country and the rights granted
to me. Am I going to get blasted by dissenters? Hell yes I will. But
unless they have a fantastic argument as to why I don't have a right
to do so (hint: they won't) then there is no reason I, Pastor Jones
or the Muslim community should have ever backed down.
I spent the last three months
having incredibly fun experi
ences and becoming close with a
group of incredible people. We
lived spontaneously and outra
geously together, and I can't
imagine spending our summer
any other way.
Many of us become so con
sumed with our professional and
academic lives that we often
allow the stress and the work to
take us over.
Furthermore, for me and for
the senior class, next summer
will be the beginning of our new
lives. Most of us will be moving
out into the real world, moving
Editorial P
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,en I read the news about Pastor Jones' plans
chdraw from burning the Quran, I was pretty
Not because I agree with him (because I don't -
the book-burning is anti-intellectual), but be
it showed me that even those with a stake in
le upheaval of cultural boundaries ultimately
cave in to whiney, butthurt Americans.
Imagine, then, my reaction when I then
found out that mam Feisal Abdul Rauf and
those involved with the construction of the Is
lamic cultural center and mosque decided to
ocate their proposed building. I was livid. Ab
.ely livid. _ . .
Abdul Rauf, and he has been a feature
speaker for the FBI in New York City to
improve relationships between Muslims
and non-Muslims.
"We condemn terrorists," Rauf said. "We
recognize it exists in our faith community
but we are committed to eradicate it."
All of the above factors lead to a com
mon purpose for not only New York Mus
lims but also non-Muslim America. Peace.
Peace translated means Islam. The men
heading up the project to build the Cor
doba Center have never swayed from their
message that the mosque is a means to a
peaceful end among Muslims and non-
Muslims of New York and America.
There are two options here.
One is to give peace the opportunity to
flourish, and the other is to create enemies
amongst ourselves.
on to our new jobs or preparing
for graduate school, and these
experiences will give us plenty of
opportunities to take ourselves
too seriously.
At this age, we still have oppor
tunity to be crazy - to drink too
much, to dance on bars, to lose
our clothes, to be too loud - so
why not enjoy it? Experience
everything you can, form your
closest friendships, and make the
craziest memories, because like
I've come to find, you will never
regret the time you spend having
fun.
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inion
right of this citizen to ex
press his First Amend
ment rights. It is
impossible and irresponsi
ble to support the First
Amendment in cases with
which one agrees and to
tear it down for cases that
make people too uncom
fortable. The Constitution
is written, our rights are
on paper in ink, and they
must apply to a situation
whether or not we agree
with the case at hand.
Connor Sattely on behalf
of the Behrend Beacon ed
itorial staff
EVAN KOSER
senior layout editor