Ground Zero Mosque

Pastor Jones was too handsomely rewarded for his threats

A modest proposal to end the debate

Living in New York City provides a variety of experiences ranging from the cultural to the culinary to some of the great landmarks of the world. To say that there is never a dull moment in “the city that never sleeps” is an understatement. Politics, however, is not a sideshow; it very often goes to the heart of the character of the city and by extension, the country as a whole. The public debate on the building of a mosque two blocks away from Ground Zero is just one illustration of a local issue with national and international implications.

There’s been a lot of talk about libertarianism in Canadian politics lately. Of course the word has different meanings to different people. In New York City today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered what I believe was a historic speech in defence of the right of Muslim residents of Lower Manhattan to build a mosque and community centre there. The mayor’s argument was a libertarian one. I’ll quote the heart of it, but readers are encouraged to follow the link to the speech’s complete text.