I read a fairly well-presented blog (http://daryllang.com/blog/4421) in support of the NYC Mosque last week. Its author opined that the only reasons left to oppose the project are bigotry and fear. What follows is my response. The blog does not allow comments; this was sent via e-mail.

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In your first post, you characterized the reason as fear. In your followup, you revised it to pure bigotry. Both are in play here, but they’re not the same thing. Fear is a part of our minds for a reason — it causes us to avoid things we perceive as threats to our safety. Sometimes our perceptions are wrong, and sometimes they’re right, but in either case, we stay alive. That’s why fear wasn’t selected against in our gene pool ages ago.

This issue isn’t about religious freedom, and I don’t think it’s really about bigotry, either. If bigotry were the key motivator here, there’d have been an outcry to remove the mosque that already exists, not much farther from ground zero than the proposed one. No one seems to care much about that one, though, which is telling to me. If religious freedom were the issue, we’d be hearing an equally large outcry regarding the Christian church damaged in the 9/11 attacks which New York officials refused to allow to be rebuilt. It’s been mentioned, but not to this degree.

No, I think the issue here is much simpler. It’s about being a good neighbor. Ground Zero and the land around it are a minefield of emotional triggers. It’s impossible to think of the area or walk through it, as I’ve done many, many times, without hearing the screams, seeing the dust clouds and the fear on the faces of the fleeing crowds, and remembering. It’s a raw, open wound in the heart of our country for many people, and will remain so for the foreseeable future even as the physical wound is being repaired.

I try to be a good neighbor. I don’t think my neighbors should be so picky about noise after 11 PM, but I must respect their feelings if I expect them to respect mine, so I keep it down. I have every right to roast a pig in my front yard, but if my neighbors are vegetarians or devout Jews, I would probably move the feast out of plain sight.

The clear majority of Americans in recent polls have indicated that they don’t want another mosque in that area. They’re saying, in essence, “Please. Not here. Build it anywhere else, because you have a right to religious freedom, but PLEASE don’t build it here.” The Muslims behind this project have essentially replied, “Hey. We’ve got a right to build it here. We’re building it here, and there’s not a damned thing you can do about it, so go pound sand.” They will then build this facility, exactly where most people don’t want it, and will probably be terribly surprised to find themselves surrounded by hostile, uncooperative neighbors.

They’re shooting themselves in the foot by portraying Muslims as uncaring, unfeeling bulldozers that will do whatever they please, and to hell (or similar location) with anyone who gets in the way. Is it in their best interest to add that characterization to the popular but unfortunate fear that already exists thanks to a few Muslim terrorists who are not shining examples of the faithful? Is it smart for them to do it in such a public way that no one anywhere in this country could possibly not become aware? I don’t think so.

The converse to your closing statement is this. The only reason the people behind this project won’t move it elsewhere is money. It would be costly to change course now, so they won’t … regardless of the non-monetary cost they’ll pay for that choice.

At any rate, I respect your reasoned argument and your position, even if I don’t share your conclusions.