Resolved: An Islamic Cultural Center should be built near Ground Zero.

"It is your right to do what you want as long as it is within the boundaries of the law. Even if itmay be stupid, its your right to do it and I have NO PLACE in telling you what to do." Although you cannot tell me what I have the right to do, you can tell me what I SHOULD do. This resolution does not ask what the builders have the right to do, but rather what they SHOULD do. "If I were Muslim, and people where threatening me for something I have never supported in my life, then I would be heavily offended." You completely avoided the question. In case you misunderstood, let me rephrase it. If I threatened you and said I would kill your friends if you kept exercising your free speech rights in a way that 'offended me', then would you keep using your free speech rights or would you consider your friends and protect them? (Pretend you cannot call the police because that is not a solution to stopping all hate crimes.) "The best way would be to learn to live with it and accept the fact that the people who murdered on 9/11 are not the same people building the freakin' mosque. Intimidating them only goes to show that we don't trust them at all, despite the fact that 99.99% of them haven't done a damn thing to us." Please drop the profanity. Again, this resolution asks whether an Islamic Cultural Center should be built near Ground Zero. That decision is in the hands of the builders only. The solution cannot be something you require the American people to do. A pro ballot only means that an Islamic Cultural Center should be built, not that the American people should accept Muslims (which will NOT happen with a pro ballot). "Maybe they get a space to pray in closer to their home? Perhaps the ICC will heal tensions in America? We don't know for sure, but your guess is as good as mine." You acknowledge that the idea that it will heal tensions in America is solely speculation. On the other hand, it has been made very clear by our media and your own poll that it will definitely inflame tensions more than it will heal them. "My opponent holds that since a small group of radial, extremist Muslims committed a heinous act of murder in the name of their god, then the entire religion and all its various denominations and sects should be feared." Please don't make up things that I never said. I have acknowledged on multiple occasions that these people are different people. I advocate for their best interest. I want to stop hate crimes against them and I want America to see that they are people who have feelings for others. I don't think that they should be blamed for these attacks. All I have said is that many Americans have the view you accuse me of having. [1] To change these views, these people must prove themselves. "If I ran a hospital on street gang territory, and the gangs constantly harassed patients and staff, I would be held accountable for the violence in your views." Absolutely not. I never said that you would be held accountable. I merely said that you could have prevented it by picking a different location. Furthermore, this hospital has already been built, whereas construction on the Islamic Cultural Center has not yet began. The example with the Christian extremists: I am not personally blaming the Muslim Americans for this. I am saying that America is and there is little I can do about it. The best way to alleviate this blame is by proving that Muslim Americans are different people, which can be done through showing respect, something extremists would never do. I would believe those Lutherans can build there, but it would have to know the exact circumstances to know whether they should. This round has come down to a few main issues. 1. What is the best way to heal interfaith relations? As my opponent already acknowledged, it 'may' heal relations. However, citing has very own poll, more people are against it then for it. It will much more likely hurt relations. My opponent accuses me of thinking that all Muslims are extremists. If I and other Americans really held this view, would we think that building it would show Muslim Americans are any different? If those people were truly terrorists they would of course build the building with no consideration for other opinions. By moving the center elsewhere, they show that they are clearly not terrorists because they have taken a different course of action. They show they are compassionate, caring, and loving people, rather than the extremists we have accused them of. 2. Do these families deserve respect? My opponent has never provided any good reason why these families don't deserve respect. All he has said is that Muslims Americans also died on 9/11. He never proved that their families would be offended if the Islamic Cultural Center is built. All he said is that it "isn't insensitive to the many Muslims who died that day". So if he can't prove that these people care either way, but the families DO care, then isn't it obvious that the proper thing to do is to show respect for the family members? Also, he accuses me of only providing one source, but he has not provided ANY on this issue. Clearly, I win this point. 3. Do these people need space to pray? For one, under Islamic law, a mosque cannot be more than one story, so this is clearly not a prayer center. [2] Furthermore there is already a community center in lower Manhattan. [3] Please read the source [3]. It shows clearly that I win this point. On top of that, if I win the point, then I prove the Imam Rauf purposely chose this location although it was unnecessary. 4. What is the correct way to prevent hate crimes? My opponent never denied these hate crimes, so they clearly exist. Since the builder are peaceful and loving Muslim Americans, they clearly should care about their brothers and sisters across the country and should move it to protect them. Although, this would be accepting threats, this is sadly the only way to deal with them. Unless my opponent provides an alternate solution, moving the Islamic Cultural Center is clearly the right answer. In keeping with tradition... THE RESOLUTION CALLS INTO QUESTION WHETHER THE BUILDERS SHOULD BUILD AT THE PROPOSED LOCATION. THE ONLY REASON MY OPPONENT HAS PROVIDED IS POSSIBLE HEALING OF RELATIONS AND THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT. THE RESOLUTION DOES NOT ASK WHETHER IT CAN BE BUILT, SO CLEARLY THE RIGHT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. THEREFORE, WHEN YOU WEIGH THE POSSIBLE HEALING OF RELATIONS AGAINST DEFINITELY OFFENDING FAMILIES, CAUSING HATE CRIMES, AND HURTING THE IMAGE OF MUSLIM AMERICANS, YOU SEE THE CLEARLY THE CORRECT WAY TO VOTE TODAY IS THE CON. Here is some current events news... http://www.no911mosque.org... [1] http://www.foxnews.com... [2] http://www.no911mosque.org... [3] http://www.no911mosque.org...