Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Mosque Issue

No matter where you stand on the issue of the Islamic Center they want to build near Ground Zero, I'm sure of one thing: You are sick of hearing about it. Me, too.

I have to admit, I do find the choice of location for the Mosque to be suspicious. Under no condition do I believe that such a suspicion equates to a valid reason to prevent the building of the Center.

First, the Islamic Center does not wish to build at Ground Zero. It wants to build a couple blocks from Ground Zero. Close, to be sure, but not at the site of the World Trade Center buildings themselves.

Second, if you disagree with the choice to build the Mosque at this location, you have every right to have your voice heard. If you have no opinion either way, you have every right to have your voice heard. If you fully support the building of the Center, you have every right to have your voice heard.

Third, no matter what your opinion is about the building of a Mosque or Islamic Center (or whatever it is going to be called), the fact is they have every right under the United States Constitution to build it there. No matter if you or anyone else finds the building offensive, it is a matter of their First Amendment rights to build the Mosque at this location or any other. The completion of this building does not in any way infringe upon your rights, and thus should be allowed as a requirement of the Free Speech and Freedom of Religion guaranteed to us by our Constitution.

Lastly, preventing the building of the Mosque means that, to some degree, the terrorists that designed and carried out the 9/11 tragedy win. By using that event as an excuse to not allow freedom in our Great Nation you have allowed those terrorists to have caused us to change how we run our country. Isn't that what they wanted, us to change our ways? Well guess what...if we do not allow this building to be completed, we've changed our ways.

Don't let the terrorists win. You don't have to be in favor of the Mosque being built at this site. That is your right. But I say let them build it anyway. That is their right.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Republicans should Favor Online Gaming

Forbes recently published an article expressing that Republicans on The Hill should be in favor of allowing internet gaming to clearly be legal. I fully support this.

The freedom to make this adult decision should be left to us as adults, and not to the government. Putting in place clear and concise law that defined the parameters of online gaming would also help make sure that only those of legal age are participating in the gaming.

Such laws would also put in place safe and realistic regulations to guarantee that all players are not being cheated by a shady offshore company. While many of the companies currently offering internet gaming from offshore sites are perfectly legitimate, the regulations that would come with clear legalization of it would force the companies that do act shady out of the picture.

Check out the Forbes article here.

Government Needs to Divorce the Marriage Business

A good article on why government needs to end it's traditional practice of licensing and approving marriages. I agree completely. I believe that the licensing of marriages is nothing but a tax that is implemented with no benefit to society.

Government Needs to Divorce the Marriage Business