Nadler Dismantles Right-Wing Arguments...‘We Do Not Put The Bill Of Rights…Up To A Vote’

[ProSense]

Think Progress: Nadler Dismantles Right-Wing Arguments Against Mosque: ‘We Do Not Put The Bill Of Rights…Up To A Vote’

This morning on CNN’s State of the Union, New York congressmen Jerrold Nadler (D) effectively dismantled the arguments of his fellow Empire State colleague Peter King (R), who has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the new Islamic center project in lower Manhattan.

King argued that, while he respects Muslims’ “right” to build a new center, “they should listen to public opinion” and “should voluntarily move the mosque away from Ground Zero.” Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, explained, “We do not put the Bill of Rights…to a vote. The reason we have a Bill of Rights is that you have your religious rights…whether majorities like you or not, frankly.”

<...>

“(O)bjecting to this mosque would be as objectionable if you wouldn’t object to a church or a synagogue in the same place because that’s blaming all Islam and you can’t blame an entire religion,” Nadler explained. He then ticked through three prominent examples of GOP hypocrisy on the “Ground Zero mosque”:

1. Nadler: “One, there is a mosque in the Pentagon, which is also hallowed ground. No one objects to that.” (Link)
   
   
2. Nadler: “Second, the people who want to build this facility, which is partially a mosque and partially a community center, have a mosque a few blocks away from there, which no one has objected to.” (Link)
   
   
3. Nadler: “I would take the sincerity of many of the Republican critics of this…if they were supporting, as Peter is, but very few other Republicans are, the bill to give health care coverage to the 9/11 heroes and responders which all but 12 Republicans voted against in the House last week.” (Link)

[NJmaverick]

1. Why does the right want to steal our freedom of religion?

[napi21]

2. They not only want to steal your religious rights, but they want to

take away your birth rights too by amending the 14th amendment. THEN they have the balls to say they're constitution originalists!

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. BECAUSE they want to steal our freedom of religion.

Forcing the state to step in here would establish a precedent, without which they cannot build their christian theocracy in the US.

This is the wedge, the knife blade, and the end result will be the Republic of Gilead.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Freedom of Religion

Only applies to who THEY want it to apply to- nobody else! They'll stomp their feet, howl, and protest loudly whenever they feel that their "freedom of religion" is *threatened*- even if the only way that it is *threatened* is whenever they don't have the "freedom" to harass and oppress people with whom they disagree- but when the time comes to stand up for the religious freedom of other people of other faiths, they could care less or, as in this case, work against them if they just don't like something about them. :puke:

[BeFree]

3. 12 republicans voted for?

Only 12 Rs voted to provide health coverage to 9/11 responders?

WTF is wrong with the republicans that they voted against good health care for the 9/11 first responders?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Excellent question

Good for Nadler to point out that, for all of the Republican's bluster and outrage about 9/11 and *concern* for the residents of NYC and their feelings about this community center, all but 12 of them won't even lift a pinky to help out people who risked their lives (and health) to try to save people as the WTC and Pentagon were engulfed in flames and people were trying to escape. :puke:

[BeFree]

7. This time next year

Maybe we will have less of those idiots voting in our congress?

Maybe next year we will have the super majority we need to overcome all that BS and get back on the path of progress?

One does keep one's hope alive, eh?

[ProSense]

8. They're disingenuous hypocrites. n/t