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I need YOUR opinion about the Mosque being built near the 9/11 site (I'm going to call it Park51)

The actual question is: What issues should be considered before the construction of Park51?

Please? I need to write an essay on these issues, but I have no idea what issues need to be addressed.

"I will burn my dread I once ran away from the god of fear And he chained me to despair I'll break the chain And run till I see the sunlight again"

not really sure but maybe it could be an issue because people want to remember what happened there and honor the people who died. perhaps building something there would somehow take away from the memory of what happened and the people who lost their lives.

that would be my best guess I hope it helps!

It does, thank you!

"I will burn my dread I once ran away from the god of fear And he chained me to despair I'll break the chain And run till I see the sunlight again"

Kyrie, I think the only "issues" are legal ones: Is the site zoned for such buildings and activities (NYC Zoning laws), are the activities consistent with the zoning regulations and general NYC laws, are they in violation of any Federal (USA) laws, and (sadly) what types of added security for the site and it's visitors might be required.

I think the question your teacher is asking is either intentionally vague or ambiguous enough to let people explore and express their own concerns and (hopefully not) prejudices (which often are expressed as the prejudices they believe others hold).

I enjoy history a lot, and I recall learning that the way we here in the USA finally dismantled the hideousness of segregation in commercial places like luncheonettes and movies wasn't so much with a moral argument or laws that addressed that (although that was certainly the impetus for it)..but rather thru a very obscure federal law called the "Interstate commerce statute'..This stated that the Federal Gov't can enforce a law that requires commercial enterprises (like movie theaters) to desegregate b/c it is the federal gov't that pays for the paving and maintenance of roads and infrastructure that gets the customers to the business in the first place. Using the law to change the law.

It's a particularly dry, uninteresting (yet fascinating at the same time!) bit of trivia concerning the dismantling of a great evil..and it shows that sometimes the best way of accomplishing such things is without any appeal to raw emotion or morals at all. Maybe that's the best way of addressing your essay q, too...

So the main issue would actually be a legal issue?

"I will burn my dread I once ran away from the god of fear And he chained me to despair I'll break the chain And run till I see the sunlight again"

To me? Yes.

Whenever very heated emotions are involved, it's best to stick to facts. And the law.

I don't know if this will work for your assignment, but to me, the issues are best seen as legal ones. It addresses the major 'issues' as well as deflating all those emotional ones which are less logical anyways.

Legal facts are better than emotional ties when it comes to writing for my teacher, so you've been extremely helpful. I just need a some information on the laws and regulations, could explain that more clearly to me?

"I will burn my dread I once ran away from the god of fear And he chained me to despair I'll break the chain And run till I see the sunlight again"

There are the Zoning laws for NYC, those describe what types of buildings are permissible in certain areas, and what activities are OK.... I'm sure they're online. Then there's the US Constitution, it's the First Amendment that guarantees all Americans the right to freedoms of religion and worship, also available online.

I agree that sometimes the best way to address a provocative issue is by addressing just the facts. I just don't know if your teacher is looking for this, though. The 'Interstate Commerce Statute' is a good example of how we Americans rely on the Law to help us solve contentious issues...we are a country of laws, we rely on them to solve disputes.

Where do you live?

'Interstate Commerce Statute"? I have a lot of researching to do now.

Los Angels

"I will burn my dread I once ran away from the god of fear And he chained me to despair I'll break the chain And run till I see the sunlight again"

Lucky guy...