The sad news broke this morning that Ed Koch, mayor of New York City for twelve years and certainly one of the most colorful characters in American political history, died earlier today. He was 88.
Disagree with him on some things though one might, it must be agreed by all that Koch gave his gal-darned best for his city. Koch managed his town instead of trying to manage his town's people (yeah I'm looking at you Michael Bloomberg).
Thoughts and prayers going out to Hizzoner's family.
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| October 29 2012: Hurricane Sandy floods the site of the World Trade Center in New York City |
I suppose they were all out of donuts at the local shop, huh?
Now all that's left is a "campsite" ridden with disease, drugs, rape and Lord knows what else.
Might I make a suggestion for cleanup, courtesy of a certain Corporal Hicks...
So I honestly haven't given the issue much thought until someone over the weekend - and a devout Christian, incidentally - remarked that he hadn't seen one rational argument as to why there shouldn't be a mosque built at that location.
After spending the past few days ruminating on it, I have to conclude... that my friend has observed accurately. And that there even might be more good reasons to allow the mosque to be constructed than raw emotion might have us believe.
My gray matter can tick off three of 'em quite readily...
1. It will be built on private property - As someone who believes that there is a fundamental right to do with property as one sees fit unless it interferes with the rights of others, I am obligated on principle to defend the right for those planning the project to build the so-called "mosque".
2. People have an absolute right to worship God as best as they understand Him - Regardless of whether or not I agree with how they worship God, I must respect the right of others to seek Him, in the good faith that their doing so is as sincere as I would appreciate their respecting my own seeking after Him to the best of my ability and understanding. Put simply: we each have the right to worship God in our own way... but that right ends where the right of others to enjoy the same begins.
3. It will demonstrate that Americans are SERIOUS about the freedom of religion - Some will no doubt claim that I've "gone liberal". I think it's more in line with what the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans (namely, Romans 12:20): that if one opposed to us is hungry or thirsty then provide for his needs, as this "will heap burning coals on his head". And if Islam is the intolerant ideology that some contend that it is, I can think of few things better to counter it than to prove without exception that we of the Judeo-Christian ethic dare to love all others... which includes those who might be lusting for our destruction.
So yeah. I don't see why the mosque shouldn't be built. As one who holds to the rights of the individual and as a follower of Christ, I can't see where others should be deprived of the liberties that I am also thankful to have.
'Course, if the mosque is built and it does wind up used for nefarious purpose, I also can't but believe that the mosque should be razed to the ground and the site desecrated with pig fat (along with the corpses of any adherents responsible for such acts of violence). Parse that as you will...
Look at this image of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, taken from a New York City Police helicopter...
And eight years later, the same words come out of my mouth upon seeing it: "My God..."
The photo on the right was taken during a protest in New York City in late December 2008.Not as unintentionally funny as Sesame Street's Bert colluding with Osama Bin Laden, but still a somewhat hilarious peek into a heart of darkness.
Here's the photo that's most going around today of Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III, the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 who landed his stricken jetliner smack down the middle of the Hudson River in New York City yesterday, an ultra-rare feat that saved the lives of everyone aboard...
I've said before that this blog exists to share my thoughts on various subjects, and to highlight and give praise to those people and things that deserve it. Well, it's been too long since I've felt anything as terrific to report on as good Captain Sullenberger and what he and the US Airways crew did yesterday. This old world doesn't have nearly enough heroes anymore. Yesterday, "Sully" gave it back its heroes.
The pilot was able to bring the Airbus A320 down in a controlled descent, right smack in a spot in the river that was plenty shallow without any risk of the plane sinking. The plane stayed in one piece and passengers were spotted standing on the wings awaiting rescue. Everybody got out safely.
That has got to be one of the best recoveries from an air emergency, that I can possibly recollect. And that pilot definitely deserves a medal.
William Sherman (shown at right), a reporter for the New York Daily News, engineered what must be one of the grandest thefts ever: the entire Empire State Building.And it took him just ninety minutes to do it.
Sherman and the Daily News forged documents and even faked a notary stamp, then presented it all to the clerks in charge of New York City's deeds and mortgages. Among the witnesses for the fraudulent transfer was Fay Wray, the starlet of 1933's King Kong. An hour and a half after beginning the paperwork in the city's offices, Sherman walked out with the Empire State Building in his pocket (figuratively 'course).
The whole plot was hatched by the New York Daily News to focus attention on the shoddy attention that the city's personnel pays to property transfers and the like. There have been some real problems with con artists taking advantage of the lack of oversight. One man skipped town with over a half-million dollars gained through mortgage fraud, and another wound up heisting seven city-owned buildings in Queens.
I wonder how far someone could get away with doing this trick on the Jefferson Pilot Building in Greensboro... :-P
