A high percentage of people I’m close to are politically left-leaning. They, along with me, have been looking on with unhappiness at the attention paid to what is by all rights an open-and-shut case of property rights, the case of the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque”. I have nothing to add to a discussion of either the facts of the story nor the tactics being employed by the opposing sides. These are well documented. Nor do I give a damn about any political posturing of the mosque supporters or the mosque detractors.
However, I want to point out to my allies of the moment some lessons I hope they will take to heart in the future (no, no need to thank me):

1) As far as any straight measure of public opinion goes, we are in the minority. 2) That does not mean that we are wrong. Gay marriage did not suddenly become less wrong because more people have accepted it recently. It was always right. 3) It feels pretty crappy when the majority just decides to run roughshod over an innocent party who’s harmed no one because the majority decides they’d like things better if they ignored the minority’s rights. Also, it feels like Every Single Day to me, thanks to both major parties, with their principle political theory of “there are NO limits to what the majority should be allowed to do”.
Some, perhaps most, of the opposition to the mosque is motivated by bigotry, albeit under the pretense of an ill-defined yearning for a traditional American way of life. Then again, what motivates my present allies in so many of their own bullying endeavors is simple envy, albeit under the pretense of an ill-defined yearning for fairness. I don’t see this as any sort of morally superior position.
I wonder if Walmart wanted to open up a flagship store in the same location (or if Disney wanted to open an urban amusement center), would my current allies would retain their same respect for property rights? I hope so. Will they support me in my desire to be unmolested by health reform? I fear not, although I’d love to know how my rights are somehow less worthy of defense than the rights of those behind the mosque and cultural center.
The iPhone Hotel Room Baby Monitor, part 2
Matripatricide
Congratulations, you've just paid off a pressure group
Ground 0, Mosque 1
Pakistan and Facebook