Mosque Discussion Rxn

I was generally pleased with how the discussion turned out. The entire class held a similar stand on the issue: that under the constitution, the Muslims should have the right to build the community center, but under the circumstances, violence may follow and their safety may be threatened. As I have been told, the other classes have not been so amicable in their discussion. Arguments were heated and bloods boiled. It seems fourth period was an appropriate example of how to respect opinions. The polls we took at the beginning of the discussion and the end of the discussion on our viewpoint manifested the slight success of the discussion. Some of those who were on the fence changed to either approving of the community center, or disapproving of the community center. A question that was impressing throughout the discussion was "Why is location so important?" The answer may be that Ground Zero is where most were affected. Although some patriotic Americans will say they were impacted, this impact is not personal. It is mostly those closest to that area that were impacted most. Apparently Americans are not ready for such toleration, toleration towards Islamic freedom and toleration towards learning about their religion. Will time open American minds? Only time will tell.