While the 9/11 families don't speak as a block, Debra Burlingame, whose brother was one of the pilots killed that day, and who speaks for many of the victims' families, claims President Obama put the proposed mosque at ground zero ahead of the 9/11 trial.

"I think the president absolutely has [his] priorities confused," Debra Burlingame of 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America told Fox. "He should be focusing on putting Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his cohorts on trial and allowing them to plead guilty as they said they wanted to do, rather than lecturing the families of those firefighters and their children about religious tolerance at ground zero."

A White House spokesman said politics wasn't a factor in the president's comments about the proposed mosque near ground zero. Deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton said the president felt obligated to make sure all Americans are treated fairly, regardless of their religious views.

After strong resistance from New Yorkers, as well as the city's mayor, the White House stepped in to review the Justice Department's decision in November to send the 9/11 conspirators to federal court in lower Manhattan. In March, Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress a final decision on the trial venue was imminent - "weeks away." But earlier this summer, Fox News confirmed that a public announcement from the administration was not expected until after the midterm elections.

During one of his last news conferences before the Congressional break, Holder said, "No decision has been made with regard to, um, where the trials will be held but uh the conversations we are having are ongoing." Holder added, "And the political thing that you mentioned, the fact of the elections, is not a part of the conversations at all."

Nearly nine years after the attacks, none of the five defendants in U.S. military custody have been charged with the 9/11 plot and there is no firm date when a public decision on the venue will be announced.

Not all of the 9/11 families are against the mosque. But with the White House weighing in on the debate, Burlingame claimed it seemed to be an effort to silence some of the outspoken families who oppose it.

"I'd say that is an utter straw man and it is being used frankly to intimidate us into being quiet," Burlingame said. "we're talking ground zero now and we are not going to be quiet no way."

http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/16/911-families-organization-criticizes-obama-mosque-comments

C'mon Obama, defend your comments to these people, the ones who lost someone on 9/11........

They should've been on trial as soon as their interrogations were finished.

Screw the trial. They should have been popped in the head and dumped overboard.

Now some of them won't even face trial or justice and if they do get convicted justice wont happen for 30 or 40 years due to the appeal's process. Screw that. They should have been tried as terrorists committing war crimes, just like they are doing.

Its not a mosque. obama is not a muslim and 9/11 was not orchestrated by Iraqis.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1782451/it-s-not-a-mosque-and-it-s-not-at-ground-zero

American citizens legally bought a building in NYC. The building is located at 45 Park Place. It was originally a shipping co. building, later became a Sy Syms discount clothing store and then leased as a Burlington Coat Factory outlet. The location is two blocks and around the corner from the former WTC site. Two blocks in Manhattan can mean the difference between the Financial District and Tribeca two distinct neighborhoods. Two blocks is a long walk in Manhattan.

The existing building planned for Tribeca will be The Cordoba House Community Center Park51. It's not a Mosque and its not at ground zero. You can't see ground zero from Park Place. When the new World Trade Center is built it will be seen from most parts of Manhattan because it will be the tallest building on the island. Who's offended? Who cares?

The Cordoba Center Park51 will be about the same size as the YMCA's, 92ndY in Tribeca, and the JCC (Jewish Community Center). It is being modeled after the 92ndY (YMWHA) which has Jewish events. The "Y" has never been called a Synagogue nor has The YMCA ever been called a Church. The building will have a pool, theater, culinary center and other features.

Carl Paladino, the Tea-Party-backed Republican candidate for Governor from Buffalo is calling for the use of eminent domain to stop the Mosque Community Center building.

Sarah Palin's twittering "Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate" The bloggers turned her into Moose stew in a New York minute.

The American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative organization founded by the Rev. Pat Robertson is suing the city because the NY landmark preservation department is not designating 45 Park Place The former Burlington Coat Factory a Historic Landmark.

I happen to know about landmark preservation. Designating a building a historic landmark would not stop the community center. It means they just have to keep the facade the same. The building has no architectural significance.

The tea party out of towners are making statements that there are no churches or synagogues near ground zero. Actually Trinity Church (the city's largest landholder among religious institutions) is located at Ground Zero. The World Trade Center is located at Church Street and Trinity Place. I wonder why those streets are named Church and Trinity? Between the WTC and Park Place there are a few other Churches too.

Newt Gingrich wants to stop Islam in America. "There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia".

New York is not Mecca and the United States is not Saudi Arabia. Maybe Newt wants to be a Prince or a King.

It is a Mosque, the Imam's wife even refereed to it as such. I also never said it was orchestrated by the Iraqi's, even though there were ties in AQ and the Taliban to Saddam and his Government including money movement.

Yes it is, yes he is and Muslim Arabs did it.

No doubt.

Not all the families of 911 are caught up in the hatemongering so do they have a say?

To equate all Muslims to terrorists is like saying all Christians are abortion clinic bombers.

Neither is true but the equation is the same.

So if not all Christian kill abortion doctors then not all Muslims are terrorists and therefore neither should be held responsible for the atrocities of the killers, right?

haha. I do know you believe that and a lot of other things. I'm not sure why I posted.

I hate all religions and believe they are forms of maladaptive psychic deficiencies that postdate the split of altruist gene lines from barbarians during Roman times. I do believe Obama is not doing a good job at addressing the severity of the damage that has been done to this country. He was handed a lot of crap, though, blaming aside. It sucks for all of us. Have a lovely evening.

I dont care what the Christians do, but all Muslims certainly agree with terrorism, but only a few act it out.

I care what the Christians do. Now what?

That was sure a lovely progression of ideas.

I think this.

I do not.

I agree.

Me too, I agree.

I disagree

I disagree with your agreement

you know, it's been a pleasure discussing our own opinions and observations but not finding even one qualifying collection of words for some greater purpose, say, oh, finding common ground and solving our personal issues with people who feel differently from us.

very useful in life, while drinking whiskey.

hey why are you so surprised?

cream always rises to the top.

and people solve psychic conflicts by dialectal reality testing.

the extremists are locked securely in projection. they actually see themselves in others extremism and respond to it by

1. rejecting it (as they initially rejected it inside themselves, due to most people being more tolerant)

2. felt angry (but that was to cover the fact they identified with it)

3. retaliated as an ego defense, matching the logic of the other side with similar tactics and evaluations.

4. carry the torch on to other people who struggle with understanding life in more complex terms.

there was this study done about how the brain 'blankets' collections of sensory data with black and white assumptions, simply because the neural network could not assimilate this information into useful meaning. Like, "my daughter was killed by a rapist, it was god's will, he needed an angel." and so forth. When it becomes too complex people regress to splitting to degrees of black and white and ignore all the grays. because black is black, and white is white, and there are a million different shades of grey. lots of work - just shoot, aim later. :)

I don't usually hear about a Christian yelling out Allah! and then something bad happens.

I don't usually hear about a Christian yelling out Allah! and then something bad happens.

the poison of america doesnt lie within countries overseas...it lies within the prejudiced small minded views on our own soil. i personally take offense at your comment. you have no right under the sun to scorn anyone for their religious or spiritual preference.

maybe it offends people the way the government is acting. but we should just be quiet, good little sheep because we might offend someone?

stating offense to hate fillied PREJUDICIAL words is quite different.

I am unlocking this topic for now.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but no one is entitled to insult and attack. The personal attacks are getting out of hand in this forum.

If you don't like a topic, then please report it (if it is in violation of forum rules) or pass it by or post a new topic.

This is a debate forum. Keep the debates civil. Please return to the topic at hand

Kim

*edit to add* The political forums tend to focus on what is hot in the news.

Politics and religion are always a sensitive subject, but can be debated civilly