I think its fair to say that the most talked about topic in domestic affairs is the proposed mosque and Islamic community center about 3 blocks from the site of the World Trade Centers. In short, I think that the opposition to the center is only a small-scale example of the intolerance that killed those 3,000 people. This is supposed to be the land of the free, separation of church and state, etc. If we make an exception to the First Amendment now, who can say when it is and isn't acceptable to infringe on civil rights. It could become a slippery slope. The Slate article here, http://slate.me/d7mgfE, addresses some of the main arguments against the center and brings up really important points. I think the most important is that our 'War on Terror' is not a war on Islam. It is a war against a group of people who hate the American way of life and the freedoms we have as American citizens. Denying one of those rights will only further the intolerance that we are supposedly fighting. Some conservatives are calling Ground Zero a sacred place, a claim with which I agree, and that building this place of worship and community would defile this sacred ground. I ask those who may agree to think about this: What about the Muslims who died in the attacks? (Statistically, there was bound to be at least one.) Are their families not entitled to go to that ground where their loved ones were killed and pray for their souls in the same way as their Christian, Jewish, or Hindu, or any other religion, can?
I think the distinction in exactly which war we're fighting and who is the enemy is the most important to acknowledge in this discussion.
Now on to what I'm reading. Currently, I'm following my usual course and reading up on my classic lit with Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. I'm nearly finished with it. I don't have any deep insights that haven't already been posited about this novel. The protagonist Archer Newland is caught in the timeless conflict of whether to follow his heart and marry a girl who has disappointed her family and run away from her terrible Eastern European husband, or the 'nice' girl of whom his family has approved for many years. Family tradition and social norms vs. being true to yourself... I do have a huge stack of other books to read as well so hopefully I will have more thoughts to share about those.
Aaaand now my search for a professional life, direction, place to belong, etc. I'm working part time for some family friends' insurance business temporarily (and hopefully not too much longer) while I search for a job that will point me in the direction I want to go. In case anyone was wondering what direction that is, I will tell you! Dream job/end-all-be-all/fulfillment of my every dream would be a job in Washington working for a non-profit doing advocacy, public and government relations. I want to work to tell people how important a cause is and why they should support it and tell policy-makers why they should also support it with legislation. I've been trying to reach out to local professionals who do what I wish I was doing at this point for any tiny bit of advice or tidbit of knowledge that could help me along this way.
Whew! I think that can be it for right now. I'm really going to try to keep this going this time. Really.