Obama on the Muslim community center

Last night on CNN David Gergen criticized President Obama's statement regarding plans to build a Mulsim community center near Ground Zero in Manhattan. Said Gergen,

But there was a quality about this that I think a lot of people concluded wasn't just about the merits of the issue, but there was a sense that this is another example of people thinking he doesn't understand me. He's not like me. He sees the world through different glasses than I do... Well, I thought in Philadelphia during the campaign, that was a masterful speech because he gave voice to alternative perspectives and was respectful of them. In this situation, he stated one point of view, but for lots of lots of other people who oppose this, he showed no sympathy for what they're going through and why the public is...

Rowland Martin responded that there really is only one legitimate point of view, and that is what the U.S. Constitution says. But a better response would have been - Obama did too show sympathy for people who hold the opposing view. Read the damn transcript!

Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities -- particularly New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of Lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.

But let me be clear. As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of the Founders must endure.

We must never forget those who we lost so tragically on 9/11, and we must always honor those who led the response to that attack -- from the firefighters who charged up smoke-filled staircases, to our troops who are serving in Afghanistan today. And let us also remember who we're fighting against, and what we're fighting for. Our enemies respect no religious freedom. Al Qaeda's cause is not Islam -- it's a gross distortion of Islam. These are not religious leaders -- they're terrorists who murder innocent men and women and children. In fact, al Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion -- and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11.
So that's who we're fighting against. And the reason that we will win this fight is not simply the strength of our arms -- it is the strength of our values. The democracy that we uphold. The freedoms that we cherish. The laws that we apply without regard to race, or religion, or wealth, or status. Our capacity to show not merely tolerance, but respect towards those who are different from us -- and that way of life, that quintessentially American creed, stands in stark contrast to the nihilism of those who attacked us on that September morning, and who continue to plot against us today.

If you're paid to be a tv pundit and you know you're going to be talking about Obama's speech, you really need to actually read the whole thing, not just the excerpts in this morning's newspaper, before you open your trap.