Thursday, September 16, 2010

How Donald Trump Tried Valiantly To Save The World (...At Least New York City)

As we see yet another anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks come and go, the hearts of Americans are filled with deep sadness. The kind of sadness that doesn't really wane over time. We hear the stories again--some we've never even heard before. And we remember. And we go on.

Now, the proposed Ground Zero mosque controversy has struck a cord in each of us that is simply overwhelming. Much like the opposition to Obamacare, the public wasted little time in making its voice heard on the idea of having a mosque at Ground Zero. The vast majority of Americans have said a very loud "no" to the project, citing the insensitivity and just plain bad taste of such a plan. As with the Obamacare drama, the American people have been essentially shunned by the government. We have been told that opposing what many call a "victory" mosque overlooking the footprint of the once mighty Twin Towers is tantamount to being religious bigots. President Obama himself lectured us on the legalities of the whole thing, explaining to us less enlightened folk how zoning laws and such allow for this and how we need to back off. One might surmise that Obama thought that this was just the thing grieving families and first responders--who still suffer debilitating and life-threatening after affects from their exposure to the desolation that followed the collapse of the World Trade Center--needed to hear at a time like this. Once again, Obama was wrong. Once again, Obama missed the point entirely.

Likewise, many in the media tried to frame the issue as one where Americans were simply being intolerant of a religion in general. In doing so, they missed the point too! The issue has never been banning mosques or any other religious edifice. It's having the Ground Zero mosque at, well, Ground Zero. This is so plain and simple that it defies logic that so many media personalities would get this one so wrong. Not to mention the fact that many in the media are not really digging too deep on the financing and money trail for the mosque. But that's another story.

Enter Donld Trump. Larger than life and quite over the top, Trump literally is in a class by himself. He personifies American business success perhaps like no other since the times of the great captains of industry. The Trump brand is synonymous with the highest quality and the epitome of having "arrived." He, in short, is virtually the ultimate antithesis of the Islamo-Facist.

I believe that Donald Trump no doubt has a very special love for New York City. It's not only America's city--it's his city. He watched as we all did the progression of the Ground Zero mosque controversy and likely thought the same thing that so many Americans thought: If only something could be done to solve this problem. Yes, we all thought that. We even entertained the notion that the Federal Government and Obama in particular might hear our cries and step in and do... something! Alas, that was not be.

Donald Trump then took it upon himself to at least try and offer a reasonable solution to Imam Rauf to convince him to move the mosque a few blocks away from the hallowed ground around the Trade Center site. Trump offered his own money to the tune of $6.2 Million to buy the building. This constituted a 25 percent profit to the Imam and the mosque builders. He offered it in good faith. He offered it without asking for the government to provide a cent. He offered it because he saw the problem and knew he was in a unique position to help.

His offer was rejected, of course. Were we surprised? Any businessperson would likely have accepted such an offer in a heartbeat. It was easy money, after all. But the Imam and the mosque builders have some kind of statement to make. They tell us that the statement is about being peaceful and loving and tolerant. That's what they want us to think. But their actions define them. They have heard how hurtful this is. They have heard how it would be such a grand act to agree to move the site of the mosque. They have heard how Americans would hail the moving of the mosque as evidence that the peace, love and understanding they say is being promoted by its construction is actually real. They have heard all this and yet press forward--even going as far as to say that not building the mosque there would lead to "national security" problems for the U.S.

Yes, in true American fashion, Trump saw the problem and did his best to solve it--because his government wasn't about to even try. He went out on a limb and put his prestige on the line. He has even endured MSNBC hosts telling him that "low balled" the Imam and somehow screwed up the whole thing. They laughed at his warnings of how upset people are about this situation. They recoiled when he called then naive.

None of this has been lost on the American people, though. They saw how Trump tried to save the day--and his beloved city. It was reasonable. It was generous. And it was courageous. Hats off to The Donald.

Kyle Warren is host of the award winning Kyle Warren Show heard weekdays on NetTalkWorld.com. Also visit www.KyleWarrenShow.com for more information.


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