Opinion: It's About Religious Freedom. Period.

(Aug. 27) -- Let's take a quick look at the misinformation surrounding the so-called ground zero mosque. First, it is neither at ground zero, nor is it a mosque. It's kind of like Joe the Plumber. His name isn't really Joe and he isn't a licensed plumber. For me, this calls into doubt even the "the."

All the grave concern about a mosque in that building two blocks away from ground zero ignores that there is already a mosque in that building. I'm not aware of any damage that the prayer space there, already being used by Muslims, is causing.

Now, in addition to that prayer space, they want to add a larger structure containing a cultural center that would house other amenities, like a gym. Are we afraid that terrorists are going to work out in this gym and become so strong that they will beat up America?

And there is another mosque just a few blocks away. Is that one OK? How many blocks is permissible? Maybe it's like how many minutes you have to wait to eat a tuna fish sandwich after swimming. Five minutes: no good. Ten minutes: good. Mosque two blocks from ground zero: no good. Five blocks: good.

The imam behind the project, Feisal Abdul Rauf, has been called a terrorist sympathizer. Funny that he was embraced by the Bush 43 administration and used by its State Department to travel to Muslim countries to spread peace. Just as he's doing now.

Only, amazingly, both Karen Hughes and Karl Rove, two top Bush officials, say they have no recollection of this. Rove actually said that it was different under Bush because when the imam traveled he was part of a delegation. Oh, so the Bush administration sent a terrorist sympathizer abroad, but that's OK because he was with other people? And, what, this time he traveled alone by Greyhound?

Imam Rauf has denounced terrorism, said it is not part of his religion, and that he not only loves Israel but feels Jewish. Sound dangerous? He's been accused of using his trip overseas to raise money in foreign countries. Now the United States government would never go to a foreign government to raise money, would it? And how much do we owe the communist Chinese?

So, it's not a mosque and it's not at ground zero. But if opponents want to brand it, I will, too. It's an Islamic Tolerance Center. And if you're one of those "strict constructionists" who love to toss around words like "liberty" "freedom" and "Constitution" because that is your word soup du jour (hi Sarah), you ought to have an understanding of what those words really man. If you say, "I believe in religious freedom, but let the building go elsewhere," you have too many words in the sentence. Once that statement is followed by the word "but," you've reversed course.

There is only one thing that should come after the words, "I believe in religious freedom": a period.