First off, there's nothing wrong with being a Muslim in America, and American citizens who are Muslim enjoy all the same rights as Americans of other faiths (or, indeed, of no faith). I know this because our Founding Fathers said so, and they wrote it into the Bill of Rights, and as we all know the Founding Fathers were right about everything except slavery and women's rights and the Indians and poor people and the internet and a few other things.

But they got this one thing right.

So Muslim-Americans are just Americans like the rest of us, and they get to build buildings wherever they want, etc. Even on the site of a former Burlington Coat Factory.

Why do people care?

Well, it's 2.5 blocks from the World Trade Center site, and to this day, there's only ever been a mosque 4.5 blocks away. That means, with the building of this mosque, Muslim worship will have gotten nearly 50% closer to the site!

Just think about it: In another 10 years, they might build another Muslim worship site that's only 1.5 blocks away!

And again, why do people care?

Because it reminds people of 9/11. That's there argument. Sarah Palin says it "stabs the heart." That's right ladies and gentlemen: No mosque near the WTC site because Muslims make Sarah Palin sad.

I'd love to hear a series of questions like this:

• Q: How do you feel about Muslims living near the World Trade Center?

• Q: Would you put a ban on Muslims moving to southern Manhattan? Would you support relocating Muslims who already live there?

• Q: But you believe that certain religions should be allowed to worship in their own communities, and that other religions should have to leave their community and go somewhere else to worship?

• Q: Really?

Morally repugnant. And all this over a Burlington Coat Factory.

The only thing that stops this story from really depressing me is that I know that if people thought about it, really thought about it, they'd mostly all realize how stupid they're being.

Right?