It's good that the Florida pastor who planned to burn Qurans on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks says he has changed his mind and will meet in New York with the Muslim imam proposing a mosque be built near ground zero.
Setting fire to Qurans would have been imprudent and tasteless, as would the building of a mosque near where the Twin Towers stood. Both actions would be an affront to civility, a trait seemingly on the verge of extinction in contemporary political discourse.
At the core of these controversies are religious freedom, property rights and freedom of speech — all equally worthy of defense and all imperative in a free society. Free people have the right to use their property as they desire, express their religion and speak freely. But words have meaning, and actions have consequences, intended or unintended.
Just because we are free to act as we please does not mean all such actions are prudent.
We are pleased that the Florida pastor has change his plans, as should the planners of the Islamic cultural center, which includes a mosque, near ground zero. Both efforts would do a disservice to American political discourse, the sentiments of the principals' fellow countrymen and their respective faiths.
On Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives in attacks perpetrated by zealots disdainful of the principles the United States is supposed to stand for, which include religious freedom, property rights and freedom of speech. Recalling that awful day should remind us of the vital importance of those rights but also the need to appropriately exercise them in civil society.
REPRINTED FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.
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