America is a country filled with stubborn people holding on tightly to their opinions. Many hold on so dearly to their own opinions they consider people with opposing views stupid, wrong and bigoted.

Republicans versus Democrats. Liberals versus Tea Partiers. Devout versus atheist. Conservative Christians versus homosexuals.

All of these disparities can be seen in America today, though some more than others. But the one that has seemed to grow and grow into an out of control monster is “Patriotic Americans” versus Muslims.

Now, I would venture to say every American over the age of 5 knows about the root of the problem people have with Islam — September 11, 2001. A group of 19 terrorists aligning themselves with the radical, militant Islamic group al-Qaeda took control of four commercial jet airliners and brought about the most devastating attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.

Since then, as other Muslims like Major Hasan at Fort Hood have committed acts of violence, Americans have become instantly, and with growing intensity, distrustful of the followers of Islam. It’s coming to the point where Muslims in America have to jump through hoops just to assure people their religious holiday Eid al-Fitr is not a celebration of the 9/11 attacks simply because it lands on September 11 this year.

Why is there all this hate? Nineteen people holding the most radical possible beliefs of a religious system committed an egregious and horrible crime against America almost nine years ago. Why is it, then, that we’ve associated those 19 people’s beliefs with those of every single member of a religion that claims something to the tune of 1.5 billion people?

Now, I realize that more than those 19 Muslims share the same militant beliefs, but the generalization and hate produced from that fraction of the religion is, quite frankly, un-American.

Fighting the construction of an Islamic community center (not quite the same as a mosque, friends) at Ground Zero is ridiculous and stifles our founding principle of freedom of religion. The Dove World Outreach Center, the Gainesville, Florida, church that is attempting to host an “International Burn a Quran Day,” seems not only un-American and un-Christian, but horrifically reminiscent of a certain radical German political movement burning books.

Now, I’m all for the right to burn whatever you want (minus arson and murder and the like) in statements of symbolic free speech. This movement, however, worries me because of the thoughts behind it and what it’s symbolizing.            America, we really need to take a step or two back and breath. Relax and think about all of this calmly. Most every major religion has done some pretty distasteful things in their history. Small groups of radicals have tainted the names of many movements, both spiritual and secular. That doesn’t mean we should hold all accountable to those radical few.

Denying basic American rights to people based on religious affiliations is far more insulting to the memories of those who lost their lives that fateful day than a religiously associated community center in Manhattan.

Islam is insulting, but strip clubs, bars and betting houses are okay? All of these things are standing around the “hallowed ground” of Ground Zero that people seem so desperate to protect from insults to morality. Strange that the very things so many decry as immoral are perfectly okay in the face of anything associated to a religion our founders died to protect.

We have a problem in America right now. It isn’t Islam. It’s hate. Let’s try to calm down and stop the hatred before it gets any more out of control. Let’s not let history repeat its bloody, regrettable chapters.

In Short: “Denying religious freedom to Muslims trying to build a community center near Ground Zero would betray our founding principles and insult the memories of those who died on September 11th, 2001.”

Sean Randall is the assistant lifestyles editor of The Crimson White.