The dream dies to resounding applause.

This missive, unlike most of the others I've written, is quite the bitter pill for me to swallow. It signals a realization I was dreading to admit was happening. Some of you would call me a patriot, some would say a nationalist and still others would characterize me a jingoist. Whatever the moniker I am eventually attached to, I am saddened by recent events to the point of losing hope that we, as a nation, will ever be able to realign ourselves with a common belief in right and wrong. A common understanding of what is good for our nation and what is not. Not since a civil war that threatened to tear our nation to pieces has the level of divisiveness been as high. Once again we are thrust into a chaos that could easily set our country ablaze with hate and distrust.

What follows is how I interpreted two very different events that may or may not be defining moments in our history. I watched as these two events unfolded, unrelated on their surface but in my mind they seemed connected in a nebulous way as if tied by slender, almost invisible threads I will relate the first as dispassionately as I can.

If you haven't already heard the flap and furor surrounding the proposed mosque and Islamic center mere blocks from ground zero, then you may want to stop reading now. I'm not too sure you'll see the odd little connection that I saw. Like many who opposed it's construction, I questioned the motives of the Imam who became it's most visible spokesman. I questioned his reasons and his ability to understand any objections that might arise. It was an openly provocative site that was chosen from an openly provocative religious leader who had said that America was "complicit" with the evil behind 9/11. Adding to that, saying that Osama Bin Laden was "made in America" leaves a reasonable person to ask: Why there? Why now? I would never seek to deny anyone seeking religious freedom the right to do so. What I would ask is for a little sensitivity to the location, the radical offshoot of the religion responsible for the carnage and his previous statements to be clarified, if not apologized for.

My objection stems from a simple concept: This is hallowed ground. This is a moment from our past that will live forever in the minds of everyone who still feels proud to call themselves an American.

Those who support the building of this structure site anti-religious bias, small minded thinking and a general hatred for Islam as the reason for the uproar. Let's leave aside the fact that people from both sides of the political aisle both support and object the mosques construction. Both Harry Reid and former governor George Pataki are against it. Conversely, Nancy Pelosi and Orrin Hatch support it. Suffice to say that there's more than enough argument to go around for both sides.

Fast forward a few weeks and we come to the looming rally, sponsored by Glenn Beck, called "Restoring Honor". As beck explained, the rally was meant to provide a renewed focus on our ability as a people to recognize those traits that first made this country a beacon of hope and freedom across the world: Honor, Duty, Sacrifice, Spirituality and the marvelous appreciation for innovation that made us a powerhouse in the fields of medicine, technology and business. The date chosen for his rally was August 28, 2010. His original choice for a date was 9/12 but that fell on a Sunday and Beck, a devoutly religious man, found the idea of asking Americans to ignore the sabbath distasteful and counterintuitive to his ultimate message : Without a firm grasp on religion as our foundation, we are doomed to fail in the promise of our founders.
His next choice for a date, owing to preparation time, security concerns and allowance by the parks service for the event, fell on 8/28. This also happened to be the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream speech".

When the left learned about the date he had ultimately chosen, they cried foul and said that Beck, a man with questionable motives, would sully the King name and ruin the date forever. While Beck is always outspoken and provocative, he promised that the rally would be about restoring honor and not be a political event designed to foment disharmony. To his credit, he lived up to that promise with only a few mild but passing mentions of politics. The event was uplifting, with the feel of an old fashioned tent revival with the concept of living up to our founders desires for the nation they gave us as the spiritual connection for all to be enjoyed.

The right, by and large, said a man (Imam Rauf) with questionable motives and a penchant for saying hateful things should be denied his rights based on dishonoring the memory of an historic event. His beliefs are anathema to what the event stood for.

The left, by and large, said a man (Glenn Beck) with questionable motives and a penchant for saying hateful things should have his rights denied based on dishonoring the memory of an historic event. His beliefs are anathema to what the event stood for.

Neither side saw the hypocrisy of their own statements. Neither side could understand the reasons for all the objections. Neither side has any credibility left in my humble opinion.

In all this, the left has used it's standard tactic of calling anyone who disagrees with them haters, fear mongers and outright stupid for not being enlightened enough. To their credit, the right has at minimum agreed with the Imam's right to build his mosque but simply asked for compassion and understanding in his choice for the site and the date for ground breaking: 9/11/2011. Ten years to the date of that horrible tragedy. I didn't hear anyone on the left agree that Beck should have his rally, it is his right as an American citizen to gather for a peaceful demonstration. He demonstrated compassion and a reverence for King's message and legacy.

When we can no longer agree to apply our first amendment rights equally across the spectrum of political ideology, then King's dream has truly died. Content of character no longer matters. All that matters now is the belief that: what I want is right, what you want is wrong, therefore you must be squashed and made irrelevant.

The saddest part of this tragedy lies just below the surface of all this. King's dream officially died when a black man was president.