Essay Two - Pre-Writing Process (Questions and Preliminary Outline)

Concept for Compare/Contrast Essay (Essay #2):  Driving vs. Carpooling

Purpose:  To compare driving and carpooling, providing the benefits and drawbacks of both, with respect to cost, environmental effects, and time spent commuting.

Outline for Essay 2

Intro Paragraph:  Statistics/facts about the cost of driving, the effect it has on the environment, and the amount of time people spend commuting every day.  Thesis:  There are many benefits and drawbacks to both driving your own car everyday and carpooling.

1^st Supporting paragraph:  Cost – driving vs. carpooling.

2^nd Supporting paragraph:  Effect on the environment – driving vs. carpooling.

3^rd Supporting paragraph:  Time – driving vs. carpooling.

Conclusion Paragraph:  Return to/restate what is in intro paragraph, with 3 points and ending sentence. 

Draft - Fear and the American Muslim after 9/11

Still a work in progress ... As of 9/12 10:42 am ...

Fear and the American Muslim after 9/11

Yesterday was the ninth anniversary of Al-Qaeda's terrorist attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.  Fear is definitely a word that comes to mind when I replay that day in my memory, an almost palpable feeling that everyone living in the US at the time (that was old enough to understand what it meant) can identify with, even today.  Ask anyone what they were doing that day and they'd be able to tell you as if it were just yesterday.  Many Americans, especially the ones who were most affected by the loss of their loved ones, still mourn (1).  The general feeling of unity and strength that pushed through the hearts of the American people during the wake of the event allowing us to recover and keep our dignity and purpose as a majestic and free country intact has since given way in the hearts of some to hurt, anger, and a need to place blame; fear of another terrorist attack; fear that our moms or dads, sisters or brothers, might not return after being deployed to the middle east; fear that the bad guys will win in the end somehow; fear of the  unknown - a culture they don't care to try to understand. 

Since that day in 2001, and especially in these last several weeks, anything having to do with September 11th has been in the headlines and in the forefront of people's minds.    One such controversy is the top international story with regard to Terry Jones, the pastor of a small fundamentalist Christian church in Gainesville, Florida, who used the media to rally Americans to join his fight against the building of the mosque "at" ground zero and burn Qurans on his self-proclaimed "National Burn a Quran Day," in a ceremony which was to be held on September 11th.  This sparked more than just a following, however.  Thanks to the web, people all over the world were in the know and many protested.  According to the Washington Post (2) one group in Afghanistan burned an effigy of Jones and chanted "Death to America!"  After meetings and negotiations with Imam Muhammed Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, and being urged by the National Association of Evangelicals, President Obama, and not to mention the 100+ death threats, Jones backed down.  It was reported yesterday that Terry Jones would not burn a Quran on September 11th or at any point in the future. 

The damage is done, however.  The internet has made it possible for anyone with an opinion to go public, no matter how outrageous or unfounded.  Not only can anyone "tweet" or create a group on Facebook, but Web sites are being created to sway Americans' opinions on the subject, such as No Mosque at Ground Zero, which states that the Mayor plans to "build an Islamic mosque on the very site where thousands of Americans were murdered. It’s a troubling and deeply offensive decision. Ground Zero is NO place for a mosque."  (3)  This false information, that the mosque will actually be built on the site where the twin towers previously stood, has been circulated many times over and is believed to be true by a large population.  If we Americans did our homework, using the internet to our advantage to seek out the facts for ourselves using reputable and reliable sources, we would know that the mosque, as described by CNN (4), will be built two blocks from ground zero, to serve the Lower Manhattan community, and will include not only a mosque, but a performing arts center, gym, and swimming pool as well ... a Muslim outreach group.



So much emotionally charged publicity and unfounded controversy has caused blameless American Muslims to fear for their safety and well being; fearing that their culture will never be understood, respected, or appreciated here in their own beloved country, with their religious beliefs and practices constantly under harsh scrutiny and judgment by their fellow American citizens.  According to an article on ksl.com, (5) "Islamic centers as far away as Tennessee and California faced protests and vandalism. In western New York, police said a group of teenagers recently yelled obscenities, set off a car alarm and fired a shotgun during two nights of drive-by harassment at a small-town mosque near Lake Ontario."  On this 9th anniversary, some communities prepared for possible violence against Muslims, while others are focused on fighting bigotry.  "Muslims will clean parks, feed the homeless, and give toys to sick children as part of Muslim Serve, a national campaign to demonstrate Islamic commitment to serving humanity."  This Tuesday, the Islamic Society of North America will be holding a summit of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders in Washington, DC to "address the growing tide of fear and intolerance."  (5) 

There will always be that element of fear and sorrow in the hearts and minds of all Americans who were there to see the events unfold on September 11, 2001.  The key is not let those memories and feelings overtake our sense of reasoning.  To quote Edmund Burke, a British political writer, "No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear." (6)  Ignorance (lack of knowledge or education of the facts and reality) fuels the fire of fear. We can put the fire out, though, if we do our homework and get the facts.  Gaining knowledge gives us the power to make informed decisions and let our actions be guided by understanding and tolerance.  It is my hope and desire that the people will rise above and reach and strive for understanding and for peace rather than fear, hatred, and division.  In the words of John Lennon, "Give peace a chance." 

(1)

Name of on-line article - "On politicized Sept. 11th anniversary, mourners gather"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39112613/ns/us_news-911_nine_years_later
on www.msn.com


(2) 
Name of on-line article - "Terry Jones timeline.  It all started with a tweet"
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/terry-jones-timeline-it-all-st.html
on www.washingtonpost.com


(3) no mosque at ground zero:
https://www.aclj.org/Petition/Default.aspx?sc=3612&ac=1&r=gzmy&s=yahoo&OVRAW=Imam%20Feisal%20Abdul%20Rauf&OVKEY=imam%20feisal%20abdul%20rauf&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=57477295522&OVKWID=273042343522&OVCAMPGID=5415553022&OVADGRPID=13050547910&OVNDID=ND2


(4) mosque site near ground zero

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/11/controversial-new-york-islamic-center-will-not-relocate-to-public-land/?hpt=T2



(5) Name of on-line article - "For US Muslims, a 9/11 Anniversary Like No Other"
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=12288478
on www.ksl.com


(6) famous quotes on the topic of "fear":
http://en.proverbia.net/citastema.asp?tematica=464&page=2
on www.proverbia.net

Outline

Outline

Fear and the American Muslim after 9/11

1. Intro / Thesis:  Remembering 9/11, 9/11 effects on Americans
2. Islam community center controversy 
3. Burning the Quran
4. What are American Muslims doing to change their image/show non-Muslim Americans that they are not to blame/don't agree with the extremist/terrorists?
5. Conclusion / Summary:  Don't let fear reaction and lack of the facts cause prejudice.  Educate yourself, get the facts, and rise above.