The President Responds.

President Obama is well known to operate on a very even keel. Slow and steady wins the race mode. This has served him extremely well. At times it can be confusing and confounding. The right way too often reads it for weakness and the left often doesn't have the patience for it. The video below may be considered another example. In response to a Fox "News" question President Obama gives a strong answer addressing the Islamic Community Center in New York City and the Quaran burning in Florida.

Many people have commented of all the flaws that they found in President Bush he had done a good job of holding the anti-islamic hatred in check by reminding America was at war with Terrorist and not Islam. President Obama had not clearly enunciated that sentiment forcefully until this press conference.   I think this answer below starting at 1:30 mark is as fine and powerful and passionate answer President Obama has given on this subject.  Will it matter, hard to tell.  I suspect that those who need to hear it the most aren't listening much to what President Obama has to say. But, it needs to said and repeated.

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First, these two situations are not equal. They both concern freedom of religion and speech. They both have to right to do it. That is where the similarity ends. The book burning is a deliberate publicity stunt of a "pastor" with 50 congregants. The stunt should be repulsive to anyone who passed high school history, watched Schindler's List, hell even if you watched "Hogan's Heroes" you have a pretty good idea about the message that book burning holds. Outside of Auschwitz video's of Nazi book burnings is probably the strongest link to a round them up and kill them all message one can send. The very fact that Gen. Patreaus and Defense Secretary Gates felt the need to get involved is pretty good sense of how serious the ramifications these actions would have had.

Second, I understand that there are a number of people who are genuinely hurt by what they hear about the "Ground Zero Mosque". That feeling is real. The problem is there a great number of people "leaders" who know the facts, mislead people to stir up the pains of the other (Palin, Gingrich, Beck) for their own agenda. Can you spell demogogue. 
Would the hurt have been so real had these people been told of an Islamic YMCA with a prayer room being built in a vacant Burlington Coat Factory near strip joint, Off Track Betting Parlor, and a number of Bars.  Somehow doesn't have the same impact.