Mosque being built by 911 sight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mosque being built by 911 sight - Essay Example The panic created by the 9/11 incident was slowly disappearing at present. However, reports about the construction of a mosque at ground zero are causing disturbances to the Americans at present. Chelsea Schilling (2011) has pointed out that â€Å"a new Islamic mosque will open its doors just steps from Ground Zero where Muslim terrorists murdered 2,751 people in the name of Allah on Sept. 11, 2001 (Schilling). There are different opinions about the construction of a mosque near ground zero. This paper argues against the construction of a mosque at 9/11 site. Supporters of mosque construction at ground zero argue that since America is a secular democratic country, Muslims have the right to construct a mosque anywhere in America. They are of the opinion that building a mosque at 9/11 site will improve the credentials of America as a secular nation. The above argument seems to be illogical. America’s secular credentials are already established since Americans shown no hesitatio n in electing a president of Muslim origin even after the 9/11 incident. The current president Obama has Muslim origins. It should be note that the in India which is believed to be one of the largest secular democracies in the world, the Hindu fundamentalists opposed the election of Sonia Gandhi as their prime minister. It should also be noted that the â€Å"leading imam, who conducts sensitivity training sessions for the FBI, has reportedly blamed Christians for starting mass attacks on civilians† (Schilling). In other words the Muslim community in America still has no regards to the victims of 9/11 incident and it is difficult to expect mercy from them in future also. The second argument in favor of constructing of a mosque at ground zero is that a Mosque at ground zero will help America to regain the lost confidence of Muslim community in America. Many people believe that a mosque at ground zero is the positive sign in strengthening America’s relations with the Musl im world. The above argument is also meaningless. It should be noted that there are many mosques functioning at different parts of America. Moreover, none of the mosques in America suffered any damages even after the destruction of world trade centre and the killing of thousands of innocent people. â€Å"Many have complained that it would be insensitive to have a huge mosque two blocks from the site that became the burial ground for victims of the 9/11 terror attack by Muslim militants of Al Qaeda†(Sanchez). Nothing more can be done to the relatives of the victims of 9/11 incident as a harassment, if the authorities go ahead with the construction of the mosque. According to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg â€Å"the mosque will help to bring our city even closer together and help repudiate the false and repugnant idea that the attacks of 9/11 were in any way consistent with Islam" (Loffee). American leaders are trying to strengthen the relationships with the Islamic communit y in a diplomatic manner. However, they are forgetting the fact that diplomacy will never win over fundamentalism. Strengthening Islamic culture in New York like big city will make different citizens in New York. Muslims will try to enforce their religious beliefs even in their social life which may create problems to other religions. Shariah laws, which are the fundamental laws of Muslim belief, will be enforced in Islamic culture and the effects of these laws may reflect in the life of other people as well. In

Tax Breaks as Spending Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tax Breaks as Spending - Article Example The tax code in the United States also offers help by giving parents tax breaks to pay for child care. A reduction in the taxes families has to pay puts more money in the hands of American citizens. There is a tax break that exists that allows parents to put aside $5,000 to pay for child care. Those wages escape the burden of being taxable income. The effect of this tax break for people that are in the 25% tax bracket is $1,250 a year in savings, while parents in the 39.6% tax bracket are able to save $1,980. The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provide families with a tax credit of up to $6,000 to cover eligible child-care expenses. These two tax breaks have the effect of saving American families $3.1 billion in taxes. The use of direct subsidies benefits more low-income families, while tax breaks target middle income and upper-income households. A second major way in which the government gives back to the community is through student aid. The subsidy mechanism that is used to he lp out students of low-income families is the Pell Grant. On the tax side, there are numerous credits and deductions for education purposes that benefit middle and upper-income families. Not all tax breaks are considered spending. For instance, the lower tax rate on dividends is not considered spending. The reason for the lower tax rate on dividends is to offset the effect of double taxation. It is estimated that nearly 67% of all tax breaks in the United States are a form of spending in disguise.... The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provide families with a tax credit of up to $6,000 to cover eligible child-care expenses. These two tax breaks have the effect of saving American families $3.1 billion in taxes. The use of direct subsidies benefit more low income families, while tax breaks target middle income and upper income households. A second major way in which the government gives back to the community is through student aid. The subsidy mechanism that is used to help out students of low income families is the Pell Grant. On the tax side there are numerous credits and deductions for education purposes that benefit middle and upper income families. Not all tax breaks are considered spending. For instance the lower tax rate on dividends is not considered spending. The reason for the lower tax rate on dividends is to offset the effect of double taxation. It is estimated that nearly 67% of all tax breaks in the United States are a form of spending in disguise. The article pro vides a very interesting discussion about the effect of tax breaks and subsidies in America. Most people do not realize that the government is hiding its spending through the tax code. The actions of the government should be praised since the government is looking for ways to help out poor people and provide social justice. A more detailed discussion about the effect the government’s strategy has on the national deficit would have made this article better. Barack Obama has to negotiate a deal with the Republicans to ensure the economic future of the nation. It is imperative for the government to continue to help out poor parents that can not afford child care. These types of incentives allow a lot of people to join the