I live in a neighborhood that’s designated “historical.”  If I want to make any alterations to my property, I have to get a certificate of appropriateness from the City.  And that’s what’s key.  APPROPRIATE. 

I had to battle to paint my stoop.   In the final analysis, I got permission to use a brick red paint.  Had I asked for leave to paint it green or purple, the alteration would have been deemed inappropriate and my request would have been denied.

I don’t think anyone denies that Muslims have the right to worship, but they don’t have the right to build a facility for group worship in my neighborhood.  Neither do Christians.  All city dwellers are effected by zoning.  Up in the mountains, neighbors are restricted on the height of the structures they build because it’s not right to block your neighbor’s view of the mountians.  In our county, I think you’d run into trouble if you tried to build a day-school outside city limits  –  I think the concerns are ground water and fire protection.

This argument about the mosque got silly fast.  Us right-wing nuts need to remember that a person doesn’t have the right to build anything he wants on his property just because he wants to.