One doesn’t need to travel far to be smack right in the middle of conflict. As a matter of fact, just visit 51 Park Place New York, a controversial area about two blocks from the Ground Zero. What makes it so controversial isn’t the 6 empty beer bottles right across from the area, nor the litter, not the bar next to it, or the gentlemen’s club a few streets away. It’s the location of a mosque that has plans to be build. Debate has stemmed regarding funding to the mere close proximity of the planned mosque to Ground Zero.
On a sunny Saturday, I set out to visit the area. As a native New Yorker, I have witnessed the various media accounts of the controversy and witnessed the statements of various politicians. With a notepad in hand, I set out to write a critique of the media and politician’s portrayal of the situation, as witnessed by the various neighbors of Park 51. I set out to answer a few critical questions, What has been said, What is being done and How the story may have been distorted. A few hours later I was back on the train with a new realization and a different plan. Views and opinions of this particular matter are more likely to be shaped by a person’s past and their experiences as oppose to the media’s coverage.
Standing near the World Trade Center cross, I managed to meet a few tourists from L.A. “It should be left up to New Yorkers” Carol states, continuing though that even though she briefly watched coverage of the mosque, the “media is out of whack.” Surprised at this particularly indifferent opinion of the media, I sought out further views.
Mr. Iqbal Cby is a street vender near 51 Park Place. He works 12 hours a day, therefore doesn’t have much of a chance to watch the media coverage of Park51. However, as a person who works so close to the mosque, he does share quite a unique opinion. “I heard it’s going to have swimming pool and a restaurant…it will be a community center.” He pointed out, “Not a lot of people live here, they just work here, and it would make it easier for people to pray.” He stressed that it will bring more people and more business to the area. Even though Mr. Iqbal hasn’t watched an extensive amount of media coverage, he seemed to have a pretty strongly formulated opinion about the mosque. I ventured further, wondering if other people were in the same position as both Carol and Mr. Iqbal.
Standing right outside of Park 51 was what seemed to be a small rally. Signs with words like “COEXIST” were pressed against the old building. It was there that I met with Clifford Lafontaine, a very passionate man who was at the area because of the need to just simply “say something.” Strongly pronouncing “People died for to protect these rights,” he argued for a strong adherence to the Constitution. When asked about the media, he laughed “it sells newspapers, magazines…you get a buck out of it.” A similar opinion regarding the media was held by Samuel Arroyo who said “it’s their job.” Mr. Arroyo had come there to pray, and while he agrees that the area is a “bedrock of what America has become, a bedrock of freedom” he states that it comes down to respect of what is not Ground Zero but holy ground.
All the individuals that I had the opportunity to speak with shared unique reasons for why they were all brought to the particular area. Some came to work, several came to visit, others came to pray and many came to say something.
What has been said by the media has not made that much of a great impact on those I have interviewed. Even what has been said by politicians has just caused great schisms in the debate. One doesn’t need to look further then the recent comments made by President Obama, that caused either great joy or deep horror, depending on which camp you belong to. Jonnathan Coleman from the Examiner recently wrote about a Gallup poll that was conducted to measure the reaction of individuals. “Of those polled, 37% disagreed with Obama's remarks and 20% agreed with him. Just over 40% said they didn't know enough information to make a decision, and 2% didn't answer." What surprised me the most is the amount of people that stated they “didn’t know enough information to make a decision.” The experience I had that Saturday was definitely not an isolated incident.
What is being done about the situation can easily be witnessed by just taking a brisk walk through Park Place or by quick channel surfing. People are talking, people are protesting, people are rallying, and emotions are flying. Whether or not the story has been distorted by the media is a much more complicated question. Many formulate their opinion on the story based on past experiences, others by their environment and some by the media. This may be likened to the children’s game of telephone. The information you get is only as good as the information received or given by the person next to you. A debate that I previously thought to be further ignited by media coverage turned out not to be so, experiences are seemingly much more prevalent when creating an opinion about a situation like Park 51.
Really nice job. MM
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