SOAPBOX TIME

It's soapbox time again. That pesky soapbox just won't stay put away. Before anyone thinks that I'm a "johnny come lately" or picking on the president, let me say that I am now, and have always been a conservative. I don't want to say how long, but I do remember the John Birch Society. Are they still around?

I don't know which topic to address today - our latest apology or the downtown Manhattan imam's free trip (on our dime) to the middle East. I think I have to do more research on our apology to Japan for Hiroshima which prevented the deaths of many, many Americans.

It looks like the imam wins again in more ways than one. According to the state department, the imam will be forbidden to do any fund raising while on this tour. How sad, he won't be able to ask his friends for money, but, if they happen to offer, then that's OK. From things I've heard and read, he has many well connected friends who would be glad to expand islam.

I'm not against their building a mosque, but there are many other areas of NYC that would be just as good and would not be rubbing salt in the wounds of the survivors and the families of victims of that horrific day. I'm sure there's land or buildings available near Mayor Bloomberg's home.

I did hear one encouraging thought. There are some construction workers who have vowed that they will not take any job on this construction site. Good for them! I hope more of the construction unions follow suit. Then, they would have to hire non-union workers and we all know who that will go over in NYC.