You may recall the early Charles Atlas advertisements.  The typical scenario presented a skinny young man (usually accompanied by a female companion) being threatened by a bully. The bully pushes down the “97-pound weakling” and the girlfriend joins in the derision.  This embarrassment makes the young man go home and order the Atlas book on bodybuilding.  Thereafter, the newly muscled hero returns to the place of his original victimization, seeks out the bully, and fights back.  He is rewarded by the swift return of his girlfriend and the admiration of onlookers.

Political correctness has now become that bully, except no one is fighting back!  PC is everywhere:  on tv, in magazines, in movies, and in just about every aspect of our lives.  I’ve no respect whatsoever for the wimps that cringe in fear because of it.

Its latest victims are the networks, namely, CBS and NBC.  As an example, both have declined to air an ad from a conservative group, the National Republican Trust Pac, protesting the building of a 13-story mosque near the site of the World Trade Center attacks. NBC refused to run the ad because it’s “unclear as to whether the reference [to ‘they’ are] to terrorists or to the Islamic religious organization that is sponsoring the building of the mosque. Consequently, the ad is not acceptable under our guidelines for broadcast.”  Check it out for yourself.

Yet, the New York Times, had no problem running MoveOn.org’s full-page advertisement sliming 4-star Gen. David Petraeus, who has honorably and bravely served this country over three decades, when in 2007 he was appointed by President George W. Bush to head the surge in Iraq. MoveOn.org received a discount of $102,000 from the NY Times on the standard political advocacy rate that is advertised at $167,157. (Note:  MoveOn.org had to remove its defamatory ad from its website when President Obama recently appointed Gen. Petraeus to take charge of the war on terror in Afghanistan.  (How dishonest is that?)

Is it any wonder why it’s called the “Lame Stream Media?”

Not surprisingly, the mosque project has amassed both opposition and support.  In May, after a four-hour public debate, members of the Community Board 1 voted 29-1 in support of the building of the mosque.  Nine members abstained, arguing that they wanted to table the issue and vote at a later date.  More political correctness?  It will be decided in August whether the existing building should be granted landmark status which may or may not prevent the mosque from being built.

Of all the places in Manhattan, why build the mosque on a sacred burial ground?  Terrorists – who were Muslims – flew planes into the World Trade Center and killed thousands of people.  I wonder how many Americans, today, even know about the likelihood that a mosque is going to be built a stone’s throw away from the site of this horrific tragedy.  How many will come to NYC to visit Ground Zero and be shocked to see a mosque shadowing the site of 9/11?  I can only imagine.  Yet, the networks won’t run an ad informing the American people of the opposition that continues to grow against this most insensitive project.

Could anyone imagine a Shinto shrine built near Pearl Harbor in the 1940s?  Of course you can’t because people weren’t cringing at the thought of offending the Japanese.  That’s my problem with political correctness.  As the term is used today, its purpose is to minimize social and institutional offense.  In this instance, it’s politically incorrect to offend the Muslim community yet, I’m guessing, the vast majority of Americans, if they actually knew about this, would be horribly offended.  Again, its ok for a so-called artist to offend Christians by photographing a crucifix submerged in a glass of the “artist’s” urine, but it’s politically incorrect to offend Muslims by drawing a cartoon of Mohammed.

Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf, the head of the Cordoba Institute, which is in charge of the project, insists the site will help “bridge the great divide” between Muslims and the rest of America.

What I’d like to know is, if the Imam believes there is a gap, how exactly does he propose to bridge it?  I want to know how the jihadists who flew the planes into the WTC are going to be depicted.  Heroes?  Martyrs?  Misguided?  Or will they be depicted for what they really are:  Murderers?   Will they be called jihadists?  Terrorists?  Will they be denounced by the entire Muslim community?

The imam said, “we have condemned the terror of 9/11” and “we have worked to ensure that our mosques are not recruiting grounds for terrorists.”  Hmmm.  I’m not so sure about that.  This is the same guy who was interviewed by Ed Bradley on 60 Minutes on September 30, 2001, and when asked about the 9/11 attacks, said, “I wouldn’t say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.”  Sounds like a great starting point to “bridge the divide.”

What’s even more interesting is the $$$.  I’d like to know who’s funding this project.  NY Representative Peter King asked gubernatorial candidate, Rick Lazio, to request an investigation by the NY State Attorney General.  Apparently, the Imam refuses to disclose where the money is coming from except to say that funds will be raised in the U.S. as well as from Arab and Islamic countries.  I’d like to know if the money is coming from “Arab and Islamic countries” which sponsor terrorism.  NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not in favor of such an inquiry.  I wonder why?  Let’s see where the money trail leads.

So, my last question is why are so many politicians like NYC Mayor Bloomberg, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Councilman Robert Jackson, Councilwoman Margaret Chin, State Sen. Daniel Squadron and City Comptroller, John Liu, behind this project? I can’t find Sen. Charles Schumer’s position on the mosque but he’s very busy right now dealing with the advertising of caffeine-infused, flavored malt beverages which are apparently becoming increasingly popular among teenagers.  I kid you not.

If I was a conspiratorial nut, I’d say there was money to be made by a lot of folks.  But since, I’m not, I’ll say they’re all a bunch of wimps cowering to political correctness.

And then there’s Tom Ognibene, a former City Council member now running for Lt. Governor, who would get my vote if I was still a New Yorker, who said, “What we’re not going to tolerate is the religion that caused the death of those Americans at Ground Zero building a mosque with $100 million of blood money from around the world that hasn’t even been investigated.”  Now, that’s my kind of politician. 

So, why won’t the networks run the anti-mosque ad?  Political correctness? 

I don’t get it, and, if you do, God bless you.