Obama: Suspect Number One Three Months before Election

How many kilometers must be imposed as a buffer zone in order to preserve the peace of the victims? By raising that question, some shed light on the debate that enraged the United States. In fact, distance is not the issue here. The polemic that started around the construction of a mosque and a cultural center near ground zero, at the place where the twin towers stood, has nothing to do with geography. The majority of Americans today do not want that kind of building, whether it is in Manhattan, New York or anywhere else in the country.

The rise of nationalism that the U.S. is now experiencing is not something new. To the question of accepting Islam — which is readily confused with terrorism here because of idleness, ignorance or political prejudice — some add the issue of illegal Mexicans who spread everywhere starting from Arizona. These issues are joined together behind the flag of the “tea party,” an American party hungry for purity, for going back to the roots and for returning to the largely idealized past.

This America has always existed, but it seemed to have erupted with the election of Barack “Hussein” Obama two years ago. It is the same country, however, that followed the trend which allowed the first black president of the country to find new enthusiasm and increasing fervor. Today it is that America that will embody the America of tomorrow, without shame, without taboo and without disrespect for its adversaries.

In the midst of this, Barack Obama is on tenterhooks three months before the next elections. His multicultural background, his unusual profile and his call for greater transparency of America have made him suspect number one. His support for the mosque only exacerbates his situation.

The construction of a place for Islam in that location is a controversial issue, and the reluctance of the families of the victims must be fully taken into account. But President Obama wants to stay loyal to his principles and to the truth, and he has no choice but to defend the main principles of openness and tolerance, which, like nothing else, will allow New York and the U.S. to show that they are ready to turn the page. Much more than the nostalgia of the “tea party,” it is this question that will determine the identity of America today.