This evening, in a vote of 8-1 with Councilman Bill Bigot DeSteph the lone vote against (more on Bill the Bigot below), Virginia Beach City Council approved plans for the construction of a mosque.
While approved, I am still sickened by the ignorance and the bigotry on display at the council hearing. Follow me over the orange squiggle to see why.
Currently, there are no mosques in Virginia Beach, a city of about 450K people. In Virginia Beach, the Muslim community has run the Crescent Community Center (CCC) in a warehouse for the past few years, and has been building funds towards the purchase of land and construction of a mosque.
In the council meeting, the bigots first tried to claim that it would cause a traffic problem. However, the mosque will be built in an area that is currently undeveloped, on a section of road that is actually under capacity. The mosque would serve about 250 people, and the attorney for the CCC noted that only during Ramadan would they expect anything more than 100 cars for more than once a week.
Moreover, funny how the very same people complaining about traffic didn't complain when the city constructed the new parks and athletic fields, a huge complex, just 1/2 mile from where the mosque will be constructed. There's at least twice the number of cars that the mosque would bring almost every night of the week during baseball, lacrosse and soccer seasons.
Also, it's funny how they didn't object to the expansion of the Assembly of God church and offices, nor St. Luke's Catholic Church (new in the past 10 years) and Grace Covenant Baptist Church, all on the same road within 1 mile of the mosque.
Finally, one of the bigots just came out with the truth, "We don't want any mosques in Virginia Beach", which drew loud applause. Also, while he didn't have the balls to do it during the council meeting (he had some sleazebag associate say it), one councilman, Bill DeSteph, made accusations to the media that the principal funding for the mosque was coming from the Muslim Brotherhood. No proof of this mind you, no evidence whatsoever - Mr. Sleazebag noted that "they are working on that".
While city council wisely realized that they had no grounds to block construction of the mosque, I have never been so ashamed and disgusted to live in this city and listen to the ignorance and stupidity I heard tonight. You think E.W. Jackson and Cuccinnelli won't have any voters? Sorry, I witnessed them tonight, they're out there. I only hope the polls remain true and both their sorry bigoted ignorant stupid asses will be history come November.