Fox News’ Peter Johnson Suggests Muslims Should “Give Up Their Rights” In Order To Be “Great Americans”

Fox News legal analyst and guest host Peter Johnson Jr. had something important to say. It was so important, he could not stay in the studio to make this point. No, he had to go to the site of the proposed Islamic cultural center (ok, Peter, we’ll call it the “Ground Zero Mosque’).

So what is his point exactly? Well, see Muslims should “give up their rights.”

Let me preface this by saying I believe Peter Johnson Jr. and all those who oppose the Mosque being built two blocks from the World Trade Center site have every right to feel this way. And there are many legitimate reasons to oppose it. Johnson Jr. lays out a few of those at the beginning of his monologue.

It’s about Americans respecting other Americans, about neighbors comforting neighbors, about being sensitive to the loss of a horrific act of war, which still hurts almost nine years later. We are proud that we are one of the few countries in the world which allows the free exercise of religion. But when we resort to legalisms instead of common sense or compassion, when we invoke our first amendment as a sword, not a shield, it means we have lost sight of, and broken faith with our national identity and strength.

All very fair points, that represent what could be called the mainstream opposition to the Ground Zero Mosque. But then Johnson comes to the end:

Any American can assert a right. Great Americans give up their rights, to help those they share nothing else with but a love of this country. From the Ground Zero Mosque, Peter Johnson.

First of all – you’re not reporting from the Ground Zero Mosque, Peter Johnson. You’re reporting from outside the building that may at some point become what you are currently referring to as the Ground Zero Mosque. That’s a major difference.

But “great Americans give up their rights”? Really? Imagine if someone on the left said this. About any right at all. I’d love to see what Peter Johnson would have to say about it.

In conclusion, come on Muslims, just give up some rights. Not all of them! Just a few. You’d do it, if you were real Americans. Thanks.

Here’s the clip (h/t Media Matters):

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