Florida mosque removed as polling site after anti-Islamic backlash

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Florida mosque removed as polling site after anti-Islamic backlash

14 July 2016 US & Canada

A Florida mosque has been removed as a polling station for the 2016 election after local officials received complaints and threats of violence.

The Islamic Center of Boca Raton had planned to host a polling site for the state's primary in August and the general election in November.

Officials rescinded the invite, drawing sharp criticism from Florida lawmakers who said it reinforced religious discrimination.

The site was moved to a nearby library.

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The Islamic Center has been used as a polling station at least since 2010, the Washington Post reported.

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Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36796493


[font size=1]The mosque was uninvited after local election officials received complaints and threats[/font]

[rug]

1. They should have all mosques used as polling places. It'll keep the bigots out of the polling booth.

[mwrguy]

2. Good idea

[Albertoo]

6. Because there are no bigots in mosques?

That would be welcome news.

[rug]

7. Would you vote in a mosque?

[Albertoo]

8. Try answering questions first if you want answers

You systematically answer a question with another.
It's a good tactic when it's used sparingly.

[rug]

9. There's no logic to that. One is not dependent on the other.

Yours was a rhetorical question. Mine was seeking to disclose specific question.

Don't answer. I already have a pretty good idea of the answer.

[Albertoo]

10. The logic is that of civil discussion

A asks a question. B answers and asks a question in their turn. A answers and so forth.

It's a widespread practice which is generally considered to produce satisfying results.

[rug]

11. Civil discussion does not rely on rhetorical questions. Rhetorical questions do not require answers.

OTOH, "you first" is a playground argument, most used to prevent an unpleasant answer.

So, as a purported advocate of civility, what is your answer to my question, which is not rhetorical at all.

[Albertoo]

12. What makes you believe my question was rhetorical?

You asserted that if mosques were polling stations, it would deter bigots.

Don't you think my question was a way to offer you to reevaluate your assertion?

[rug]

13. Because unless you live in a two-dimensional world, bigots are everywhere.

Ergo, rhetoric.

Now you can answer my question.

BTW, evasion does not promote civil discussion either.

[Albertoo]

14. OK, now I can answer you

I would vote in a mosque if it was the polling station I was assigned to, BUT I object to places of worship being polling stations: churches, mosques, or any other loony building.

Places used to believe in undemonstrable (and sometimes downright murderous) claims should not be lent credibility by entrusting them with any shred of official democratic function.

[nil desperandum]

3. I would have thought

that they would have only used public buildings anyway and not churches and such...we don't use churches here in Western Massachusetts we use local school buildings.

What does a church/mosque have to do with an election process anyway?

[Eugene]

4. Our neighborhood polling place used to be at a church.

It was centrally located in the main square in Mattapan, Boston.
They later moved it to a community school in a more secluded location.

[No Vested Interest]

15. My polling place is in a large meeting room of a Presbyterian church.

There are at least 2 precincts there; there used to be more until consolidation of several precincts.
I usually vote by absentee ballot, so seldom go to the poll, but did for the primary this year.

If we voted by mail, we wouldn't need to use mosques, churches, or synagogues as polling places.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. 100% of our polling places are churches, with about 80%

Southern Baptist.