Entitled to Anguish, Not Entitled to Authority

On the opposition to the Muslim center in Manhattan:

Referring to the loved ones of Sept. 11 victims, [Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League,] said, “Their anguish entitles them to positions that others would categorize as irrational or bigoted.”

But while they are entitled to their feelings, that is precisely why we should not listen to them. (It’s also why we should stop passing laws named after kids whose parents turned their anguish into lobbying, but that’s an outrage for another day.)

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