First Experience...On The Field!

Our first reporting assignment was not as easy as I thought it would be! We were told to interview a STRANGER on either the Islam Center near Ground Zero or what our stranger thought of President Obama. I went to Dolphin Mall (during my lunch break at work) and walked around looking for people who might have an opinion. Many people I spoke with didn't know what I was talking about or didn't have an opinion (there are so many tourists at Dolphin Mall!) 

I finally found someone who had an opinion. His name is Raymond Bordaz and he was a soldier that fought in Kuwait in 1991. His interview was quite interesting...below you'll find my brief Q&A with Raymond:

Q: What do you think if the Islamic Center that is being built by ground zero?

Raymond: I have mixed feelings because of what happened on Sept. 11, 2011. Islamic people are being blamed for what happened and it shouldn’t be that way. Besides, we have Freedom of Religion guaranteed by the Constitution. On the other hand, I sympathize with the New Yorkers who lost their loved ones and changed their lives when this happened.

Q: What do you think should try to be done?

Raymond: For the sake of good relations, I think we should try to compromise and put it another place. There are plenty of spots in NY and in the nation where we could build an Islamic Center. We should put it somewhere else out of respect for both parties.

Q: How do you feel President Obama is dealing with the situation?

Raymond: I think there are more important issues he should be dealing with.

Q: Is this a common belief among your friends?

Raymond: Well I am a Cuban man who fought against these people in Kuwait in 1991.  Neither side wants to give in. It would be wonderful if we could have peace and not have to worry about something like this. We need to find a way to coexist without trying to push our beliefs onto others. I don’t think we should be trying to shove our ideas down their throats because no one wants to feel ask if they are being controlled. I think this is the idea among many people in the nation.

Q: With that being said, do you think this issue goes beyond the Islamic Center?

Raymond: Absolutely. I think we are trying to be the police of the work instead of trying to solve our own problems instead. This is much bigger than just the Islamic Center. It’s about what we think they did on 9/11. We’re just trying someone to blame, yet again. 

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84515