As the country watches the repeat video of two women walking off the set of “The View” when Bill O’Reilly made the comment about the mosque being built near Ground Zero in New York, we wonder what really happened and why.

Granted Bill O’Reilly did make a faux pas by generalizing that all Muslims “killed us on 9/11” instead of saying “extremists killed us on 9/11.” Yet he was also defending the families who lost loved ones during the incident. So how do we differentiate the “extremists” who are terrorists and the peaceful Muslims who are opposed to violence? Are there peaceful Muslims living in the United States who don’t want to murder all “Infidels”?

An interesting website, Muslims Condemn Terrorists Attacks (http://www.muhajabah.com//otherscondemn.phpme) leads me to believe there are Muslims who are peaceful and condemn the attacks on the U.S. They write very definitively about how they feel about what happened in 2001. From the American Muslim Political Coordination Council a statement was written on September 11, 2001 saying "American Muslims utterly condemn what are apparently vicious and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators. No political cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts."

I was very happy to read of those Muslims who are living in the United States and are opposed to violence against their non-believers. There is so much controversy and information given to the public about those who are terrorists; the average citizen doesn’t know what to believe. It’s just like any group who are misunderstood; generalizations are passed around the country which causes confusion for everyone. This is not a new conflict. As the early 20th century began, many immigrants were cast into generalizations by where they traveled from in Europe and Asia. Many of our forefathers had the same troubles, but as time moved on, these generalizations were dropped and overcome.

So are we to generalize all Muslims in the United States as violent and dangerous? No, I think not. But I also believe that all citizens should be sensitive to the feeling of building a mosque near such a tragic site. From a CBS poll taken in August, 72 percent of those polled said building a mosque and Islamic Cultural Center so close to Ground Zero is inappropriate. Without generalizing, one would probably be safe to say that those involved with the mosque building would be better off finding a non-controversial spot farther away from Ground Zero. Those wanting the mosque still are able to build it and those who lost loved ones would not feel the pain when they visit this site. A good compromise on both sides.

Loxley resident Valerie J. Steimle is now the author of four books. Her latest, "Dogs, Blogs and Hobbits: Writings from a Widow's Perspective" is available on Amazon.com. Contact her at valeriesteimle@yahoo.com or visit her website at www.stregthenyourhome.com.