Just one week after the mid-term elections, President Obama touched down today for a visit to Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world. Many Americans still believe Obama is a Muslim himself, which colors their view of him and his patriotism. What I want to know is whether Obama’s Republican opponents will set the record straight, or further exploit this falsehood for their own political gain.

Our political landscape nowadays is like a landfill, filled with lots of junk. This is most apparent on the heightened debate over the building of a mosque near Ground Zero and the posturing around the upcoming mid-term elections. Republicans are fast chasing after President Obama, and Democrats are fast running away from him. But what does that mean about where we stand, especially on the mosque?

Last night while driving home I heard a live broadcast of a gubernatorial candidates’ debate in Tennessee. One question was about whether the candidates would allow a mosque to be built in a neighborhood. As I listened to their responses, my stomach began to turn, and then I considered my own question: Is this the country we want?