And finally, the political weight. Republican Gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio, who has been an outspoken opponent of the mosque, chimed in to remind us that "this is the time when we need to ask the serious questions that will keep the people of downtown Manhattan feeling, and actually being, safe." He received a standing ovation.

There were some attempts to bring the ~~dialogue~~ shouting match back to the situation at hand: the actual landmark candidacy of 45-47 Park Place. Many speakers cited the landing gear from United flight 175 hitting the building on 9/11 as a reason for its historical significance. One compared it to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and Stonewall Inn, which both achieved landmark status because of historical events that happened in them.

However, perhaps the most sincere testimony came from Roman Shusterman, better known as the guy who roams New York with a "Free Happy Endings" sign. He may have lost some listeners when he asked, "Wouldn't it be better if we gave each other happy endings instead of killing each other?" but still brought some much-needed rationality to the proceedings when he stated, "This meeting is making things worse...it's pitting people against each other."

The Commission is expected to vote later this summer.