Updated: March 11, 2011

On Thursday, Congress held hearings led by New York Representative Peter King about the threat of homegrown terrorists in the Muslim community in the United States.

As expected, the controversial discussions were both heated and emotional. King, and others who share his perspective, believe that Muslim-Americans do not cooperate enough with law enforcement to identify potential threats. Others feel that holding congressional hearings targeting a religious community only serves to antagonize that group and reinforce stereotypes.

Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison (pictured above), the first Muslim elected to Congress, broke down in tears as he told the story of a Pakistani-American paramedic, and Muslim, who died in the September 11th terrorist attacks after he rushed to lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the attack to help.

Read more about the hearings in the article below and watch the video to hear what some teens think, then weigh in with your own perspective in the comments.