Ignorant Lady comments on Arab Americans
 

I was watching the news last night and they had a different reports about threats and attacks on Arab Americans. I am deeply concerned and upset that any American would be so ignorant enough to place judgements on American citizens who are of Middle Eastern decent that are in mourning and just as concerned as everyone else.

I was enraged when some caucasian woman said on camera: "My family has been here for 7 generations...they [arab americans] should not be here, they should go back to where they came from!" Can I SMACK this lady? PLEASE do NOT tell me that this woman is a product of higher education.
Would it be right for a Native American to tell this woman to go back to HER own country? (Though I suppose it's tough to say, because I'm sure her origin is undoubtably mixed)

We are a country of different races, origin, religion. That is what makes the United States unique. We stand as ONE to fight these persons who have threatened our way of life.

I figured that something like this would happen. People can be so ignorant. On the news, I hear so many different reports of Arab-Americans or Muslims being physically and mentally assaulted. We did this to the Japanese-Americans back during WWII; it is a mistake that the Americans will rarely ever talk about. When you read in your world history books on what went on in the United States during WWII, there is talks of war bonds, people pulling together, and getting out of the depression. There is not even a single mention of imprisoning hundreds of Japanese-Americans. In fact, I had no clue that the Americans had done this until my senior year in HS when my government teacher told us about it. A country that points fingers at Germany for their imprisonment of Jews while America did the same to the Japanese (I'm NOT saying what the Germans did to the Jews is in anyway close to what we did the Japanese...the Germans killed thousands of innocent people...the Americans did not). I'm just so afraid that we are going to same thing Arab-Americans. They will be watched wherever they go. They will be brutally assaulted. Most of these people, just like us, are disgusted by what happened last Tuesday.

I am hopeful....
 

The woman mentioned above and others like her are embarassing and misguided, but, unfortunately not atypical.

I guess they need our prayers, too -- but for far different reasons.

DeltAlum

Hmm..
 

I'm not condoning anything that is harmful to ANY American citizen, including Arab Americans....BUT.....there is an awful lot of people who right now are incredibly angry and emotional...and the first thing is ALWAYS to find someone to blame. We've been through a terrible ordeal..and we watch news brodcasts that there are still these people in America and that they were normal-looking, normal sounding, just like us...and people are scared. It's fear, anger, and profound loss that's effecting america. Ignorant....I don't know. Scared, I think that might hit it a little better.

Always,
Jess

It's no excuse.
 

Sorry, there is no BUTS about it! I'm aware people are deeply scared, upset and they are searching to BLAME someone. There IS someone to blame! It's the people who the media have been talking about for days. It is NOT the fault of innocent Arab-Americans who mourn, pray, and feel the same as all other Americans! There is NO excuse for the hatred she feels towards ALL the people of arab decent- that's stupid and very ignorant. I have never understood people like her.

History Repeated?
 

This country went through this period of shame in WW ll with the japanese Americans and it took a long time for this country to hang their collective heads in shame for what was done to bonofied Ammericans!
I hope we learn from our Historical mistakes and not blame a race or religion for the tradgidy done by a few moronic people who have No care for life.
In the National Cathedral In Wash. DC, there were clergy of all faiths who preached in peace and God!

In times like this, we need to pray fro the well being of all AMERICANS!

Please read this article.....
 

http://www.nationalpost.com/search/s...15/689943.html

"Hijackers lived American dream -
Terrorism suspects had homes, kids and barbecues"

To sum it up, it is horrifying to know that these terrorists lived quietly for years in Western countries while awaiting the call to strike. (known as "sleepers")


Some excerpts that stood out to me:

"Many of the 19 suicide hijackers believed responsible for Tuesday's terrorist attacks had lived in the United States for years, quietly masking their loathing for the country with backyard pizza parties and trips to the local mall.....

and......

The behaviour of some of the alleged hijackers was typical of the so-called "sleepers" in bin Laden's network, who often live quietly for years in Western countries while awaiting the call to strike. It is a facet of bin Laden's network that has frustrated intelligence agencies: How do you distinguish hidden terrorists from ordinary immigrants?


I found the article to be very disturbing and bone chilling....

Re: Please read this article.....
 

Good quesiton. Can someone please enlighten me/us?
:confused:

Well, i would think the CIA and FBI would have a list of people in anyway connected to terrorists like bin Laden - somehow these people made it into the counrty and i really think we need to take a look at secruity measures like this.

i REALLY Think the situation is sad because no matter what some people are still going to be ignorant about the situation. I would hate for america to re hash the mc cartism type attitude towards the Arabs. Personal I think we will always be at risk because with democracy comes freedom of choice, and we will never be able to completely rid our selves of possible terrorist without destroying some of our freedoms.

That lady on the news did not have to say that her family have been here for several generations. What does that have to do with anything? Does that mean that everyone who have been here for less time should go back to their country/are more capable of this crime? Give me a break.

So since they were "living the American dream", and we were violated in our backyard, I guess we should burn down all Arab American Homes and restrict their freedom huh? uh...okay. sure.

Let the government do their job. Take pride that they will find out who was involved. Making your own guilty judgements of people who look remotely Arab is absolutely stupid and ignorant. Become paranoid of everyone who looks middle eastern. But hey, it's your choice, there are many like yourself. Sad, stupid, but ignorant trash will always be out there.

Playing Devil's Advocate
 

IF the government would have DONE ITS JOB, do you think that we would have had the maylay that we did on Tuesday? Would there have been enough time to get all of the potential 50,000 people out of the WTC buildings? Would the employees of the Pentagon been warned ahead of time and encouraged not to come to work on Tuesday?

Where is all of this INTELLIGENCE? All the technology? Millions of dollars are allocated for this sake.

Why is it that AFTER everything was done that we know that all of these criminals are in our country? Would they have infiltrated our country the way they have?


Do your job BEFORE anything happens. Don't wait until it has happened to decide that something needs to be done! :rolleyes:

My thing is, "we" always want to go after a certain people, while another group is "robbing" us blind, if you will, right under our noses, on our own soil.

WAKE UP!

We could learn a thing or two from El-Al Airlines, too...
 

These guys have NEVER had a hijacking, and it is not hard to see why. I will take safety over convenience any day....

Source:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/backg...esecurity.html

Israel's national airliner "El Al" is known to have the strictest security measures in the world. All passengers have their background checked twice, luggage is physically checked twice, people are also checked twice. Bomb-sniffing dogs are brought on the plane twice before takeoff. The plane is thoroughly searched twice. Because of this, passengers are required to check in at least three hours before a flight. El Al has highly trained security "profilers" who interrogate passengers before they board and, could detect would-be hijackers from their behaviour and answers to questions.

bin Laden learned his skills as a CIA operative.....
 

Source:
http://www.nationalpost.com/search/s...13/684882.html

This is an informative article as well...

A chilling excerpt:
Considered a hero in the world of radical Islam, bin Laden is a savvy businessman and a skilled strategist, who learned most of his covert skills while working as a CIA operative Afghanistan in the 1980s.

and
Terrorism experts say that bin Laden's security training from the CIA only partly explains why he has been so elusive over the years.

I was wondering if our Canadian brothers and sisters could help me out here...

The other day (Thursday, I think), a local DJ read an opinion article from a Canadian newspaper (he didn't mention which one). The Canadian journalist had some very strong words for those in the world that are celebrating in their streets while Americans mourn.

The article went on to display America's generosity to other countries--from rebuilding Japan and Germany after WWII to the countless times we have helped countries who have had natural disasters. He then asked the world "When was the last time any country as helped the USA?". He then pledged his full support to the USA should the USA decide to heavily punish the terrorists (and those who harbor them). He urged all Canadians to do so also.

If anyone can help me out I'd really appreciate it.

OohTeenyWahine...is this the article which you seek?
 

http://www.nationalpost.com/search/s...12/699067.html

It is an excellent article by Canadian journalist Christine Blatchford titled "Emotionally, I'm flying the U.S. flag"

This very sad picture of the weeping Statue of Liberty accompanies the article:
http://www.nationalpost.com/stories/...067-237228.jpg
"An illustration of the Statue of Liberty sitting down, holding her head in her hand, while the silhouettes of the World Trade Center Towers are in the background."

These replies have totally avoided the subject on how we treat innocent Americans who are of Middle Eastern decent. Are you defending these woman's words?

If we were to pick out an ethnic group in the United States that is statisticly more involved in crimes, is it right to be prejudice against that individuals who is in that race?

btw, AKA2D- to whom are you telling to wake up? lol. just curious.

CutiePie, are all these articles supposed to support the stupid words of that women? that perhaps we should beware of anyone who looks remotely Arab? It's evident that you think that we were back stabbed by these "immigrants", so do you conclude we should be weary of all of them? My parents weren't born in the US and they are pretty well off. I guess they should be suspect too.

I think we all agree that innocent Arab Americans (and Arab Canadians) need and deserve our protection from those who would paint all Arabs with the same brush.

OohTeenyWahine, I am trying to find that article for you. I am almost certain that I read it in in Wednesday's National Post. I don't think the Christie Blatchford one is it, as you said the article which you see is written by a man. So I am still on the case for you.

Just a couple things to clarify and the Canadian Artical
 

I wasn't saying that anyone would have an excuse to hurt ANYBODY but I can see their point of view. The media say's that these people were living right under our noses, just like all the other arabs who live here. How do people distinguish..between the good ones and the bad ones???? Of course they're going to be scared and angry at these people. If there's one, there's many. I'm just showing another side of the story, not that I agree to a degree.

Also, the Canadian story...

Some in Canada had been saying in newspapers that we "Americans" deserved it, and this artical, was written in response by a Canadian Citizen, Gordon Sinclair, as an editorial.

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the
Americans as the most generous and possibly the
least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany,
Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in
billions of dollars and forgave other billions in
debts. None of these countries is today paying even
the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their
reward was to be insulted and swindled on the
streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the
United States that hurries in to help. This spring,
59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes.
Nobody helped.

The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped
billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now
newspapers in those countries are writing about the
decadent, warmongering Americans.

I'd like to see just one of those countries that is
gloating over the erosion of the United States
dollar build its own airplane. Does any other
country in the world have a plane to equal the> > Boeing Jumbo Jet, the
Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why
don't they fly them? Why do all the International
lines except Russia fly American Planes?

Why does no other land on earth even consider
putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about
Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk
about German technocracy, and you get automobiles.
You talk about American technocracy, and you find
men on the moon - not once, but several times and safely home again.

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put
theirs right in the store window for everybody to
look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued
and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most
of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are
getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were
breaking down through age, it was the Americans who
rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the
New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an
old caboose. Both are still broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced
to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name
me even one time when someone else raced to the
Americans in trouble? I don't think there was
outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one
Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get
kicked around. They will come out of this thing with
their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled
to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating
over their present troubles.
I hope Canada is not one of those.

Stand proud, America!

These replies have totally avoided the subject on how we treat innocent Americans who are of Middle Eastern decent. Are you defending these woman's words?

No, of course not. I think all of us agree that innocent Arab Americans need and deserve protection from those who would paint all Arabs as one and the same.

CutiePie, are all these articles supposed to support the stupid words of that women? that perhaps we should beware of anyone who looks remotely Arab?

No. My articles ARE NOT intended to support the words of that ignoramous woman. I put those up there so people would REALIZE that these guys have been here in North America for YEARS! When the terrorist attacks occured, I at first thought, maybe they flew in from Heathrow, Frankfurt, HongKong, or somewhere else a few days prior to the attacks, and managed to slip into the country. As I started to read more about it in the media, I was shocked and upset to realize that they have been living in the USA for YEARS, undetected.

It's evident that you think that we were back stabbed by these "immigrants", so do you conclude we should be weary of all of them? No, we shouldn't be wary of all immigrants, but it cannot be denied USA and Canada definitely needs to fill in the loopholes where these individuals who would send us ill-will are slipping through, yes??

Thank you for finding that, DEJAJEVA
 

The link is here in the National Post...
http://www.nationalpost.com/features...dNeighbor.html

I didn't mean to offend you CutiePie2000, I just wanted to focus on the topic of the thread. You have made yourself very clear! Thanks :D

I think we *should* be more careful who gets into the country regardless from where. The FBI is going to have more freedom to act now that this tragedy has happened.

Here are my thoughts:
 

Back to the very first post, if you encounter someone face to face like that (where people are ignorant and are looking for someone to blame), even though your first instinct is to get angry and lose your temper, I think it is best to remain calm and try to EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE this person (if you get angry at them and start yelling at them, then their ears just close and they won't listen to what you have to say. So it is best to try to educate in a calm, informative way (even though you want to wring their necks. (I realize that this woman was on TV, so you couldn't reach her personally).

The people who would lump all Arabs and/or Muslims together as one and the same need to be advised that "The notion a suicide hijacker could claim to take lives in the name of Islam is a perversion of the Koran". Source:
http://www.nationalpost.com/search/s...15/689636.html

As I have actually been to the Middle East (I personally visited Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in November 1998. [Saudi Arabia, where bin Laden was a former citizen, does not have tourism]), I have a keen interest in this subject so I try to learn what I can. In the aftermath, I am also trying to learn much about Afghanistan, the Taliban and bin Laden, to try to see where he got his training, where he gets his money, and so on. That is why I was shocked and alarmed to read that bin Laden was actually a former CIA operative, and it would appear that with this training, he is difficult to catch. I wonder why, if they can't find HIM, why can't they freeze his assets or something? Having no access to assets might help stem some of his activities.

We can't be suspicious of all immigrants, and we can't be oblivious either.
In our vigilance to protect ourselves, we have to be something in between, as that which was being used before to screen people was not effective. The screening methods will most certainly be more rigorous.
Someone on the news had a sign that I thought was very apt:
"The Sleeping Giant is awake". I could not agree more.

Don't you think if bin Laden was a CIA operative that it would be plastered all over the news? I have heard reports that he was indeed supported by the US when Afghanistan was fighting Russia in the 80's.

I don't know about "plastered" all over the news, but it is, nonetheless, in the news that he is a former CIA operative.

The article, which states this to be the case is (again):
http://www.nationalpost.com/search/s...13/684882.html

I am confident that the reporter, Isabel Vincent, an investigative journalist (who has won numerous prizes for her work), is accurate in her facts.

America!
I think she's up! If not, it's a sad state of affairs.

Anyway, the picture of Lady Liberty, I thought it shows her ASLEEP as the WTC buildings have been destroyed. I guess I need to read the article. :rolleyes:

Thank you!
 

Thank you so much for all your help! My BF and I were going nuts trying to find the article.

Ignorance
 

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that someone has used a statement like this ~ in reference to Americans :rolleyes: , and it probably won't be the last. This lady has probably made many other uninformed assumptions, but the emotionalism of the situation allowed what she was really feeling to come out.

Ignorance is bliss.

Can you BELIEVE this guy? Jerry Falwell....
 

This Jerry Falwell guy is brutal...I cannot believe that he made this remarks at a time such as this.... :mad:
It is totally outrageous.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. got what it deserves, Falwell says
By DOUG SAUNDERS

Saturday, September 15, 2001 – Print Edition, Page A2

LOS ANGELES -- Tuesday's terrorist attacks, widely assumed to be the work of religious extremists, have inflamed some of the United States's Christian fundamentalists, whose leaders blamed their country's non-believers and secular institutions, its feminists, homosexuals and civil-rights groups for the thousands of deaths.

Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, the most prominent leaders of the born-again Christian right wing, said on Thursday night on Mr. Robertson's widely broadcast 700 Club TV show that the United States is to blame for the destruction, which they described as God's retribution for sinful behaviour.

The remarks drew widespread criticism.

Rev. Billy Graham, a figurehead for more moderate evangelical Christians, suggested yesterday during an otherwise conciliatory address to a national prayer gathering that the only solution to the terrorism would be a return to God and "spiritual renewal."

Christianity has become a powerful social and political force in the United States. According to a comprehensive poll of 6,000 adults across the United States, conducted this year by Barna Research Group, about 40 per cent of Americans describe themselves as "born-again" Christians. Many are Protestants who believe the Bible is literal truth and that Judgment Day is approaching.

An additional 20 million Americans are members of less extreme evangelical Christian groups, according to a poll by The New York Times.

The majority of religious Americans appear to have responded to Tuesday's attacks with compassion, empathy and sadness. But Mr. Falwell and Mr. Robertson expressed the views of a sizeable minority of Americans by blaming the perceived sins of their fellow citizens.

"God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve," Mr. Falwell said on Mr. Robertson's show, which claims a viewership of millions. Then, as Mr. Robertson repeatedly offered his assent, Mr. Falwell broadened his scope:

"The ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] has got to take a lot of blame for this," he said, charging that the rights organization is responsible for "throwing God out successfully, with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools."

He added: "The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way [a Washington organization that opposes right-wing extremism] -- all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say: 'You helped this happen.' "

Mr. Robertson concluded: "Well, I totally concur."

Moderate Christian groups and People for the American Way denounced the evangelists' remarks yesterday. An ACLU spokesman said he would not dignify them with a response.

Confronted with the angry responses, Mr. Falwell was unrepentant. "I put all the blame, legally and morally, on the actions of the terrorist," he said. But America's "secular and anti-Christian environment left us open to our Lord's [decision] not to protect. When a nation deserts God and expels God from the culture . . . the result is not good."

A White House spokesman called the remarks inappropriate, quickly adding that "the President does not share those views."

This is a particularly sensitive point, because President George W. Bush calls himself a born-again Christian, an Evangelical believer who found Jesus in the 1980s, with the help of Mr. Graham, after a number of dissolute years. During last year's election campaign, Mr. Bush tried to appeal to the followers of Mr. Falwell and Mr. Robertson. He has opened his policy offices to the views of fundamentalist Christians and has initiated policies that would allow religious groups to offer social programs.

Yesterday, Mr. Bush was one of many political leaders who watched Mr. Graham address a multifaith religious service at Washington's National Cathedral. His message largely expressed hope and reassurance, but he included remarks suggesting that a lack of religious belief was part of the problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2001 Globe Interactive, a division of Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc.

Apparently, Falwell appologized for this remarks. Thankfully!

So?!
 

I was speaking of the apology with a bit of sarcasm.

You are probably right- I am wasting time with what this lady said. She is just one of many who are ignorant but I suppose it made it even worse by announcing it on TV. I believe you have a right to feel whatever you want, but it is the hate crimes that bother me. It takes it to the next level.

I tend to forget people can't hear my sarcasm.

I said IF we were to pick out. Statistics itself is a very biased. Never said it was right. I could have substituted "statisticly more" with "we thought". HOW we recieved such biased information wasn't my point.

k.

I agree with Salience this is NOTHING new!

Sun-Tzu
 

I'm not mad at those who have perpetrated this horrible action. Nor am I mad at those who have unleashed "patriotic" feeling by attacking Arabs and Muslims (There are reports of Hispanics, Indian, Pakistani are being attack also). Instead I feel sad for them. I feel pity that anger and hatred has consume their life. I have never liked Pres. Bush, but after the way he has acted, I have found a new respect for the President. This conflict is not against the Arabs, Muslims, or the Afghan people (fyi, Afghans are not Arabs). It is instead against hated and evil. It is against intolerance. Those who have abused, killed my fellow American because of their difference are no better then Bin Laden. To this regard, remmember what sun-ztu once said if we are to be victorious:

"Thus it is said that one who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be endangered in a hundred engagements."
-Sun-Ztu "Art of War"

God bless all of you.

Falwell DA
 

Jerry Falwell is a MORON WILL BE A MORON!

We are Americans and Love our Country!

We are the melting Pot of the World!
There is strife going on in All parts of the world from the French in Canada, the Irish in Ireland, and so many more to mention.

In Our 4 Corners of the World, we are the most caring people on this earth. It is Americans not by any Race, Creed, or Color involved as WE As AMERICANS DO FOR THE WORLD!
Good Nigth Mrs. Calabash, Where ever you are!

One of the saddest E-M I got was the American Eagle with the Twin Towers as a back drop and It was Crying! And so did I for all of the people who lost their lives, not just Americans but people from all over the world!

Thank You and Good Night!!!