A Bigot? You decide...

[Nightshade]

\"YOU WORRY ME!\"

By American Airlines Pilot - Captain John Maniscalco

I've been trying to say this since 9-11, but you worry me. I wish you didn't. I wish when I walked down the streets of this country that I love, that your color and culture still blended with the beautiful human landscape we enjoy in this country.

But you don't blend in anymore. I notice you, and it worries me. I notice you because I can't help it anymore. People from your homelands, professing to be Muslims, have been attacking and killing my fellow citizens and our friends for more than 20 years now. I don't fully understand their grievances and hate, but I know that nothing can justify the inhumanity of their attacks.

On September 11, nineteen ARAB-MUSLIMS hijacked four jetliners in my country. They cut the throats of women in front of children and brutally stabbed to death others. They took control of those planes and crashed them into buildings killing thousands of proud fathers, loving sons, wise grandparents, elegant daughters, best friends, favorite coaches, fearless public servants, and children's mothers.

The Palestinians celebrated, the Iraqis were overjoyed as was most of the Arab world. So, I notice you now. I don't want to be worried. I don't want to be consumed by the same rage and hate and prejudice that have destroyed the soul of these terrorists. But I need your help. As a rational American, trying to protect my country and family in an irrational and unsafe world, I must know how to tell the difference between you, and the Arab/Muslim terrorist.

How do I differentiate between the true Arab / Muslim-Americans and the Arab Muslim terrorists in our communities who are attending our schools, enjoying our parks, and living in OUR communities under the protection of OUR constitution, while they plot the next attack that will slaughter these same good neighbors and children?

The events of September 11th changed the answer. It is not my responsibility to determine which of you embraces our great country, with ALL of its religions, with ALL of its different citizens, with all of its faults. It is time for every Arab/Muslim in this country to determine it for me.

I want to know, I demand to know, and I have a right to know, whether or not you love America? Do you pledge allegiance to its flag? Do you proudly display it in front of your house, or on your car? Do you pray in your many daily prayers that Allah will bless this nation, that He will protect and prosper it? Or do you pray that Allah will destroy it in one of your Jihads? Are you thankful for the freedom that only this nation affords? A freedom that was paid for by the blood of hundreds of thousands of patriots who gave their lives for this country? Are you willing to preserve this freedom by also paying the ultimate sacrifice? Do you love America?

If this is your commitment, then I need YOU to start letting ME know about it. Your Muslim leaders in this nation should be flooding the media at this time with hard facts on your faith, and what hard actions you are taking as a community and as a religion to protect the United States of America.

Please, no more benign overtures of regret for the death of the innocent because I worry about who you regard as innocent. No more benign overtures of condemnation for the unprovoked attacks because I worry about what is unprovoked to you. I am not interested in any more sympathy. I am only interested in action.

What will you do for America -our great country- at this time of crisis, at this time of war?

I want to see Arab-Muslims waving the AMERICAN flag in the streets. I want to hear you chanting \"Allah Bless America \" I want to see young Arab/Muslim men enlisting in the military. I want to see a commitment of money, time, and emotion to the victims of this butchering and to this nation as a whole.

The FBI has a list of over 400 people they want to talk to regarding the WTC attack. Many of these people live and socialize right now in Muslim communities. You know them. You know where they are. Hand them over to us, now! But I have seen little even approaching this sort of action. Instead I have seen an already closed and secretive community close even tighter. You have disappeared from the streets. You have posted armed security guards at your facilities. You have threatened lawsuits. You have screamed for protection from reprisals. The very few Arab/Muslim representatives that HAVE appeared in the media were defensive and equivocating.

They seemed more concerned with making sure that the United States proves who was responsible before taking action. They seemed more concerned with protecting their fellow Muslims from violence directed towards them in the United States and abroad than they did with supporting our country and denouncing \"leaders\" like Khadafi, Hussein, Farrakhan, and Arafat.

If the true teachings of Islam proclaim tolerance and peace and love for all people, then I want chapter and verse from the Koran and statements from popular Muslim leaders to back it up. What good is it if the teachings in the Koran are good, and pure, and true, when your \"leaders\" are teaching fanatical interpretations, terrorism, and intolerance?

It matters little how good Islam SHOULD BE if huge numbers of the world's Muslims interpret the teachings of Mohammed incorrectly and adhere to a degenerative form of the religion. A form that has been demonstrated to us over and over again. A form whose structure is built upon a foundation of violence, death, and suicide. A form whose members are recruited from the prisons around the world. A form whose members (some as young as five years old) are seen day after day, week in and week out, year after a year, marching in the streets around the world, burning effigies of our presidents, burning the American flag, shooting weapons into the air. A form whose members convert from a peaceful religion, only to take up arms against the great United States of America, the country of their birth. A form whose rules are so twisted, that their traveling members refuse to show their faces at airport security checkpoints, in the name of Islam.

We will NEVER allow the attacks of September 11, or any others for that matter, to take away that which is so precious to us: Our rights under the greatest constitution in the world.

I want to know where every Arab Muslim in this country stands and I think it is my right and the right of every true citizen of this country to demand it. A right paid for by the blood of thousands of my brothers and sisters who died protecting the very constitution that is protecting you and your family. I am pleading with you to let me know.

I want you here as my brother, my neighbor, my friend, as a fellow American.

But there can be no gray areas or ambivalence regarding your allegiance and it is up to YOU, to show ME, where YOU stand. Until then. \"YOU WORRY ME!\"

[roid]

not just a biggot, but a predictable paranoid gullable biggot

We will NEVER allow the attacks of September 11, or any others for that matter, to take away that which is so precious to us: Our rights under the greatest constitution in the world.

that's a good one.


ps: http://www.snopes.com/rumors/soapbox/worryme.asp

[Krom]

I read the first few paragraphs and then decided it was too stupid to read any more.

Tell the moron to go up and talk to them and actually get to know them instead of locking himself in his house letting foxy news feed him fear 24/7.

下らん

[Ferno]

The whole article is nothing short of being racist.

Take your hate somewhere else.

[Dakatsu]

I know a palestinian muslim who is a conservative republican and loves America. Scary isn't it?

[TIGERassault]

I love the way he cliams Muslims have been attacking his country for over 20 years, but is then only able to reference one single day when only 19 people attacked.

[Sedwick]

I want you here as my brother, my neighbor, my friend, as a fellow American.

I think it's a great essay. He attacks the terrorists and lack of outrage/cooporation from the good Muslims. Why shouldn't a group of such prominence work harder to protect its good name and expose those who desecrate that name? He's obviously not a bigot and doesn't want to be one, but feels the circumstances are forcing him to be.

[Foil]

He's obviously not a bigot and doesn't want to be one, but feels the circumstances are forcing him to be.

I'm sorry, but that's no excuse for hatred, racism, and bigotry.

Circumstances, whether real or paranoid perceptions of reality like the above, should not dictate our ethical stances.

[TIGERassault]

I think it's a great essay. He attacks the terrorists and lack of outrage/cooporation from the good Muslims. Why shouldn't a group of such prominence work harder to protect its good name and expose those who desecrate that name? He's obviously not a bigot and doesn't want to be one, but feels the circumstances are forcing him to be.

Yeah! Shame on them Muslims for not inventing a time machine and stopping the September 11th attack! Shame on all of them!
Oh, what? Yeah, I know the regular Americans aren't doing anything either but hey, they're not supposed to be doing any work! That's anti-American, it is!

Seriously though, what in the hell are you talking about?

[Sedwick]

I'm talking about the fact that there's no hatred, racism, or bigotry directed at anyone except those who make Muslims look bad--the ones who've perverted Islam through their public actions and sentiments. The author seriously wants to see Muslims as just like any other American, as the quote I echoed demonstrated, but what's he supposed to think knowing what the bad, most visible Muslims have already done?

The \"paranoia\" he expresses is little different from the kind of fear someone feels walking down the same street where they were beaten and mugged last week. The victim knows most people walking alongside him aren't going to attack him, and know it's wrong to attack him, but there are still some that would do it. And if those other, good people can do something to prevent a next attack, they should. And if they don't, they're really no better than the attacker, and the whole group of people on that street is dragged down together.

The author is making a sincere, desperate plea to the Muslim community to make their good more public, to make their loyalty to America more public, so one day radical Islamic terrorism, both the acts and the fear of it, is made less public. Only then can Muslims hope to \"blend in\" again.

[Foil]

I'm talking about the fact that there's no hatred, racism, or bigotry directed at anyone except those who make Muslims look bad...

Go back and re-read it. The piece, by it's premise, is directed at everyone of that ethnic/religious group.

He is not making distinctions, he is doing quite the opposite by defending his right to "worry about" (i.e. stereotype) everyone in a certain group.

That is where he crosses the ethical line, in my book.

[Lothar]

Realistically speaking... he IS a bigot, but not particularly moreso than your average person. He's been wronged by people from a particular group, and watched others from the same group cheer them on. Like many people, this makes him a bit more wary of all people from that group. He doesn't want to be -- he knows intellectually that he shouldn't be -- but emotionally, he needs someone to step up and restore his faith in that group. He needs someone to comfort him.

It's easy for us to dismiss him as a bigot and not give him a second thought. But the fact is, he speaks for a lot of people. A lot of people are scared, because their only experiences of Arab-Muslims are terrorist attacks, terrorist groups, wars they see on the news, and groups like CAIR. Kinda like a lot of white people whose only knowledge of blacks comes from the Cosby Show and rap videos... or like many whose only knowledge of Christians comes from the Crusades, televangelists, and fire-and-brimstone sermons... he, like many others, has a skewed picture.

That's a real challenge that faces the Muslim community in the US. There are a lot of people out there who don't want to be bigots, know they shouldn't be bigots, but just don't have anything to latch on to that lets them know they can trust \"those people\". We're not talking about hard-core KKK racists who would never be won over; we're talking about people who were hurt and need a bit of healing. They just need a little something they can latch on to and say \"yeah, there was 9/11, but my neighbor Ahmed helped me when my car wouldn't start.\"

Lest anyone think I'm being unfair to say Muslims really should step up... I say the same thing about Christians all the time. We need to step up and treat our neighbors in such a way that they don't just say \"the crusades\", they say \"the crusades... but then, my coworker Joe Christian gave me a ride home so I didn't have to wait for the bus.\" Bigotry is a natural state of mind, and it's an emotional thing. You don't counteract it by insulting and yelling at the bigots (IMO that makes it worse); you counteract it by treating them in such a way that their emotional response changes.

[TIGERassault]

Nice. However, the only way that that's gonna happen is if some major news network tells us that we shouldn't be such bigots and regular Muslims are all right.
But there's no chance of that happening whatsoever! The media loves bigotry!

[Foil]

...he needs someone to step up and restore his faith in that group. He needs someone to comfort him...

It's easy for us to dismiss him as a bigot and not give him a second thought. But the fact is, he speaks for a lot of people. A lot of people are scared...

Bigotry is a natural state of mind, and it's an emotional thing. You don't counteract it by insulting and yelling at the bigots (IMO that makes it worse); you counteract it by treating them in such a way that their emotional response changes.

There's a huge difference between:
a. treating a person with kindness despite their bigoted tendencies
and
b. telling the person that those feelings are acceptable

I agree, we should be helping people rather than berating them. However, even if we empathize with the reasons for it, we cannot tell people that bigotry/racism/stereotyping is okay.

Nice. However, the only way that that's gonna happen is if some major news network tells us that we shouldn't be such bigots and regular Muslims are all right.
But there's no chance of that happening whatsoever! The media loves bigotry!

Heh, don't give the media so much credit. Racism/bigotry is pretty well ingrained in our culture.

[Lothar]

There's a huge difference between:
a. treating a person with kindness despite their bigoted tendencies
and
b. telling the person that those feelings are acceptable

I agree, we should be helping people rather than berating them. However, even if we empathize with the reasons for it, we cannot tell people that bigotry/racism/stereotyping is okay.

I agree. It's not acceptable, but it is reality, and we need to understand where it's coming from. We need to approach people who are bigoted against us with love and compassion, such that their bigotry simply falters.

This approach won't work on the more bigoted; they will simply need to be marginalized. But on the normal people who've been hurt, it seems to work fairly well.

[Zuruck]

Hah...what a crock. Muslims have to stand up and prove they are \"good\" so we can assimilate them.

Why didn't the good Christians rally against Pat Robertson when he said all those that perished in Katrina did so because our country promotes homosexuality? Or when someone blows up an abortion clinic? Or kills a doctor who is doing nothing more than his job?

Other citizens in this country owe you absolutely nothing...not one single thing do they have to prove to you. If you want to be a bigot, it's on your conscience. The government did an outstanding job of promoting the fear that has paralyzed this country into thinking a terrorist is on every street corner, under every bush, riding on all the buses, they did their job to sell a product and now it has become part of the blueprint for modern society.

[Foil]

Interesting point, Z.


By the logic of the article, as a Christian, I should be expected to \"STAND UP and SHOW\" that I'm not one of the evil murderous Christians...

...hm, I probably do have some responsibility to separate myself from the whacko elements of my faith. However, by the tone of the article, it implies an expectation that my life isn't enough evidence, I have to publicly \"prove\" it to everyone.


Continuing with the premise of the article, people are justified when they blanket-stereotype all Christians as evil, because they believe they have reason to \"WORRY ABOUT\" us...

...I think it's clear how utterly ridiculous that is.

[Lothar]

Why didn't the good Christians rally against Pat Robertson when he said all those that perished in Katrina did so because our country promotes homosexuality? Or when someone blows up an abortion clinic? Or kills a doctor who is doing nothing more than his job?

I didn't say Muslims have to go out and have public rallies. Just that they need to be aware of the perception, they need to be aware WHY the perception exists, and FOR THEIR OWN SAKE they need to combat it. Nobody "owes" this to anyone else; they should do it for themselves, because so many bigots could be won over.

The same is true for Christians... when Pat Robertson says stupid stuff, you'll hear me saying "Pat Robertson is a nutjob". When Christians blow up abortion clinics and such, you'll hear me condemning it. Nobody needs to hold rallies to condemn it, but we do need to make our voices heard, and we do need to let people know that's not what we're about. There will still be anti-Christian bigots and anti-Muslim bigots and anti-whatever-else bigots no matter what we do, but we can at least reach out to our friends and acquaintances and challenge their subtle bigotry before it grows into something worse.

[TIGERassault]

I agree. It's not acceptable, but it is reality, and we need to understand where it's coming from. We need to approach people who are bigoted against us with love and compassion, such that their bigotry simply falters.

Wait a sec: Lothar, we're not the Muslims! We're not the ones being discriminated against! We're the ones trying to get the bigots to stop discriminating against the muslims!

[Lothar]

We need to approach people who are bigoted against us with love and compassion, such that their bigotry simply falters.

We're not the ones being discriminated against!

When I say "we", I mean it as a universal message. Everyone is discriminated against in some way... skin color, religion, politics, sexuality, level of education, and so on. Everyone would do well to respond with love and compassion when they're the target. Because responding in that way breaks the dehumanizing perception others have of you.

How do you break someone's dehumanizing perception of another person? Letting them know their bigotry sucks is a piece of it... making bigotry socially unacceptable is a piece of it... but the only way to truly stop it is to introduce people to those they hate.

[Foil]

How do you break someone's dehumanizing perception of another person? Letting them know their bigotry sucks is a piece of it... making bigotry socially unacceptable is a piece of it... but the only way to truly stop it is to introduce people to those they hate.

That's the best way I've heard it put; well said.

It's not only about fighting the attitudes, it's about helping people overcome the source of the attitudes (fears, hurts, whatever).

[TIGERassault]

How do you break someone's dehumanizing perception of another person? Letting them know their bigotry sucks is a piece of it... making bigotry socially unacceptable is a piece of it... but the only way to truly stop it is to introduce people to those they hate.

Ok. But here's another thing: how do you do that? I mean, it's much too hard to be able to find bigots out of the blue, and even then, a lot of the time the people are a minority, so it's much too hard to be able to find all those people.

And even after that, that only works against people that are bigots because they fear certain peoples' lifestyle. It won't do anything towards people that are bigoted for another reason. For example, people may have gay friends, but they can still be bigots towards gayness. Same goes for sex discrimination.

[Lothar]

it's much too hard to be able to find bigots out of the blue, and even then, a lot of the time the people are a minority, so it's much too hard to be able to find all those people.

And even after that, that only works against people that are bigots because they fear certain peoples' lifestyle.

You don't go out and search out all the bigots. You just run into them in your daily life, and when you do and you happen to know someone they're bigoted against, you make a note of it and make a special point to attack their bigotry at its core. If you don't have any black friends and nobody ever says anything racist in your presence, you're not going to fight anti-black bigotry at its core (though you may fight the symptoms.) *shrug* nothing you can do about that. But if you do have some Jewish friends and someone you know makes anti-semitic comments, you can introduce them and make it harder for them to maintain their bigotry.

You're right that it only works on certain people. Lucky for us, the majority of bigotry is of that sort -- it's fear and misunderstanding that would go away just by making a friend. And the more we fight this sort of bigotry, the fewer allies there are for the hard-core bigots. So this is a good way to indirectly fight the more substantial forms of bigotry.