Given all that’s gone on with the terrorism situation I am – and I think justifiably so – skeptical of where and to whom some of that judgement money may have gone or will go. I have heard through the news where groups of ‘arab americans’ want their own religious laws to apply and not our civil laws. So I’m a bit skeptical here – where it’s financially beneficial our laws apply – but when it’s not convenient they want theirs to apply. They decry our culture but will take what it offers them because their own can’t provide it. I’m sorry – but historically and currently the Arabs have been behind the terrorism and I have yet to hear any truly vocal protestations from any Arab group or community condemning the terrorists action and calling for an end to the terrorism, either here or overseas. Silence can be taken for agreement and the Arab world at large seems to be agreeing with terrorism and the downfall of the US – whom they truly seem to hate.
This is what happens when small minded people associated a few scoundrels actuvutues with an entire race of people. I hope all good readers of this website will pledge to treat their Arab American brothers with equal justice and compassion.
If, as they claim, they were unfairly treated then they deserve their day in court. It doesn’t matter where they are from or their religious or ethnic background, our country needs to hold the high ground and enforce high standards. After all, we are the USA!
I hope that this discussion does not become a Islam bashing excercise we saw last week on another article.
Americans will “treat their Arab American brothers with equal justice and compassion” when Arab Americans call upon their own brothers AND SISTERS to denounce the hateful, murderous actions of Arabs around the world.
Ali: With all due respect, Arabs/Muslims need to EARN trust and respect from Americans, not demand it. It’s a sad situation that Americans are suspicious of Arabs/Muslims, but quite frankly, the only face of terrorism we know is that of Arabs/Muslims. It only takes a few to create a sterotype, but when their actions involve murderous activities, we’ll take no chances. It would nice to see Arab/Muslims take an active role in trying to address the problems their own countrymen have created for them. What have Arabs/Muslims done to pressure Arab/Muslim terrorists? We know terrorists can infiltrate the American society and look “normal”. How do you propose we tell the difference between them, and you? And while we’re on the subject, it might help if Arabs/Muslims tried to assimilate into the American culture. If you left your “old country” because you wanted a better life, you need to become an American and not just in name. I worry about people who put the name of their old country in front of the word American. You call yourself an Arab American. Why aren’t you an American Arab. My ancestors came here from Hungary. You don’t hear us calling ourselves Hungarian Americans. We cherish our customs but have adopted our new country, it’s language, and its dress. Too many people come here with no interest in assimilating. They speak their native language instead of embracing the Kings English. They dress like they still live in the old country. They colonize together. And you wonder why Americans are suspicious? We’re not small minded. But there’s no educational value of being naive.
Hey, how about if we allow Muslims to build as many mosques here as Saudi Arabia allows churches to be built? Oh sorry, that would mean that there could be no mosques at all. (Would that be so bad though?)
I hope they were NOT treated unfairly. It would be idiotic if FedEx did discriminate against them because dollars do not discriminate and I assume FedEx is in business to make money.
With that said, I’m skeptical too. Could this be our enemy using our legal system against us? That is a tactic that is described in the al-queda terrorists handbook.
Let’s try to withhold judgment and see how the facts shakeout.
Remember the “flying imams,” who made a terror probe of an airliner that raised the suspiscions of passengers who, because they complained about their audacious behavior, could soon be sued. The Dems just stipped from a bill a provision that would grant immunity to passengers who report suspiscious behavior. This of course, in spite of the repeated encouragements given to waiting passengers to “report any suspiscious behavior.”
The goal is to make people afraid to report suspiscious behavior in order to weaken us and make terrorist attacks more likely to succeed. And don’t forget, this was done my Muslim religious leaders.
Some pit bulls are perfectly great dogs, in fact there too that is the majority, but I still won’t walk up to one and pet it. I don’t think that is small minded, I prefer to think of it as risk management. (avoidance)
US Muslim parents will not be able to control their children’s slide into mass culture, DVDs, ipods, mp3’s, music, cars, fast food, fashion, the whole rat race. Sharia won’t like it, but the kids will rock their parent’s world.
The same has happened, is happening and will happen worldwide. We are just delaying it by our necessary (but over-)response to Arab and Muslim violence in Iraq, and by not acting in places like Darfur–where Arab Muslims are re-pioneering racism and genocide against black Africans on a truly Nazi scale, supported by the Chinese.
But then again, people like OBL do their very best to provoke violence and slow down the process and people like the current US leaders are easily led into “productive” mis-reaction and over-reaction by a few guys hiding out in luxury caves in far Afghanistan. Just a kick here, a string pulled there, and the US undoes itself, killing hundereds of thousands, spending hundreds of billions in the wrong country, for goodness sakes–until we figure it out with a new administration and construct an intelligent and effective response instead of this Bush family Oedipal tragedy we are living through.
Read Bernard Lewis’s book “What Went Wrong” to study how once proud Muslim civilization, the beacon of learning, science and hope in the late Middle Ages, slid into its present state. Part of it is the repression of 50% of their own population–you know–those ritually impure creatures called females. UUUUU! (hatred of infidels, foregners, women, etc…too many hatreds, Arab guys, dial it down a little!)
The new caliphate that OBL and others hope for will only have Golden Arches and gender-mixed crowds, and international fashions, etc., etc. Just look at Vietnam today–the last country we saved. They want to be like us–for better or worse.
In the meantime, it is best to keep a stiff left jab going against the largely extreme Shi’a groups fomenting the violence. The Sunni have long been more practical and secular, but of course, we disabled the Sunni army in Iraq and, when we could have controlled it, we dismissed it. Neighboring Sunni regimes are feeling a bit naked without it being there. Maybe not such a good idea, eh, Paul Bremer? We’ve done a great job empowering Shi’a Iran–they must have very effective spies at work in our government–we’ve virtually set them up as THE power in their region.
In summary, it’s only a matter of time. It would be nice to hear some Arabs speak out against the madness inspired through religion but based as well in poverty and despotic regimes set up and propped up by–you guessed it!–American, British, French and Italian oil companies.
Would you speak up if the crazies might kill you? Would you really speak up? In spite of that many have spoken out. Brave souls!
Hatred gets stale in th midst of prosperity. Life’s too short.
What??? “It would be nice to hear some Arabs speak out against the madness inspired through religion but based as well in poverty and despotic regimes set up and propped up by–you guessed it!–American, British, French and Italian oil companies. Would you speak up if the crazies might kill you? Would you really speak up?”
Did you miss the point that Arab Americans have not been speaking up??? They wont be killed here if they speak up.
Reviewing many of the comments it appears we have lost a lesson from history. The solution was proposed and researched sometime ago. A foreign people with strange customs, not really American, and dangerous to us. Round all of them up and put them in the interment camps! After all they are all the same!
It was wrong then and it is just as wrong now in the commentary posted. At times I wonder if just being born here really should qualify you to call yourself an American when you espouse ideas more in line with those that we currently are engaged in war.
When you say all (fill in the blank) are (whatever your soap box stand is) you are discriminating against a people or culture. We are not all the same, we are unique. Don’t fall into the trap of discrimination and name calling.
And poverty in muslim countries is not the result of their backward religion, but of Bush’s tax cuts.
Actually, come to think of it, the many doctors like Zawajiri and all the doctors involved in the London bombing attempts, and the engineers like Arafat, and the billsionaires like OBL, are proof that poverty is driving terroism. If on’y we could raise taxes on the rich and raise the minimum wage we could end terroism!
“Did you miss the point that Arab Americans have not been speaking up??? They wont be killed here if they speak up.”
Is this your personal guarantee, Mr. [Blank]? Are you an expert on security in the US Muslim communities?
You didn’t even leave a pseudonym. Do you even speak about about little things that bug you at work or in your city, or in your church? Too risky, I’m sure.
I am pleased that you know the personal motivations and personal history of all recent terrorists. Your crystal ball is needed in Washington, now.
Since your sole solution is violence, why aren’t you already getting court-martialed in Iraq or Afghanistan for conduct unbecoming any average American? Not enough guts to send yourself, just your neighbors husbands, wives and kinds! You inspire confidence. I am going to listen to you.
As Stevie Wonder said years ago–When you believe in things that you don’t understand then you suffer. Don’t make us suffer with your ignorance and stupidity wrapped in covert racist arrogance and phony patriotism.
Call Scooter. I think he needs a friend these days.
How do you know my service record, you schmuck? Even so, one need not be an astronaut to critique NASA, and one need not be psychologist to pronounce that liberalism is an emotional problem. You evince it in spades, by the say.
(((I would pull my tin foil hat down over my ears if I were you. Rove might be trying to unlawfully tap your brain waves.)))
I really have no comment on Willy’s last post other than use spell-check before (you) rant.
This case along with many more to follow, I’m sure, is largely a byproduct of the fact that we are presently in a war with Islamic Terrorist. The Muslim faith, governments and/or any other Muslim state sponsored organizations clearly have no monopoly with worldwide terrorism but they ARE currently affecting OUR lives. Thus most Arab Americans, in general, will be looked upon as a potential treat… an unfortunate knee-jerk but largely only human nature response.
“I really have no comment on Willy’s last post other than use spell-check before (you) rant… most Arab Americans, in general, will be looked upon as a potential treat.”
By who, cannibals? :-|
Actually, most the largest nation currently saddled with Islam is Indonesia, which is not an Arab nation.
oilonthewaters: Not so fast my friend. You seem to be long on pontification and short on solutions. What is your solution to the terrorist dilemma. At least Willy has taken a position that has merit. Terrorists have made one thing perfectly clear. The only thing they understand is violence. Detante doesn’t work with them. They see no consequence to their actions so they act with impugnity, threatening our lives and freedoms. How long are you willing to tolerate those barbaric antics? Perhaps the Arabs and Muslims should return to their native countries and help solve their problems instead of coming here expecting Americans to shelter them.
Ideally, it would be great if we could sit down with Al Qaeda leaders and try to find some non-violent solution to our differences. Until and unless that happens, we need to speak clearly to them in the only language they understand. Perhaps the peace loving Arabs/Muslims of the world would police their own deviants if there was a consequence to continued attacks on America. How long do you think those peace loving Arabs/Muslims would put up with Al Qaeda if America gave them a consequence to continued terror attacks.
WE ARE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION DUE TO THE CONTINUED, UNINTERRUPTED, SUPPORT BY THE US GOVERNMENT; OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, THE RESULTS OF WHICH EVEN AFFECT THESE FOUR MEN
FIRST OUR FAILED MID-EAST POLICY HAS CAUSED US TO CONFUSE THE VICTIM WITH THE VILLAIN & AGGRAVATE THE ARAB MIDDLE EAST, AND NOW THE ENTIRE ISLAMIC WORLD.
-WHAT IN THE WORLD EVER MADE BUSH, RUMSFELD, CHENEY, ETC THINK THEY COULD PURSUE SUCH A WAR.
-DID THEY THINK THEY UNDERSTOOD ISLAM ? HOW ?
ISLAM IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR ITS’ WORSHIPERS
(I’M A CHRISTIAN AND EVEN I UNDERSTAND THAT)
THERE ARE STILL UNREAD TRANSCRIPTS DATED 9-10-2001 LYING ON INTELLIGENCE DESKS IN THE PENTAGON !
SO WHAT INTELLIGENCE COULD WE HAVE HAD WHICH ENCOURAGED US TO ATTACK?
WMD ?
I THINK NOT
OIL ?
WELL..THE STORY GOES THAT THE NAME “OPERATION IRAQI LIBERATION” WAS SCOTCHED, BECAUSE OF IT’S INITIALS !!!
-SO THEN WHY ARE OUR GALLANT MEN & WOMEN FIGHTING AND DYING IN IRAQ,
IS IT TO PROTECT US? YES, OF COURSE AND WE ARE BLESSED FOR THAT
-BUT THIS SHOULD NOT BE OUR WAR TO FIGHT !
IT’S ISRAELS’ WAR WE’RE FIGHTING!!!!
-SHE’S THE ONE WHICH HAS FOMENTED THIS DEGREE OF HATE SINCE 1948, AND NOW IT’S EXPLODING ALL OVER THE WORLD
=ARE THE ARABS BLAMELESS?
NO!
AND THEY SHOULD NOT WANT TO “DRIVE ISRAEL TO THE SEA”..-BECAUSE SIMPLY IT CANNOT AND WILL NOT HAPPEN
-BUT DESPITE HER CONQUEST, SEIZURE AND BLOODY OCCUPATION OF ARAB LAND
ISRAEL (INCREDIBLY) HAS BEEN DECLARED AN ACTUAL ALLY OF OUR COUNTRY BY ACT OF CONGRESS !!
WHY YOU ASK ?
AND HOW DID THAT HAPPEN ???
BECAUSE ISRAEL HAS BEEN ABLE TO (AHEM)$UCCE$$FULLY “CAMPAIGN WITH US SENATORS OVER DECADES TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS ..-AND THAT INCLUDES EVERY PRESIDENT..-STARTING WITH TRUMAN WHO SAID HE’D RECOGNIZED THE ESTABLISMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL BECAUSE “I GOT A HELL OF A LOT OF JEWS VOTING FOR ME BUT FEW ARABS ”
REMEMBER “CAHONES” ?
-SHE HOLDS ALL THE TERRITORIES, SHE HAS ALL THE AIRCRAFT, TANKS AND WAR MATERIEL SHE WANTS AND CAN DO ANYTHING SHE WANTS WHENEVER SHE WANTS INCLUDING THE BEARISH, BRUTAL, BLOODY INVASION OF LEBANON LAST JULY
-DON’T WORRY, YOU’RE PAYING FOR IT !
SHE RECEIVES OVER $6 BIL GRANTS (FREE MONEY) ANNUALLY FROM THE US TAXPAYERS
..-THAT’S YOU AND ME.
THE PALESTINIANS HAVE NONE OF THESE
-SO WHY SHOULD SHE DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN GIVE LIP SERVICE ABOUT WITHDRAWAL FROM PALESTIAN TERRITORY & PEACE?
THE SAME US CONGRESS WHICH PANDERS TO US ABOUT A DEMOCRATIC ISRAEL HAS BEEN BOUGHT-OUT BY THE ISRAEL INFLUENCE CROWD
ISRAEL IS, IN FACT, A THEOCRATIC STATE. (GO AHEAD, GRAB YOUR DICTIONARY )
WHERE IF YOU ARE NOT JEWISH YOU VERY GENUINELY ARE A SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN
USING ACTUAL NAZI-LIKE METHODS, SUCH AS IDENTIFICATION-MARKS ON ARAB-OWNED BUSINESSES, ARREST, IMPRISONMENT WITHOUT CHARGE OR TRIAL, HOME DESTRUCTION, LAND USURPATION, TORTURE, ETC
-AND DON’T FORGET ISRAELS’ LATEST TOY..HER PROTECTION BARRIER… “BERLIN WALL”..SURE TO WARM THE HEARTS OF THE VERY PEOPLE SHE HAS UNDER OCCUPATION AND DECLARES SHE WISHES TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH
ISRAEL IS NOT THROUGH SEIZING TERRITORY, AND ALL OF THE ABOVE
-SO..IS IT ANY WONDER THAT RAT OBL WAS ABLE TO STIR UP THE ARAB & ISLAMIC WORLD ?
THIS WAS HIS CAUSE CELEBRE AND WE; THE USA, BUILT THE DAMN PLATFORM HE STANDS ON !!
INCREDIBLE!
WHAT NEXT ?
TAKE AWAY THE REASON THE ARABS & MILITANTS HAVE TO HATE US.
COMPELL ISRAEL THROUGH PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL MANDATES & DEADLINES TO RETURN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES (INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ABOUT IT) AND MAKE MONETARY SETTLEMENT TO ALL AGRIEVED VICTIMS
-FAT CHANCE YOU SAY, THE CONGRESS WILL NEVER HAVE THE CAHONES OR COURAGE TO STAND-UP TO THE ISRAEL LOBBY?
–
THEN SADLY, WE’RE SURE TO BE IN FOR MORE OF WHAT WE’VE SUFFERED THROUGH, WITH MORE ENEMIES ON OUR NECK, WHILE ISRAEL COMES OUT SMELLING LIKE A ROSE!
-GOD BLESS AMERICA!
WHY ARE YOU YELLING?!?! It makes your rant more difficult to read and because of that, I only read the first few paragraphs of your lunacy. Next time, tone it down and I (and others, probably) will be apt to read your verbal vomit.
Arab land? Is Turkey Arab? Who ran that area before Britain took it over? Ever heard of the Ottoman Empire? The Gaza strip was part of Egypt. Why’d Egypt build a wall there?
There has never been a government called Palestine. There is no such thing as a Palestinian. Arafat was an Egyptian, for instance. What passes for Palestinians today are just Arabs that had no national identity because the Arabs don’t really have national identities. All of those nations over there were creations of the League of Nations. Arab Muslims are more interested in a pan-Arab caliphate than particular nations.
Britain ruled the land and had every right to give it to whomever they wished. They gave it to the Jews, at least part of it, who were attacked instantly by the Arabs and during a subsequent succession of wars they kicked *** and took lands they conquered, an age-old practice and an inevitable result of war.
Muslims cannot abide this, not because of any love for their countries, but because hatred of Jews is mandated by the Koran. So the Jews can do nothing to please the Muslims except die.
It’s a big messy hairball alright, but neo-nazi rants in caps are not helpful and only reveal their authors’ stupidity.
Willy you are the ignorant one. The posts on here were mildly acceptable until you came on here spouting your neo-kkkonservative view points. You think liberalism is a mental illness, sorry but your racism, hatred and xenophobia is more of a mental illness than liberalism (and i do have a degree in psychology so :-p ).
Jwayne: With all due respect do you have any idea if the men in question insist on being called “arab american”? If not, I have to inform you that “arab american” was a term used by the author of the article. Perhaps you should be re-directing your criticism to the author of the article.
So Steve, to what specifically do you refer by calling me such nasty names? Such accusations would shock my dear mother. I could call you a Communist to the same effect. Are you always in the habit of calling names when someone disagrees with you? Did you learn that in Psych 101?
Liberalism is an emotional problem. For one thing (among its many symptoms) it tolerates and apologizes for those trying to kill us. “What have we done to make them hate us?!” Isn’t that crazy? I haven’t heard many conservatives giving passes to the terrorists like the libs do in print and on the news.
Liberalism is also an attempt to assuage guilt. Of course, the whole realm of psychiatry involves alleviating guilt by making all manner of destructive behavior acceptable by destroying the victim’s (patient’s) moral underpinnings.
Liberalism? hmm…I don’t seem to see that word used in the article..I thought this was a story about alleged discrimination on the part of Fed Ex.
If I understand correctly, Fed Ex doesn’t think that Massachusetts law applies to these men since they are independent contrators. Whereas, at the bottom of the article, it is mentioned that a Massachusetts court believes that the case is valid. I may have misread; let me know if I did, thanks.
Steve seems to think that my commentary deserves an ad hominem attack, which shows both his immaturity and the paucity of his argument. Since the political cuss words he hurled are those use infallibly by liberals when they are losing an argument, I find it safe to assume that he tilts to the moveon.org side of the political spectrum.
My original remark about liberalism being an emotional problem, cited by Stevo, is therefore illustrated and upheld by his childish defense of our national enemies – you know, who want to kill Steve and his family.
This has turned into antoehr Islam bashing excercise. Semms as if you could find better things to do than quote scripture (fiction by any other name) as truth. It may be truth in your mind but that is all.
Can’t we just stick to the issues on some of these threads. This started out as an issue of possible bias against a group by a major company.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 260: Narrated Ikrima:
Ali burnt some people and this news reached Ibn ‘Abbas, who said, “Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet said, ‘Don’t punish (anybody) with Allah’s Punishment.’ No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet said, ‘If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.'”
Wow, so I can’t change from Lutheran to Baptist? Or does this only apply to Muslims converting to Hindu?
They are still investigating the attempted terror attacks in London, the car bombing in Scotland and burying the victims of the latest atrocity committed, some believe, in the name of Islam — the slaughter of eight people at an ancient temple in Yemen’s northeast province of Mareb.
And from Muslims the world over, as usual, has come mostly silence.
There have been no public demonstrations by Muslims anxious to make it clear how outraged they are that anyone could commit such unspeakable deeds for their version of Islam. There has been no anguished outcry by Islam’s leading imams and sheiks. Prominent Muslim organizations in the West have not called press conferences to express their disgust. Once again the world has witnessed savage episodes of Islamist terror, and once again it strains to hear a convincing rejection of the terrorists from those who should care most about Islam’s reputation.
We have seen enraged Muslims take to the streets to protest cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. A medieval reference in an academic lecture by Pope Benedict XVI unleashed a wave of denunciations, outrage and frustration across the Muslim world, and Britain’s decision to award a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie has outraged Muslim-dominated nations, who’ve called it deplorable and insulting to Islamic values. In fact, after the knighting of Sir Salman Rushdie, some eighteen years after the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling on Muslims to kill him, a government minister in Pakistan said that Rushdie’s recent knighthood justified suicide bombing.
Discrimination is wrong but maybe, just maybe people in the US have reason to be wary of Arabs??
Interesting that Hadji chimes in to condemn western self-defense against crazy Muslims (is that redundant?) but feels no need to apologize for or explain the Muslims that are blowing up innocents, or for instance who RIGHT NOW are threatening to kill 23 S. Korean Christians in Afghanistan.
So no wonder that terror and bombs and arrogance are the first things that people think of when they see “Arabs” mentioned in a news article.
Are you American Hadji? Your ‘leader’ OBL so kindly delivered a message for you in Feb 2003…”You should know that seeking to kill Americans and Jews everywhere in the world is one of the greatest duties, and the good deed most preferred by Allah…your brethren…continue to pursue the way of Jihad, targeting the Jews and Americans.” He didn’t excuse Americans who follow allah. Was your own leader trying to kill you too? Let me guess which citizen card you decided to play at that rally Hadji. Ok, now let me guess that you’re playing your American citizen card to exercise free speech on this forum. I’d like to know why you are not denouncing the violent acts of your brethren. Silence is admission.
I don’t understand why we let them remain here. You can’t build churches in Muslim countries, why do we let them build mosques here? They use the freedoms our forefathers fought for to mock or even fight us right in our own back yard.
Willy – You are taking the attitude that we should be just as “bad” as they are. If we can’t build churches there, why should we let them build mosques here.
Hey – WAKE UP. This is the USA, we try to hold to the higher ground. We believe in freedom of religion, speech (take a look at what you are saying and try that in some countries), and a lot more.
Rather then condemn the Muslims here, welcome them and convert them. Not to our religion, but to our standards of acceptance and equality.
Our “Standards of acceptance and equality” flow from our religion, which is predominantly Christian. Why do you think it’s one way here and another way there? I think that it is perfectly acceptable to banish foreign influences that tend to the disruption of the peace, if not the total destruction of our way of life.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Airport security officers around the nation have been alerted by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing to carry explosive components onto aircraft, based on four curious seizures at airports since last September. [etc]
Islam is merely not a religion, it’s a plan for conquering and taking spoil, for subjugating women and humiliating Christians and Jews. Read the Koran why don’t you? It’s the most boring and turgid thing ever written, but the whole upshot of it is that everyone must convert to Islam, or pay the “jizya” tax, or be killed.
You want to tolerate that in our midst?The Constitution is not a suicide pact.
DEARBORN — The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday declared a Dearborn-based charity a front for the terrorist organization Hezbollah as FBI agents shut the group’s offices and carted away boxes of records.
Willy I do see your reasoning, what a completely vexing situation our society now faces. Though certainly not as open as (some) of our Fore Fathers opined for, American society remains the bastion for religious and personal freedoms. Yet how to remain free and safe at the same time? When Big Brother is bypassing “legal” Congressional measures and is wire taping it’s citizens all in the name of “Home Land Security” I think back to the very genesis of this great nation and wonder… at what price? It is a very thin line (we) are presently skating. But when stories, like the one you just referenced surface… zealots bent on terrorizing our citizens using our unique freedoms against us… There is no simple answer. We have been and always will be the Infidel. Let’s just not condemn an entire religion based on the actions of inhumane groups who have spawned from and bent the origin into their own ilk.
Islam hasn’t been twisted or hijacked by terrorists. The terrorists are the ones actually practicing Islam, which requires Christians and Jews to be subjugated and taxed if they won’t convert. If they won’t convert or pay up, they should be killed.
If you wonder how Muhammed could be a prophet of God and still teach such things, then it might be less surprising if you knew more about him, things like he took a six year old for a wife and made a womon out of her when she was nine.
Once the enemy begins attacking us here in earnest, not just a bomb every ten years but regular shootings and explosions in schools, hospitals etc., Congress will pass a law or a constitutional amendment declaring Islam not to be protected by the first amendment, basically declaring that it is not a religion but something else, like a warplan. Then we’ll be able to take the kinds of actions necessary to protect ourselves.
Are you from the UN? Useless Nations? Defending Muslims who do not sound out against the radicals is absurd and ignorant. Another form of liberalism garbage. Let’s try your approach to “talk” about it instead of supporting the eternal effort to fight it…’Please stop the Muslim hate and violence.’ Are you serious? You can not give in to an enemy because you ‘think they’ll just go away’ when the enemy is driven by a religious calling to exterminate all but their own kind. It’s ludacrous. Again I ask why the Muslims living in the US have not spoken out against the Muslim terrorists.
please don’t think all Americans think like the couple of NeoCon fools – Willy, Al, Obvious – that get paid to visit sites like this and post the Republican Talking Points of the Day.
Stop the Muslim hate? Let me fill you in: in this country we can say whatever we want. our theory is, if you don’t like it change the channel or don’t read it.
So is it hate speech to talk about Aisha losing her virginity to Muhammed at the age of nine? Is it hate speech to disclose that the Koran mandates the killing or subjugation of “the people of the book,” Christians and Jews, if they refuse to make shipwreck of their souls and convert to Islam?
Um… how much do we get paid? I don’t know ’cause I ain’t seen no checks from the RNC yet.
Back to the topic of the article, FedEx succesfully defended itself against a lawsuit that was trying to punish free speech. The Muslims and liberals who are writing in this thread want to punish free speech. Drew apologizes for people exercizing their right to free speech.
Funny you think I’m getting paid for not putting a tail between my legs. My husband is a Marine Corp Officer and currently on his second year long deployment. I am a proud Marine wife and sacrifice the comfort of having him at home with me everyday because I believe in their mission! We know several service members who have been killed and their lives and efforts will not be tarnished like Cindy Sheehan has so foolishly attempted to do to her son.
Recent email from his patrolling location in Iraq, “Things are very, very different here than the last time. I can’t tell you everything but I will tell you that the lack of support from the population that I complained about last time has taken a turn for the better. I don’t think it is getting much press judging from the little that I watch before I get tired of listening to election ****, and lies about how poorly the war is going, and have to turn it off. There has been a lot of progress though, and those who are still negative need to hold their tongues and keep quiet because they are about to make damned fools of themselves if we are able to stay and see this one through. I bet they know this though and that may be their new motivation, to pull us out before they are proven wrong.”
Progress is being made and we must be committed to completion.
I apologize to Fatima for some of the comments coming from these skin-heads. I am both a Republican and an insurance professional – and retired from the US Navy and am here to tell you that their’s is not the majority opinion.
Al said that “Back to the topic of the article, FedEx succesfully defended itself against a lawsuit that was trying to punish free speech. The Muslims and liberals who are writing in this thread want to punish free speech. Drew apologizes for people exercizing their right to free speech.”
If you read the article you see that FedEx lost a similar case in California last year to the tune of $12.5 million. Also, in Mass., “The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination ruled in March that the employees’ complaints were valid, clearing the way for the drivers to pursue their case”
That does not sound like anyone has won a case on free speech to me.
Drew…funny you should mention it, I just read an article about exactly what you’re talking about. Basically, the right wing crazies actually hire these trolls to search around the internet and find a hot button topic. They then proceed to post hard core hate speech. After that, when the actual talking points of the day come out, they seem more centrist when a person has read some the posts. A very Rovian tactic.
Oh, I forgot, it also creates this sort of “perceived conservatism” that doesn’t actually exist in the country. For example, something like 70% of American people do not consider immigration a top issue facing our country today. However, since racism, either blatant or veiled is a pillar of the right, they jumped on the wagon.
The problem is that 2008 is shaping up to be even worse than 2006 for the righties, and there is a real concern that the base, especially in the south, is just going to stay home. So, they pick the ‘scare’ issues, run them constantly on Fox, Limbaugh, blogs, etc, and that way they can get the base out in 2008.
Think of Guilliani’s campaign…he’s pro gay rights, pro choice and pro gun control, but supposedly hard on the war and torture. Well, why would any right winger vote for a social liberal like that. The answer is they will if you scare them enough. Easy way to get your uneducated and uninformed base out.
You’re right – it has been a while since I read the article. You’re wrong in calling mea skinhead. You don’t even know what race I am. I guess name calling is better than nothing when you have no more argument.
Thank you too Willy for continuing to support our troops and families by educating the fools among us. Our Founding Fathers did not create this wonderful democratic nation with a vision of Rights to prejudice the majority by catering to the minority. Order must be maintained and making laws to benefit the few is not good for the whole. Liberal idealism promotes the fantasy of Utopian world. Thank you for speaking out against the fantasy and maintaining reality.
“However, since racism, either blatant or veiled is a pillar of the right, they jumped on the wagon.”
More Republicans voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1965 than Democrats. Al Gore, Sr. voted against it. Of course, we know where Grand Kleegle of the KKK Robert Byrd stood on this one.
Whereas David Duke was roundly repudiated by the Republican Party from Bush 41 on down because of his former association with the Klan, Grand Kleegle Byrd is the “dean” of the Democrats in the senate.
Abraham Lincoln was a Republican who freed the slaves. 90% of slave owners were Democrats.
So you’re right, it sure looks like the Republican Party is the gang that invented racism.
By the way, where can I pick up Air America these days?
((((Pull your tin foil hat down futher, from here I can see in your right ear and out your left.))))
Good Lord people, no wonder nothing gets accomplished in our dysfunctional government. This blog is an interesting microcosm of both ends of the spectrum. It’s time for a little give and take, grow up.
Don’t you know how to read? Willy wants only WASPS in this country. You know, white anglo-saxon protestants. Anything else and “their liberal” so let’s kill them. This is how willy wants america to be (today). Sometimes is real hard to understand willy when he speaking out from under his white robe and hood.
Muslims are not a race, they are practicing a religion that is full of hate and incitements to violence. How it is racist for me to point that out mystifies thinking people.
Robert KKK Byrd, Dean of the Senate Democrats, was Grand Kleegle of the Ku Klux Klan.
Yes, we all know the tired old history of the ONCE, GREAT Republican party but that was decades ago. The Repbulican party has now been tarnished by the neo-kkkons and has be hijacked by the Christian Taliban and has forever ruined the once great Repbulican party.
If you can do more than assert racist motives to the GOP, you know, with facts and events that prove it, that would be one thing. But your inane bald assertions just make you sound like a dailykos.com reader with her brain in neutral.
Given all that’s gone on with the terrorism situation I am – and I think justifiably so – skeptical of where and to whom some of that judgement money may have gone or will go. I have heard through the news where groups of ‘arab americans’ want their own religious laws to apply and not our civil laws. So I’m a bit skeptical here – where it’s financially beneficial our laws apply – but when it’s not convenient they want theirs to apply. They decry our culture but will take what it offers them because their own can’t provide it. I’m sorry – but historically and currently the Arabs have been behind the terrorism and I have yet to hear any truly vocal protestations from any Arab group or community condemning the terrorists action and calling for an end to the terrorism, either here or overseas. Silence can be taken for agreement and the Arab world at large seems to be agreeing with terrorism and the downfall of the US – whom they truly seem to hate.
This is what happens when small minded people associated a few scoundrels actuvutues with an entire race of people. I hope all good readers of this website will pledge to treat their Arab American brothers with equal justice and compassion.
If, as they claim, they were unfairly treated then they deserve their day in court. It doesn’t matter where they are from or their religious or ethnic background, our country needs to hold the high ground and enforce high standards. After all, we are the USA!
I hope that this discussion does not become a Islam bashing excercise we saw last week on another article.
Let’s stick to the issue at hand.
Americans will “treat their Arab American brothers with equal justice and compassion” when Arab Americans call upon their own brothers AND SISTERS to denounce the hateful, murderous actions of Arabs around the world.
Ali: With all due respect, Arabs/Muslims need to EARN trust and respect from Americans, not demand it. It’s a sad situation that Americans are suspicious of Arabs/Muslims, but quite frankly, the only face of terrorism we know is that of Arabs/Muslims. It only takes a few to create a sterotype, but when their actions involve murderous activities, we’ll take no chances. It would nice to see Arab/Muslims take an active role in trying to address the problems their own countrymen have created for them. What have Arabs/Muslims done to pressure Arab/Muslim terrorists? We know terrorists can infiltrate the American society and look “normal”. How do you propose we tell the difference between them, and you? And while we’re on the subject, it might help if Arabs/Muslims tried to assimilate into the American culture. If you left your “old country” because you wanted a better life, you need to become an American and not just in name. I worry about people who put the name of their old country in front of the word American. You call yourself an Arab American. Why aren’t you an American Arab. My ancestors came here from Hungary. You don’t hear us calling ourselves Hungarian Americans. We cherish our customs but have adopted our new country, it’s language, and its dress. Too many people come here with no interest in assimilating. They speak their native language instead of embracing the Kings English. They dress like they still live in the old country. They colonize together. And you wonder why Americans are suspicious? We’re not small minded. But there’s no educational value of being naive.
Hey, how about if we allow Muslims to build as many mosques here as Saudi Arabia allows churches to be built? Oh sorry, that would mean that there could be no mosques at all. (Would that be so bad though?)
I hope they were NOT treated unfairly. It would be idiotic if FedEx did discriminate against them because dollars do not discriminate and I assume FedEx is in business to make money.
With that said, I’m skeptical too. Could this be our enemy using our legal system against us? That is a tactic that is described in the al-queda terrorists handbook.
Let’s try to withhold judgment and see how the facts shakeout.
Remember the “flying imams,” who made a terror probe of an airliner that raised the suspiscions of passengers who, because they complained about their audacious behavior, could soon be sued. The Dems just stipped from a bill a provision that would grant immunity to passengers who report suspiscious behavior. This of course, in spite of the repeated encouragements given to waiting passengers to “report any suspiscious behavior.”
The goal is to make people afraid to report suspiscious behavior in order to weaken us and make terrorist attacks more likely to succeed. And don’t forget, this was done my Muslim religious leaders.
Some pit bulls are perfectly great dogs, in fact there too that is the majority, but I still won’t walk up to one and pet it. I don’t think that is small minded, I prefer to think of it as risk management. (avoidance)
US Muslim parents will not be able to control their children’s slide into mass culture, DVDs, ipods, mp3’s, music, cars, fast food, fashion, the whole rat race. Sharia won’t like it, but the kids will rock their parent’s world.
The same has happened, is happening and will happen worldwide. We are just delaying it by our necessary (but over-)response to Arab and Muslim violence in Iraq, and by not acting in places like Darfur–where Arab Muslims are re-pioneering racism and genocide against black Africans on a truly Nazi scale, supported by the Chinese.
But then again, people like OBL do their very best to provoke violence and slow down the process and people like the current US leaders are easily led into “productive” mis-reaction and over-reaction by a few guys hiding out in luxury caves in far Afghanistan. Just a kick here, a string pulled there, and the US undoes itself, killing hundereds of thousands, spending hundreds of billions in the wrong country, for goodness sakes–until we figure it out with a new administration and construct an intelligent and effective response instead of this Bush family Oedipal tragedy we are living through.
Read Bernard Lewis’s book “What Went Wrong” to study how once proud Muslim civilization, the beacon of learning, science and hope in the late Middle Ages, slid into its present state. Part of it is the repression of 50% of their own population–you know–those ritually impure creatures called females. UUUUU! (hatred of infidels, foregners, women, etc…too many hatreds, Arab guys, dial it down a little!)
The new caliphate that OBL and others hope for will only have Golden Arches and gender-mixed crowds, and international fashions, etc., etc. Just look at Vietnam today–the last country we saved. They want to be like us–for better or worse.
In the meantime, it is best to keep a stiff left jab going against the largely extreme Shi’a groups fomenting the violence. The Sunni have long been more practical and secular, but of course, we disabled the Sunni army in Iraq and, when we could have controlled it, we dismissed it. Neighboring Sunni regimes are feeling a bit naked without it being there. Maybe not such a good idea, eh, Paul Bremer? We’ve done a great job empowering Shi’a Iran–they must have very effective spies at work in our government–we’ve virtually set them up as THE power in their region.
In summary, it’s only a matter of time. It would be nice to hear some Arabs speak out against the madness inspired through religion but based as well in poverty and despotic regimes set up and propped up by–you guessed it!–American, British, French and Italian oil companies.
Would you speak up if the crazies might kill you? Would you really speak up? In spite of that many have spoken out. Brave souls!
Hatred gets stale in th midst of prosperity. Life’s too short.
Why post here Oil, is moveon.org down today?
What??? “It would be nice to hear some Arabs speak out against the madness inspired through religion but based as well in poverty and despotic regimes set up and propped up by–you guessed it!–American, British, French and Italian oil companies. Would you speak up if the crazies might kill you? Would you really speak up?”
Did you miss the point that Arab Americans have not been speaking up??? They wont be killed here if they speak up.
Reviewing many of the comments it appears we have lost a lesson from history. The solution was proposed and researched sometime ago. A foreign people with strange customs, not really American, and dangerous to us. Round all of them up and put them in the interment camps! After all they are all the same!
It was wrong then and it is just as wrong now in the commentary posted. At times I wonder if just being born here really should qualify you to call yourself an American when you espouse ideas more in line with those that we currently are engaged in war.
When you say all (fill in the blank) are (whatever your soap box stand is) you are discriminating against a people or culture. We are not all the same, we are unique. Don’t fall into the trap of discrimination and name calling.
And poverty in muslim countries is not the result of their backward religion, but of Bush’s tax cuts.
Actually, come to think of it, the many doctors like Zawajiri and all the doctors involved in the London bombing attempts, and the engineers like Arafat, and the billsionaires like OBL, are proof that poverty is driving terroism. If on’y we could raise taxes on the rich and raise the minimum wage we could end terroism!
“Did you miss the point that Arab Americans have not been speaking up??? They wont be killed here if they speak up.”
Is this your personal guarantee, Mr. [Blank]? Are you an expert on security in the US Muslim communities?
You didn’t even leave a pseudonym. Do you even speak about about little things that bug you at work or in your city, or in your church? Too risky, I’m sure.
Your response is ridiculous.
I am pleased that you know the personal motivations and personal history of all recent terrorists. Your crystal ball is needed in Washington, now.
Since your sole solution is violence, why aren’t you already getting court-martialed in Iraq or Afghanistan for conduct unbecoming any average American? Not enough guts to send yourself, just your neighbors husbands, wives and kinds! You inspire confidence. I am going to listen to you.
As Stevie Wonder said years ago–When you believe in things that you don’t understand then you suffer. Don’t make us suffer with your ignorance and stupidity wrapped in covert racist arrogance and phony patriotism.
Call Scooter. I think he needs a friend these days.
How do you know my service record, you schmuck? Even so, one need not be an astronaut to critique NASA, and one need not be psychologist to pronounce that liberalism is an emotional problem. You evince it in spades, by the say.
(((I would pull my tin foil hat down over my ears if I were you. Rove might be trying to unlawfully tap your brain waves.)))
I really have no comment on Willy’s last post other than use spell-check before (you) rant.
This case along with many more to follow, I’m sure, is largely a byproduct of the fact that we are presently in a war with Islamic Terrorist. The Muslim faith, governments and/or any other Muslim state sponsored organizations clearly have no monopoly with worldwide terrorism but they ARE currently affecting OUR lives. Thus most Arab Americans, in general, will be looked upon as a potential treat… an unfortunate knee-jerk but largely only human nature response.
“I really have no comment on Willy’s last post other than use spell-check before (you) rant… most Arab Americans, in general, will be looked upon as a potential treat.”
By who, cannibals? :-|
Actually, most the largest nation currently saddled with Islam is Indonesia, which is not an Arab nation.
Spell-what?
oilonthewaters: Not so fast my friend. You seem to be long on pontification and short on solutions. What is your solution to the terrorist dilemma. At least Willy has taken a position that has merit. Terrorists have made one thing perfectly clear. The only thing they understand is violence. Detante doesn’t work with them. They see no consequence to their actions so they act with impugnity, threatening our lives and freedoms. How long are you willing to tolerate those barbaric antics? Perhaps the Arabs and Muslims should return to their native countries and help solve their problems instead of coming here expecting Americans to shelter them.
Ideally, it would be great if we could sit down with Al Qaeda leaders and try to find some non-violent solution to our differences. Until and unless that happens, we need to speak clearly to them in the only language they understand. Perhaps the peace loving Arabs/Muslims of the world would police their own deviants if there was a consequence to continued attacks on America. How long do you think those peace loving Arabs/Muslims would put up with Al Qaeda if America gave them a consequence to continued terror attacks.
WE ARE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION DUE TO THE CONTINUED, UNINTERRUPTED, SUPPORT BY THE US GOVERNMENT; OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, THE RESULTS OF WHICH EVEN AFFECT THESE FOUR MEN
FIRST OUR FAILED MID-EAST POLICY HAS CAUSED US TO CONFUSE THE VICTIM WITH THE VILLAIN & AGGRAVATE THE ARAB MIDDLE EAST, AND NOW THE ENTIRE ISLAMIC WORLD.
-WHAT IN THE WORLD EVER MADE BUSH, RUMSFELD, CHENEY, ETC THINK THEY COULD PURSUE SUCH A WAR.
-DID THEY THINK THEY UNDERSTOOD ISLAM ? HOW ?
ISLAM IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR ITS’ WORSHIPERS
(I’M A CHRISTIAN AND EVEN I UNDERSTAND THAT)
THERE ARE STILL UNREAD TRANSCRIPTS DATED 9-10-2001 LYING ON INTELLIGENCE DESKS IN THE PENTAGON !
SO WHAT INTELLIGENCE COULD WE HAVE HAD WHICH ENCOURAGED US TO ATTACK?
WMD ?
I THINK NOT
OIL ?
WELL..THE STORY GOES THAT THE NAME “OPERATION IRAQI LIBERATION” WAS SCOTCHED, BECAUSE OF IT’S INITIALS !!!
-SO THEN WHY ARE OUR GALLANT MEN & WOMEN FIGHTING AND DYING IN IRAQ,
IS IT TO PROTECT US? YES, OF COURSE AND WE ARE BLESSED FOR THAT
-BUT THIS SHOULD NOT BE OUR WAR TO FIGHT !
IT’S ISRAELS’ WAR WE’RE FIGHTING!!!!
-SHE’S THE ONE WHICH HAS FOMENTED THIS DEGREE OF HATE SINCE 1948, AND NOW IT’S EXPLODING ALL OVER THE WORLD
=ARE THE ARABS BLAMELESS?
NO!
AND THEY SHOULD NOT WANT TO “DRIVE ISRAEL TO THE SEA”..-BECAUSE SIMPLY IT CANNOT AND WILL NOT HAPPEN
-BUT DESPITE HER CONQUEST, SEIZURE AND BLOODY OCCUPATION OF ARAB LAND
ISRAEL (INCREDIBLY) HAS BEEN DECLARED AN ACTUAL ALLY OF OUR COUNTRY BY ACT OF CONGRESS !!
WHY YOU ASK ?
AND HOW DID THAT HAPPEN ???
BECAUSE ISRAEL HAS BEEN ABLE TO (AHEM)$UCCE$$FULLY “CAMPAIGN WITH US SENATORS OVER DECADES TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS ..-AND THAT INCLUDES EVERY PRESIDENT..-STARTING WITH TRUMAN WHO SAID HE’D RECOGNIZED THE ESTABLISMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL BECAUSE “I GOT A HELL OF A LOT OF JEWS VOTING FOR ME BUT FEW ARABS ”
REMEMBER “CAHONES” ?
-SHE HOLDS ALL THE TERRITORIES, SHE HAS ALL THE AIRCRAFT, TANKS AND WAR MATERIEL SHE WANTS AND CAN DO ANYTHING SHE WANTS WHENEVER SHE WANTS INCLUDING THE BEARISH, BRUTAL, BLOODY INVASION OF LEBANON LAST JULY
-DON’T WORRY, YOU’RE PAYING FOR IT !
SHE RECEIVES OVER $6 BIL GRANTS (FREE MONEY) ANNUALLY FROM THE US TAXPAYERS
..-THAT’S YOU AND ME.
THE PALESTINIANS HAVE NONE OF THESE
-SO WHY SHOULD SHE DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN GIVE LIP SERVICE ABOUT WITHDRAWAL FROM PALESTIAN TERRITORY & PEACE?
THE SAME US CONGRESS WHICH PANDERS TO US ABOUT A DEMOCRATIC ISRAEL HAS BEEN BOUGHT-OUT BY THE ISRAEL INFLUENCE CROWD
ISRAEL IS, IN FACT, A THEOCRATIC STATE. (GO AHEAD, GRAB YOUR DICTIONARY )
WHERE IF YOU ARE NOT JEWISH YOU VERY GENUINELY ARE A SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN
USING ACTUAL NAZI-LIKE METHODS, SUCH AS IDENTIFICATION-MARKS ON ARAB-OWNED BUSINESSES, ARREST, IMPRISONMENT WITHOUT CHARGE OR TRIAL, HOME DESTRUCTION, LAND USURPATION, TORTURE, ETC
-AND DON’T FORGET ISRAELS’ LATEST TOY..HER PROTECTION BARRIER… “BERLIN WALL”..SURE TO WARM THE HEARTS OF THE VERY PEOPLE SHE HAS UNDER OCCUPATION AND DECLARES SHE WISHES TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH
ISRAEL IS NOT THROUGH SEIZING TERRITORY, AND ALL OF THE ABOVE
-SO..IS IT ANY WONDER THAT RAT OBL WAS ABLE TO STIR UP THE ARAB & ISLAMIC WORLD ?
THIS WAS HIS CAUSE CELEBRE AND WE; THE USA, BUILT THE DAMN PLATFORM HE STANDS ON !!
INCREDIBLE!
WHAT NEXT ?
TAKE AWAY THE REASON THE ARABS & MILITANTS HAVE TO HATE US.
COMPELL ISRAEL THROUGH PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL MANDATES & DEADLINES TO RETURN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES (INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ABOUT IT) AND MAKE MONETARY SETTLEMENT TO ALL AGRIEVED VICTIMS
-FAT CHANCE YOU SAY, THE CONGRESS WILL NEVER HAVE THE CAHONES OR COURAGE TO STAND-UP TO THE ISRAEL LOBBY?
–
THEN SADLY, WE’RE SURE TO BE IN FOR MORE OF WHAT WE’VE SUFFERED THROUGH, WITH MORE ENEMIES ON OUR NECK, WHILE ISRAEL COMES OUT SMELLING LIKE A ROSE!
-GOD BLESS AMERICA!
YOU DON’T NEED TO YELL.
Your anti-semitic rhetoric comes across loud and well, just like the other Nazis.
WHY ARE YOU YELLING?!?! It makes your rant more difficult to read and because of that, I only read the first few paragraphs of your lunacy. Next time, tone it down and I (and others, probably) will be apt to read your verbal vomit.
Arab land? Is Turkey Arab? Who ran that area before Britain took it over? Ever heard of the Ottoman Empire? The Gaza strip was part of Egypt. Why’d Egypt build a wall there?
There has never been a government called Palestine. There is no such thing as a Palestinian. Arafat was an Egyptian, for instance. What passes for Palestinians today are just Arabs that had no national identity because the Arabs don’t really have national identities. All of those nations over there were creations of the League of Nations. Arab Muslims are more interested in a pan-Arab caliphate than particular nations.
Britain ruled the land and had every right to give it to whomever they wished. They gave it to the Jews, at least part of it, who were attacked instantly by the Arabs and during a subsequent succession of wars they kicked *** and took lands they conquered, an age-old practice and an inevitable result of war.
Muslims cannot abide this, not because of any love for their countries, but because hatred of Jews is mandated by the Koran. So the Jews can do nothing to please the Muslims except die.
It’s a big messy hairball alright, but neo-nazi rants in caps are not helpful and only reveal their authors’ stupidity.
Willy you are the ignorant one. The posts on here were mildly acceptable until you came on here spouting your neo-kkkonservative view points. You think liberalism is a mental illness, sorry but your racism, hatred and xenophobia is more of a mental illness than liberalism (and i do have a degree in psychology so :-p ).
Jwayne – your post was excellent.
Jwayne: With all due respect do you have any idea if the men in question insist on being called “arab american”? If not, I have to inform you that “arab american” was a term used by the author of the article. Perhaps you should be re-directing your criticism to the author of the article.
So Steve, to what specifically do you refer by calling me such nasty names? Such accusations would shock my dear mother. I could call you a Communist to the same effect. Are you always in the habit of calling names when someone disagrees with you? Did you learn that in Psych 101?
Liberalism is an emotional problem. For one thing (among its many symptoms) it tolerates and apologizes for those trying to kill us. “What have we done to make them hate us?!” Isn’t that crazy? I haven’t heard many conservatives giving passes to the terrorists like the libs do in print and on the news.
Liberalism is also an attempt to assuage guilt. Of course, the whole realm of psychiatry involves alleviating guilt by making all manner of destructive behavior acceptable by destroying the victim’s (patient’s) moral underpinnings.
Liberalism? hmm…I don’t seem to see that word used in the article..I thought this was a story about alleged discrimination on the part of Fed Ex.
If I understand correctly, Fed Ex doesn’t think that Massachusetts law applies to these men since they are independent contrators. Whereas, at the bottom of the article, it is mentioned that a Massachusetts court believes that the case is valid. I may have misread; let me know if I did, thanks.
Steve seems to think that my commentary deserves an ad hominem attack, which shows both his immaturity and the paucity of his argument. Since the political cuss words he hurled are those use infallibly by liberals when they are losing an argument, I find it safe to assume that he tilts to the moveon.org side of the political spectrum.
My original remark about liberalism being an emotional problem, cited by Stevo, is therefore illustrated and upheld by his childish defense of our national enemies – you know, who want to kill Steve and his family.
my prayers for his soul that it be spared the fire and damnation that Allah deems due him.
LOL!
Idols cannot see or hear. Allah, like Ba’al, cannot see me or hear me.
Heed Allah and know that Allah sees what you do. (Qur’an, 2: 233)
“Allah is a sufficient witness between me and you. He is certainly aware of and sees His servants.” (Qur’an, 17: 96)
1 John 2:22, “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”
Who pays for your sins, Hadji?
This has turned into antoehr Islam bashing excercise. Semms as if you could find better things to do than quote scripture (fiction by any other name) as truth. It may be truth in your mind but that is all.
Can’t we just stick to the issues on some of these threads. This started out as an issue of possible bias against a group by a major company.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 260: Narrated Ikrima:
Ali burnt some people and this news reached Ibn ‘Abbas, who said, “Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet said, ‘Don’t punish (anybody) with Allah’s Punishment.’ No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet said, ‘If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.'”
Wow, so I can’t change from Lutheran to Baptist? Or does this only apply to Muslims converting to Hindu?
They are still investigating the attempted terror attacks in London, the car bombing in Scotland and burying the victims of the latest atrocity committed, some believe, in the name of Islam — the slaughter of eight people at an ancient temple in Yemen’s northeast province of Mareb.
And from Muslims the world over, as usual, has come mostly silence.
There have been no public demonstrations by Muslims anxious to make it clear how outraged they are that anyone could commit such unspeakable deeds for their version of Islam. There has been no anguished outcry by Islam’s leading imams and sheiks. Prominent Muslim organizations in the West have not called press conferences to express their disgust. Once again the world has witnessed savage episodes of Islamist terror, and once again it strains to hear a convincing rejection of the terrorists from those who should care most about Islam’s reputation.
We have seen enraged Muslims take to the streets to protest cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. A medieval reference in an academic lecture by Pope Benedict XVI unleashed a wave of denunciations, outrage and frustration across the Muslim world, and Britain’s decision to award a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie has outraged Muslim-dominated nations, who’ve called it deplorable and insulting to Islamic values. In fact, after the knighting of Sir Salman Rushdie, some eighteen years after the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling on Muslims to kill him, a government minister in Pakistan said that Rushdie’s recent knighthood justified suicide bombing.
Discrimination is wrong but maybe, just maybe people in the US have reason to be wary of Arabs??
Not Arabs, just Muslims.
Interesting that Hadji chimes in to condemn western self-defense against crazy Muslims (is that redundant?) but feels no need to apologize for or explain the Muslims that are blowing up innocents, or for instance who RIGHT NOW are threatening to kill 23 S. Korean Christians in Afghanistan.
So no wonder that terror and bombs and arrogance are the first things that people think of when they see “Arabs” mentioned in a news article.
Don’t blame people who point at the obvious.
Are you American Hadji? Your ‘leader’ OBL so kindly delivered a message for you in Feb 2003…”You should know that seeking to kill Americans and Jews everywhere in the world is one of the greatest duties, and the good deed most preferred by Allah…your brethren…continue to pursue the way of Jihad, targeting the Jews and Americans.” He didn’t excuse Americans who follow allah. Was your own leader trying to kill you too? Let me guess which citizen card you decided to play at that rally Hadji. Ok, now let me guess that you’re playing your American citizen card to exercise free speech on this forum. I’d like to know why you are not denouncing the violent acts of your brethren. Silence is admission.
I don’t understand why we let them remain here. You can’t build churches in Muslim countries, why do we let them build mosques here? They use the freedoms our forefathers fought for to mock or even fight us right in our own back yard.
It won’t go on forever.
Willy – You are taking the attitude that we should be just as “bad” as they are. If we can’t build churches there, why should we let them build mosques here.
Hey – WAKE UP. This is the USA, we try to hold to the higher ground. We believe in freedom of religion, speech (take a look at what you are saying and try that in some countries), and a lot more.
Rather then condemn the Muslims here, welcome them and convert them. Not to our religion, but to our standards of acceptance and equality.
Our “Standards of acceptance and equality” flow from our religion, which is predominantly Christian. Why do you think it’s one way here and another way there? I think that it is perfectly acceptable to banish foreign influences that tend to the disruption of the peace, if not the total destruction of our way of life.
How much of this are you willing to live with?
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=2007-07-25_D8QJICU00&show_article=1&cat=breaking
WASHINGTON (AP) – Airport security officers around the nation have been alerted by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing to carry explosive components onto aircraft, based on four curious seizures at airports since last September. [etc]
Islam is merely not a religion, it’s a plan for conquering and taking spoil, for subjugating women and humiliating Christians and Jews. Read the Koran why don’t you? It’s the most boring and turgid thing ever written, but the whole upshot of it is that everyone must convert to Islam, or pay the “jizya” tax, or be killed.
You want to tolerate that in our midst?The Constitution is not a suicide pact.
DEARBORN — The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday declared a Dearborn-based charity a front for the terrorist organization Hezbollah as FBI agents shut the group’s offices and carted away boxes of records.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070725/METRO/707250395
The people who run this “charity” are…. guess what religion….. go on, guess……
Willy I do see your reasoning, what a completely vexing situation our society now faces. Though certainly not as open as (some) of our Fore Fathers opined for, American society remains the bastion for religious and personal freedoms. Yet how to remain free and safe at the same time? When Big Brother is bypassing “legal” Congressional measures and is wire taping it’s citizens all in the name of “Home Land Security” I think back to the very genesis of this great nation and wonder… at what price? It is a very thin line (we) are presently skating. But when stories, like the one you just referenced surface… zealots bent on terrorizing our citizens using our unique freedoms against us… There is no simple answer. We have been and always will be the Infidel. Let’s just not condemn an entire religion based on the actions of inhumane groups who have spawned from and bent the origin into their own ilk.
Islam hasn’t been twisted or hijacked by terrorists. The terrorists are the ones actually practicing Islam, which requires Christians and Jews to be subjugated and taxed if they won’t convert. If they won’t convert or pay up, they should be killed.
If you wonder how Muhammed could be a prophet of God and still teach such things, then it might be less surprising if you knew more about him, things like he took a six year old for a wife and made a womon out of her when she was nine.
Once the enemy begins attacking us here in earnest, not just a bomb every ten years but regular shootings and explosions in schools, hospitals etc., Congress will pass a law or a constitutional amendment declaring Islam not to be protected by the first amendment, basically declaring that it is not a religion but something else, like a warplan. Then we’ll be able to take the kinds of actions necessary to protect ourselves.
Or maybe not.
PA Flight 93 memorial a “giant outdoor mosque”
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56836
I find it hard to beleive you are insurance industry professionals speaking this way.
Are you from the UN? Useless Nations? Defending Muslims who do not sound out against the radicals is absurd and ignorant. Another form of liberalism garbage. Let’s try your approach to “talk” about it instead of supporting the eternal effort to fight it…’Please stop the Muslim hate and violence.’ Are you serious? You can not give in to an enemy because you ‘think they’ll just go away’ when the enemy is driven by a religious calling to exterminate all but their own kind. It’s ludacrous. Again I ask why the Muslims living in the US have not spoken out against the Muslim terrorists.
please don’t think all Americans think like the couple of NeoCon fools – Willy, Al, Obvious – that get paid to visit sites like this and post the Republican Talking Points of the Day.
Stop the Muslim hate? Let me fill you in: in this country we can say whatever we want. our theory is, if you don’t like it change the channel or don’t read it.
So is it hate speech to talk about Aisha losing her virginity to Muhammed at the age of nine? Is it hate speech to disclose that the Koran mandates the killing or subjugation of “the people of the book,” Christians and Jews, if they refuse to make shipwreck of their souls and convert to Islam?
Um… how much do we get paid? I don’t know ’cause I ain’t seen no checks from the RNC yet.
Back to the topic of the article, FedEx succesfully defended itself against a lawsuit that was trying to punish free speech. The Muslims and liberals who are writing in this thread want to punish free speech. Drew apologizes for people exercizing their right to free speech.
Who’s the threat to our way of life?
Funny you think I’m getting paid for not putting a tail between my legs. My husband is a Marine Corp Officer and currently on his second year long deployment. I am a proud Marine wife and sacrifice the comfort of having him at home with me everyday because I believe in their mission! We know several service members who have been killed and their lives and efforts will not be tarnished like Cindy Sheehan has so foolishly attempted to do to her son.
Recent email from his patrolling location in Iraq, “Things are very, very different here than the last time. I can’t tell you everything but I will tell you that the lack of support from the population that I complained about last time has taken a turn for the better. I don’t think it is getting much press judging from the little that I watch before I get tired of listening to election ****, and lies about how poorly the war is going, and have to turn it off. There has been a lot of progress though, and those who are still negative need to hold their tongues and keep quiet because they are about to make damned fools of themselves if we are able to stay and see this one through. I bet they know this though and that may be their new motivation, to pull us out before they are proven wrong.”
Progress is being made and we must be committed to completion.
I apologize to Fatima for some of the comments coming from these skin-heads. I am both a Republican and an insurance professional – and retired from the US Navy and am here to tell you that their’s is not the majority opinion.
Al said that “Back to the topic of the article, FedEx succesfully defended itself against a lawsuit that was trying to punish free speech. The Muslims and liberals who are writing in this thread want to punish free speech. Drew apologizes for people exercizing their right to free speech.”
If you read the article you see that FedEx lost a similar case in California last year to the tune of $12.5 million. Also, in Mass., “The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination ruled in March that the employees’ complaints were valid, clearing the way for the drivers to pursue their case”
That does not sound like anyone has won a case on free speech to me.
Drew…funny you should mention it, I just read an article about exactly what you’re talking about. Basically, the right wing crazies actually hire these trolls to search around the internet and find a hot button topic. They then proceed to post hard core hate speech. After that, when the actual talking points of the day come out, they seem more centrist when a person has read some the posts. A very Rovian tactic.
Oh, I forgot, it also creates this sort of “perceived conservatism” that doesn’t actually exist in the country. For example, something like 70% of American people do not consider immigration a top issue facing our country today. However, since racism, either blatant or veiled is a pillar of the right, they jumped on the wagon.
The problem is that 2008 is shaping up to be even worse than 2006 for the righties, and there is a real concern that the base, especially in the south, is just going to stay home. So, they pick the ‘scare’ issues, run them constantly on Fox, Limbaugh, blogs, etc, and that way they can get the base out in 2008.
Think of Guilliani’s campaign…he’s pro gay rights, pro choice and pro gun control, but supposedly hard on the war and torture. Well, why would any right winger vote for a social liberal like that. The answer is they will if you scare them enough. Easy way to get your uneducated and uninformed base out.
They serve who wait. God bless you, and keep your hubby safe as he and his comrades protect (even the fools among) us.
You’re right – it has been a while since I read the article. You’re wrong in calling mea skinhead. You don’t even know what race I am. I guess name calling is better than nothing when you have no more argument.
Jeff,
I have it on good authority that Karl Rove has you in his binoculars right now. He says that you look really stupid in that tin foil hat.
Now discern the real message in this post using your George Soros decoder ring.
foil hat and nothin’ else…enjoy the show!
Thank you too Willy for continuing to support our troops and families by educating the fools among us. Our Founding Fathers did not create this wonderful democratic nation with a vision of Rights to prejudice the majority by catering to the minority. Order must be maintained and making laws to benefit the few is not good for the whole. Liberal idealism promotes the fantasy of Utopian world. Thank you for speaking out against the fantasy and maintaining reality.
“However, since racism, either blatant or veiled is a pillar of the right, they jumped on the wagon.”
More Republicans voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1965 than Democrats. Al Gore, Sr. voted against it. Of course, we know where Grand Kleegle of the KKK Robert Byrd stood on this one.
Whereas David Duke was roundly repudiated by the Republican Party from Bush 41 on down because of his former association with the Klan, Grand Kleegle Byrd is the “dean” of the Democrats in the senate.
Abraham Lincoln was a Republican who freed the slaves. 90% of slave owners were Democrats.
So you’re right, it sure looks like the Republican Party is the gang that invented racism.
By the way, where can I pick up Air America these days?
((((Pull your tin foil hat down futher, from here I can see in your right ear and out your left.))))
Good Lord people, no wonder nothing gets accomplished in our dysfunctional government. This blog is an interesting microcosm of both ends of the spectrum. It’s time for a little give and take, grow up.
too bad we couldn’t hear, see or read about willy. total neo-kkkonservative. couldn’t see life with his blinders on…
Don’t you know how to read? Willy wants only WASPS in this country. You know, white anglo-saxon protestants. Anything else and “their liberal” so let’s kill them. This is how willy wants america to be (today). Sometimes is real hard to understand willy when he speaking out from under his white robe and hood.
I await your refutation of anything that I wrote.
And Robert KKK Byrd, Dean of the Democrats, was Grand Kleegle of the W.VA. Klan.
Muslims are not a race, they are practicing a religion that is full of hate and incitements to violence. How it is racist for me to point that out mystifies thinking people.
Robert KKK Byrd, Dean of the Senate Democrats, was Grand Kleegle of the Ku Klux Klan.
Yes, we all know the tired old history of the ONCE, GREAT Republican party but that was decades ago. The Repbulican party has now been tarnished by the neo-kkkons and has be hijacked by the Christian Taliban and has forever ruined the once great Repbulican party.
If you can do more than assert racist motives to the GOP, you know, with facts and events that prove it, that would be one thing. But your inane bald assertions just make you sound like a dailykos.com reader with her brain in neutral.