Thread: I thought people were over this.

Today a friend of mine and I were walking by the street and a bunch of guys drove by and one of them leaned out and yelled, "Terrorists!"

Stupid cowards. They sped away very quickly after saying that, so I couldn't even say what I wanted to say to them - which wasn't anything G rated.

Are you both okay?

People like that make me sick, but the ones who say "Well you can't blame them for being angry after 9/11" are worse. My friend Bilal has been called a terrorist many, many times. It used to bring him to tears at first, but he's learned to rise above it. He's one of the most kind and caring people I've ever met, but that means absolutely nothing to these people. They think you look like a terrorist (whatever the hell that even means), so you're a terrorist.

I know it's difficult, but you have to ignore the . . . well, ignorant. There will always be people like that; they're the real terrorists.

Dreamworx95, did this happen in Seattle?

I work in Ballard. I drive a big, full sized work van. If you can give me a description of these genius', and a vector, I can make sure to drop my coffee in my lap.
"Sorry officer, I was in pain and didn't see them."
"But you put your van in reverse."
"Yeah. I was in pain. I missed one on the first pass."

Friggin' cowards.

Keep this in mind. Never forget it. The mean IQ is 100. That means HALF the world is stupid. Of that half, many were raised by stupid parents and learned stupid behaviors and stupid habits and act stupid in public. So you are surrounded by people whose only self-esteem comes from harrassing others to build themselves up. Anyone who is different is fair game for these jerks. I am a white American of Eastern European ancestry. When I was a child my family and I were called a "hunkies" by the Anglo-Saxon Presbyterian faction in our town. Today, since I don't share some political beliefs of this or that jerk, I am called everything from racist to gay, though neither is correct. But it keeps coming, not just from jerks on the street, but from jerks on commentary shows on TV and radio. From Limbaugh on the right to Chris Matthews on the left. I am in the middle, but I get called names from both sides.

We hunkies had our turn, the Irish immigrants did also, and of course black Americans (who are not all from Africa, please!), the Jews for a long time and even now, and it's your turn to get picked on because of a group you can be placed in just from looking or hearing your name. It will stop some day, when the jerks find another group to hate. Hating you makes jerks feel better about themselves. It's not about you. Just pretend it's rain, and duck it when you can. No point in fighting it, since it's out of your control. Jerks will be jerks, and no amount of reason or discussion or any amount of fact will change that.

Sorry I don't have a better reply for you. But life is not fair, and stupid selfish insecure jerks are a big reason why.

Bruno, yeah, we were both fine, thanks. My friend was actually laughing when she saw how p'od I was. I'm not really angry anymore, just baffled at people's stupidity. I've never really been brought down to tears, but I've gotten very angry before and cussed people out. I learned quickly though that the best way to react when people say stuff like tha is to throw a bunch of facts in their face and they're usually slow in responding. Lol, these cowardly idiots wouldn't even give me the chance to do that.

Winston, this happened in Everett. Inded, they are friggin' cowards. I bet they would never say anything like that to someone's face.

Phyllis, I just saw your response. Don't worry, that was a great reply. Yeah, I've known a lot of jerks who hate anybody who is different. It's pretty much the community I live in, sadly. I don't think it's going to change, which is even more sad. I'm not actually hurt by what they said at all. Their ignorance and stupidity offends me more than anything else.

I used to get it a lot when I was younger because my Dad is from the Republic of Ireland and IRA bombings were happening a lot at the time.

Just ignore them. They'll forget it once the media finds a new culture to demonise.

Originally Posted by Amber Leaf

Just ignore them. They'll forget it once the media finds a new culture to demonise.

As much as I'd really like to blame the incompetent and biased media, I think this is a case of the tail wagging the dog.

Ignorant, racists buffoons have, and will always exist. I don't think the media increases nor decreases their existence. I'm a firm believer in showing the idiocy of racists every time they rear their shaved, pointy heads. The media is at least useful in reminding us just how stupid bigots are. And that they're still out there.

It's a good thing that the average person doesn't seem to encounter such horrid behavior in their daily lives. The media does over-hype many incidents. The media finds injustice where there is none, then ignores flagrant inhumanity the next moment. However, I think it's better that the media shows the ugly. As a constant reminder, and warning.

By now, I've come to believe people will never get over this. Each time something dies down, something else comes up.

I don't think the media increases nor decreases their existence.

Of course it does. The media exadurates fear by making out that these so called 'terroists' are every where and that makes some people fear the people from the countries that are being accused leading to those who are ignorant to mistake the actual threat and start making threats and accusations themselves.

Now the media don't massively over-publisize the IRA and their actions, I don't get called 'terroist' anymore. If the media stopped pubisizing every wrong thing done by people from the Middle-East then these kind of remarks being made towards people of Middle-Eastern origin would stop too.

People will always be people good, bad, indifferent small narrow minds. You just have to carry on and rise above it, would be nice to shoot them but i,m sure your bigger than that. Chin up keep smiling lifes to short to let them upset you.

Dream, for the record, I don't call Muslims "terrorists." That would be stupid given the vast majority of Muslims never engage in "terrorist" activities. Furthermore, I have problems with the way that term (terrorist) is thrown around. Terrorism is a tactic and the United States Government is not above using it to secure their means.

That said, and however unfortunate your experience and that incident, people often draw correlations or association between things. Very few Catholic Priest have ever molested a child or boy child but that does not stop the few from tarnishing the image of the majority. So, people make jokes today about Catholic Priest having the hots for small boy children. Likewise, with many lay Muslims around the world commiting "terrorist" acts, people often connect them to "terrorist,"

The onus is on the Catholic Priesthood and the global Muslim ummah for change.

But all is not so bad. Since Al-Azhar is "The Vatican of the Islamic world," and Sunni Islam represents 50% to 90% of the Muslim world (I'm not sure Catholic represents more than 50% of the Christian world), it is a great gift Muslim of the United States recieve that the U.S. and Western media never publish to citizens of the West the right-wing, "terrorist" supporting statements coming from the high cleric of Al-Azhar to their global Muslim laity (ummah). Al-Azhar broke off diplomatic relations with the Vatican recently after the Vatican spoke in defense of the Coptic Christians being handed down capital punishment for blaspheming Mohammad. Al-Azhar supports "terrorism" on one account: Islam or Mohammad are blasphemed.

The Vatican receives more critical coverage for suggesting women should not decapitate (abortion) their unborn children still developing inside them.

Catholicism also has the hijab. Feminist have successfully linked it to hatred of women and oppression of women. So, Catholic women no longer wear the hijab. Those same feminist champion the Muslim hijab as an indication of "true religion." And those that hate Muslims connect the hijab to "terrorism" and opression of women etc.

Given I've seen your photo and you're as white as they come... would I be right in suspecting you were wearing your hijab? Because most Arabs - Lebanese - in the United States are actually Christian. Most Eastern Rite Catholics to be more exact. Dress becomes the greater identifier. I can't tell a Catholic Priest unless he's dressed like one. And I doubt any United Statesian could readily indentify you as Muslim by sight except for indicators through what you may wear.

Oh... and I'm not suggesting you stop wearing the hijab. I look to Muslim to indirectly bring the Catholic hijab back into vogue.

I also have more respect for Muslim women then I do for Catholic (or Protestant) women. To the former I'd be as left-wing as they come, too left. To the latter, even given by Brazilianphilia with it's Rio body culture, I'd be as right-wing as Satan. All comes down to perception. But hey, only in the U.S. of A.

The world is full of morons Dream. Sorry you had to meet a few in your travels.

Cool avatar by the way.

Given I've seen your photo and you're as white as they come... would I be right in suspecting you were wearing your hijab?

Lol! I just look white in that picture. I'm not actually that white-looking. I still look Arab with or without my hijab.

Originally Posted by Dreamworx95

Lol! I just look white in that picture. I'm not actually that white-looking. I still look Arab with or without my hijab.

Excellent. You look similar to Shakira (sp?) then? That famous Latina singer that's Arab or half Arab or something.