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Plea for tolerance
Email | 09/18/01 | Mick Andersen

Posted on 09/18/2001 1:15:18 PM PDT by Jim Robinson

Just received the following plea via email:

Friends,

Amid all the horror that the events of September 11 brought to our nation are news reports of attacks and threats against Arab Americans around the country. In Arizona, a Sikh Indian man (a Hindu, not a Moslem) was just murdered, most likely by someone who confused a darker skinned man in traditional dress with someone of Arab descent. The attack was only the worst example of an unfortunate vigilantism that seems to be popping up in a number of places. It is an ugly way to honor the memory of the people of many races, creeds and religions who died last Tuesday.

It is not only un-American to discriminate because of race, religion or national origin; those who do so risk creating divisions within the United States where none need exist, and cause the world to shake its head in wonder at how quickly the terrorists have succeeded in changing our country into something it wasn't before their hideous deeds.

For those whose hearts are now hardening out of an understandable feeling of fear and vulnerability, one should remember that the language skills and overseas contacts of Arab Americans will likely prove to be invaluable in defeating the terrorists. There is a historical precedent--after World War II, the mobilization of the Italian-American community here in defense of freedom was crucial in avoiding a communist takeover of Italy in the post-war period.

In the past few days our national political leadership has rightly pointed to the many contributions made by Arab Americans to our way of life, as professionals, taxpayers, friends and neighbors. In the days and weeks ahead, we should all be vocal in our condemnation of the voices of hate and unreason. If you know someone of Arab descent, now is the time to be a friend in deed; if you know of an Arab-American owned business in your area, you may want to patronize it now with even greater frequency, as a sign to those who would want us to live in terror--and those who would "defend" us through hate--that their tactics didn't work.

Please send this message to as many people as you can.

God Bless America!

Mick Andersen
Churchton, Maryland



I think this is good advice. I'm asking for the rhetoric on Free Republic to be toned down. We were attacked by a vicious terrorist group. These terrorists are being supported by a relatively small segment of the Muslim community. Please do not condemn all members of a race or religion for the barbaric acts of a few. We are at war against the terrorist groups and the rogue government regimes that harbor them. With few exceptions, the rest of the world is allied with us against these groups, but we are not at war with an entire people or race or religion. We must rid the world of the scourge of terrorism, while continuing to respect and defend the rights and lives of the innocent.

Thanks,

Jim Robinson


TOPICS: Announcements; News/Current Events
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To: Jim Robinson
Tolerance is what got us here. Bin Laden was the bullet,Washington DC was the trigger. We need to take care of business. We need to insure no one wouuld touch an American ever.
81 posted on 09/18/2001 5:44:08 PM PDT by AFF
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To: AFF
Uhhhh......did it ever occur to you that the Sikh who was killed WAS an American? And like many Americans who identify themselves as Christians, they are called Sikhs. There is NO justification for this. Now, I know you may get confused when you look at a map, but Sikhs are not Middle Eastern. Nor are they Muslim. Mnay of them come from INDIA. Ok?
82 posted on 09/18/2001 5:47:27 PM PDT by Bella_Bru
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To: Jim Robinson
We must rid the world of the scourge of terrorism...

and war, and disease, and famine, and crime, and poverty...

Good luck.

83 posted on 09/18/2001 5:47:54 PM PDT by agrandis
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To: Jim Robinson
Jim,
From what I've seen on FR these past few days, there's been considerable restraint and reason among the posts. Of course, I haven't seen what you've had to pull, either.
Thanks for providing this forum for freedom.
84 posted on 09/18/2001 5:50:30 PM PDT by bubbafree
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To: Jim Robinson
It is not only un-American to discriminate because of race, religion or national origin

Did Mick leave out "sexual orientation"?
85 posted on 09/18/2001 5:51:31 PM PDT by Bush2000
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To: RationalThinker
...who represent a small percentage of the whole of Islam...

I agree attacking ANYONE because of their nationality or religion is not only wrong, but the last thing we need now. This warning is appropraite and necessary.

But I keep hearing that line you wrote repeated, and my mind keeps asking, "what IS the ballpark percentage?" Do we know? Is it really a minority of the Muslim nations?

86 posted on 09/18/2001 5:52:15 PM PDT by agrandis
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To: Jim Robinson
THANK YOU, MR. ROBINSON
87 posted on 09/18/2001 5:55:14 PM PDT by NC_Libertarian
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To: AppyPappy
I can never remember who I am supposed to hate.

The guilty. Those are the perpetrators of the crime, those that sheltered them and those that financed them. Never feel bad about hating evil. Evil should be hated.

But ethnic Pakistanis running grocery stores in Dallas or Hindus running gas stations in Arizona have no guilt for this atrocity. Hating them just wastes energy, and merely turns you into evil's ally.

That also goes for the Afghan herdsman that wants to be left alone, the Iraqi shop owner who is merely tending his wares or the Sudanese businessman whose only purpose is to bring inexpensive medicines to his people.

That is why Bush is not planning retribution or revenge. To him it is not about either of those -- it is about roach removal. If, busy as he is he can differentiate between the guilty and the innocent, then certainly we can do so, also.

88 posted on 09/18/2001 5:56:02 PM PDT by No Truce With Kings
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To: Ratatoskr
Definitely. Attacking a Hindu for the crimes of Islam is tragically wrong.

And it, of course, goes without saying that attacking an innocent muslim for the crimes of another muslim is tragically wrong as well.

89 posted on 09/18/2001 5:58:37 PM PDT by NC_Libertarian
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To: TERMINATTOR, FITZ, 6323cd, xclusiv1, K7TNW, East Bay Patriot
FYI
90 posted on 09/18/2001 6:06:40 PM PDT by NC_Libertarian
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To: Bella_Bru
One of the most outstandingly competent folks I supervise is a Pakistani who moved to America seeking the American dream (in the traditional sense.) He demands his wife speak only English when she answers the phone...

Whereas I was deeply angered at last week's attack, he was truly traumatized...I spoke to him over the phone, and he was basically in shock. He kept repeating, almost sobbing about how he had brought his wife and newborn to the states seeking safety and stability, and the opportunity to make an honest living. (He has a law degree from an American University, and could be very wealthy via graft in his homeland). In a microcosmic way, the negative reaction of Americans to this mideasterner is adversely impacting the economy, as I've had to use extreme discretion in the assignments I've given him in the last seven days, for his safety. He's a truly talented employee, however, I have to limit my utilization of his capabilities due to the current situation. As a result, he's not generating the type of wealth he's capable of for the American economy...

91 posted on 09/18/2001 6:07:11 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack
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To: AFF
We need to take care of business.

I support Bush's plan from what I've heard so far. What is your suggestion for takeing care of business?

92 posted on 09/18/2001 6:23:17 PM PDT by NC_Libertarian
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To: No Truce With Kings
The guilty. Those are the perpetrators of the crime, those that sheltered them and those that financed them.

Exactly how do you tell the difference? After all until one week ago, the hijackers by all reports were nice friendly people, good students. At least one seemed to be a caring family man. Innocent seeming pilots. There was no reason to suspect that they were planning to kill Bush, our Congress, destroy our economy, our military and we know it's obvious they did NOT then intend to leave us alone to rebuild in peace. They planned a takeover. I suspect there isn't much outrage expressed in the immigrant Arab communities right now because they would have preferred the US being put under Islamic rule.

93 posted on 09/18/2001 6:32:56 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: FITZ
now because they would have preferred the US being put under Islamic rule

Oh c'mon. You sound like the people who say the Christians want a theocracy.

94 posted on 09/18/2001 6:48:42 PM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: boris
I agree with you Boris -- and it is with sadness, I am saying goodby to Free Republic. Why?? Because it isn't the same Free Republic I joined back in 1998. If I need "political correctness", I can find these sites all over the internet.
95 posted on 09/18/2001 6:49:00 PM PDT by likeitis
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To: boris
And we will pay a terrible price for "tolerance."

We already did but I think people even on FR are quickly forgetting the 6000+ dead from just a week ago. Back to Ophrah and all their soaps. We gave them a nice funeral so now we can forget about them.

96 posted on 09/18/2001 6:54:53 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: FITZ
Exactly how do you tell the difference?

It is really simple. Nineteen of them flew airplanes into the ground. Anyone who helped them was an accessory. Backtrack. Find out where they lived, who they trained with, where they got their money. Those folks are also guilty.

Find out who sold airlines and insurance companies short on Monday. If they have connections with Mideast terror organizations, you can assume they had inside knowledge, especially if those were the only things they plunged big on.

Find out where the folks that blew Khobar towers, and WTC 93 trained, and who bankrolled them. This is a war on terrorism, and terrorists -- so they are guilty, too.

Go to the nations where the training camps are located. Give them an option -- dismantle the camps and turn over the personnel in them (they are guilty, too), or go to war against the United States. If the governments refuse to cooperate, well -- they have identified themselves as guilty of being accessories, too. Take them apart, then rebuild the government with leaders that will stop terrorism.

Don't make it more complex than it needs to be. Roaches leave tracks. Follow the tracks and clean up behind them.

97 posted on 09/18/2001 7:08:10 PM PDT by No Truce With Kings
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To: all
wish we had this man's opinion to consider...


98 posted on 09/18/2001 7:08:57 PM PDT by tomkat
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To: likeitis
Thank you
99 posted on 09/18/2001 7:21:39 PM PDT by RnMomof7
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To: tomkat
Thank you...now tolerant America can "move on"
100 posted on 09/18/2001 7:22:27 PM PDT by RnMomof7
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