I would also add that, as they would extend their sympathy to any African-American whose family had been killed by the Klan, and would understand if they simply feared white men after that, they should extend the same sympathy to fellow Americans. If they CANNOT, that means they are holding Americans to higher standards than they are holding other groups to, and that is the soft bigotry of lowered expectations. That is, they secretly expect better of Americans because they secretly think we are more sophisticated than the "ethnic" types for whom they would make excuses.
Also, remember the words of Patrick Henry: "Gentlemen cry, 'Peace, Peace'. There is no peace."
Best FReegards...Mustang sends.
That being said, ask them how we won World War II? Did we do it with words? Did the right words bring peace in our relations with Japan, Italy and Germany? Then what brought about peace? Superior weaponry, determination and sacrifice.
How did we win the Cold War with USSR? Did the right words bring that about? What brought victory? Superior weaponry, determination and sacrifice.
What will win the war on terrorism? Have THEY come up with the magic words that will assuage these people who think nothing about killing thousands of innocent men, women and children in the blink of an eye? If so, please urge them to try their words. But also urge them to stay out of the way while the rest of us use our superior weaponry, determination and sacrifice -- the proven "peacemakers".
I would not call this "well-read". I would call anyone who gets news from these sources alone "brainwashed tools of the Left". (But no one ever accused me of being careful about what I say.) And no, it would not help to add the Seattle Times. : )
I would tell the friend who accused you of being a racist that if he is comfortable overriding common sense at a time like this, he is perfectly welcome to do that - but expecting someone else to check their brain at the door when it could be a matter of life and death is completely unreasonable. He is, of course, welcome at any time to demonstrate his warm feelings of inclusiveness for thirty-something Muslim men who are not citizens of this country by say, putting his wife and kids on an airplane where men fitting that profile are aboard and staying home himself.
You might remind your friends that racial profiling, while uncomfortable and unfortunate for innocent people who are inconvenienced and/or embarrassed by such things, is not the worst thing that can happen to a person. Something worse is losing three of the best and brightest black Washington D.C. school children, who believed they were going on a field trip to California but were instead flown against their will into a corner of the Pentagon.
We're all experiencing discomfort right now. The discomfort we feel losing our feeling of security regarding air travel is, I dare say, just as bad as having someone ask you questions at the airport. Knowing when you or your wife or your child boards a plane that it could be used by terrorists to kill you and people on the ground, or shot down by fighter jets - gee, I don't know - I think it ranks right up there with being asked to find another means of transportation besides air travel on the discomfort scale.
Point out that our "anti-Islam" foreign policy of late has included bombing putative Christians to protect Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo, and to protect Muslims from other Muslims in Kuwait, an "imperialistic" attack if there ever was one.
Ask them why they're so durn-sure that Israel will do anything we want them to viz. the Palestinians when the Israelis have already used Americans (Pollard) as spies against us and bombed our ship the U.S.S. Liberty?
Ask them why they think this is similar to Vietnam when we haven't fired a shot yet and have taken thousands of innocent casualties.
Ask them why freeing Tibet from Communist domination is cool but freeing Afghanistan wasn't.
Ask them if reflexive anti-Americanism isn't the real root of the problem.
Ask them why liberals are such mindless, lockstep, goosestepping jerks.
For instance, do they know what Bin Laden wants? (He wants all Muslim Holy Sites turned over to Islamic governments and the US military out of the Middle East.) So the question is, do we give him what he wants or no? If we do, won't we encourage terrorism?
If they want us to abandon Israel, ask them if you think it's right for us to drop a responsibility we took on 60 years ago? What will happen to the Israelis if we abandon them? Do we want that on our consciences? What if there is another Holocaust?
Ask them what they think will happen in Kuwait if we leave? What will Saddam Hussein do? Do they want that?
If they mention that SH invaded Kuwait because we somehow indicated that we might not do anything about it, do they think that indicates that "we gave him permission?" Was permission ours to give? (No) Then we couldn't have given it. Are we saying that from now on, a country's borders mean nothing to us? If larger countries invade smaller countries, are we to do nothing? Do they want us to be isolationists?
If their answers lead back to anything that sounds like "We should let the UN be the judge" then they are ultimately socialists and want a one-world government. Ask them how they feel about Microsoft's monopoly? If they dislike monopolies, why would they support an oligarchy?
Ax 'em if any Taliban man should be permitted to beat the snot out of any woman who shows more than the whites of her eyes...
Also ax 'em if destroying 20% of New York's office space wasn't an act of war, what WOULD they consider an act of war...
If you logon to texasmonthly.com and sign up, you could get a grrrrreaat article about Ron Paul. There's a conservative for you.
If not, then just put either the word "constitution" or anything from it you can remember in a sentence and they'll either provide awesome firework-tantrums or leave you alone.
Good luck, and if all else fails tell them they're invited over to your house on "Ronald Reagan Day."
Ask him if he would go into an IRS building if he saw a white guy wearing camoflauge clothing in a Ryder truck out front. No? He's a RACIST too.
When you point this out, they'll say "We had to oppose Hitler". Just reply that the particular reason they are for having fought the war is irrelevant. If they are for any war that's been fought, they're not against war. They're just against this particular war. Everyone can claim to be against war if you limit it to wars they disagree with. I was against our war in Kosovo and I supported the Gulf War, so I guess I can claim to be "against war". Don't let them get away with this "I'm against war" BS.