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Considering the current atmosphere, why were the Arab men speaking in their native tongue and laughing? Am I supposed to trust people who behave that way? If you were in Saudi Arabia after Mecca was destroyed by Americans, would you be dumb enough to do what these Arab men did, and do you think you might be severely beaten or even executed if you tried? Now that you've answered those questions, ask yourself this one. Do you still think that Atticus' suspicions are unwarranted? I don't.

Ahhhh, there in lies your problem...THIS, MY FRIEND, IS NOT...I REPEAT...NOT SAUDIA ARABIA. There are certain rights in this country afforded to those who would be citizens...and I have yet to read where anyone has proven that these three individuals are NOT citizens.

And, what is the current atmosphere??? If you are referring to an "atmosphere" where you mistrust dark skinned individuals that speak a different language and have the audacity to laugh when they see fit....well that's your world my friend. My world doesn't judge based on scant information...However, comments such as yours, and the a number of other posters on this thread give me sufficient evidence to realize that stupidity and paranoia are, indeed, rampant....

First of all, non-citizens have no rights under the Constitution. Furthermore, if these men are citizens, then for their own safety, and out of respect for Americans, they shouldn't be speaking Arabic in public. If fact, if they're citizens, they should be speaking English in public out of respect for this nation.

In case you haven't noticed, let me clue you in on the current "atmosphere" in this country. We are at war with terrorists, and in this current atmosphere of Middle Eastern terrorism, people of Middle Eastern descent, especially young men, who hint at any sort of delight concerning the destruction of the World Trade Center, are suspects. If they fit the profile, they should be treated with suspicion and investigated. Your life may depend upon such "mistreatment" of individuals.

Your post mentions "dark people," yet I never said anything about dark people in general. You're using the classic socialist tactic of putting words into your opponent's mouth (the old "straw man" argument). I resent that you would accuse me of being a racist. I have no problem with "dark people" -- black people, Hispanics, Asians or even Arabs. What I have a problem with are people who want to kill me and my fellow Americans, and if someone acts in a suspicious manner, I'm going to call the FBI, and if it makes sense to confront the suspects, I will. The person who posted this thread probably shouldn't have yelled at the suspects, but I never said that was acceptable.