Haven't we learned that prejudice and discrimination get us no where individually or as a country? The US sells itself as the land of freedom; the last time I checked that included freedom of religion. There are anti-discrimination laws; don't they include discrimination against people because of their religion? Like Islam? How have we arrived at such a hateful place? Why aren't we as Americans standing up for people who want nothing more than to worship in their own way?
Another of our freedoms includes freedom speech. I don't want to loose that right, but I am confused...when does freedom of speech cross the line and become discrimination? Is it within the law to accuse people of being terrorists, anti-American, unfit to live in this country? Is that slander? Does freedom of speech make that okay? When the words are filled with hatred, half a step away from physical violence, are they okay? When does freedom of speech go one word too far?
Antisemitism is the charge of being against or hatred towards Jews. Referring to someone as being antisemitic is serious; an accusation that shouldn't be used.Is there a similar term to use for the defamation of Islam or Muslims? There should be!!! Accusing someone of being a terrorist, a rotten Muslim terrorist is anti-Muslim.
Helen Thomas said Jews should go back to where they came from. She lost her job. Californians opposing
Muslims attending a fundraiser for community organizations told the Muslims to go home, go back to where they came from. They also used numerous racial and religious slurs. They didn't "tell"; they screamed! Shouldn't they receive a punishment? A reprimand? A fine? An elected official joined them; aren't they supposed to represent everyone?
I grew up in the south....moving to PA when I was 14.Drinking fountains designated Black or White never made sense to me. Neither .did blacks having to sit in the back of the bus...their having to get up and offer their seat to me, I was a kid! The thought of going to school, the movies or shopping together never occurred to me. We had a maid, I don't know how many days a week she worked for us; we also a man who did yard and heavy garden work. We certainly weren't wealthy, far from it. I suppose Bessie and Sam were paid very little.
Tootsie, Bessie's daughter was my first friend. I remember crying when she started school and no longer came with her Mom. We always gave them used clothes, produce from the garden, bouquets of flowers. We had chickens; Sam liked the necks and backs which were always saved for him.. I wonder if he really liked them...they have very little meat and are mostly bones...tiny bones making eating them difficult.
Even though I saw blacks weren't treated equally and knew something wasn't right about it; when I moved north I insisted blacks were happy in the south, had more white friends, were treated like family; I could not see the discrimination...the patronizing treatment.
I'm not sure exactly when my eyes began to open. Perhaps that began when I went to the real south for college...Winthrop College in South Carolina. I found that Tennessee is in fact a border state, not a southern state....being in the south was a shock!
More of this will follow.
Another of our freedoms includes freedom speech. I don't want to loose that right, but I am confused...when does freedom of speech cross the line and become discrimination? Is it within the law to accuse people of being terrorists, anti-American, unfit to live in this country? Is that slander? Does freedom of speech make that okay? When the words are filled with hatred, half a step away from physical violence, are they okay? When does freedom of speech go one word too far?
Antisemitism is the charge of being against or hatred towards Jews. Referring to someone as being antisemitic is serious; an accusation that shouldn't be used.Is there a similar term to use for the defamation of Islam or Muslims? There should be!!! Accusing someone of being a terrorist, a rotten Muslim terrorist is anti-Muslim.
Helen Thomas said Jews should go back to where they came from. She lost her job. Californians opposing
Muslims attending a fundraiser for community organizations told the Muslims to go home, go back to where they came from. They also used numerous racial and religious slurs. They didn't "tell"; they screamed! Shouldn't they receive a punishment? A reprimand? A fine? An elected official joined them; aren't they supposed to represent everyone?
I grew up in the south....moving to PA when I was 14.Drinking fountains designated Black or White never made sense to me. Neither .did blacks having to sit in the back of the bus...their having to get up and offer their seat to me, I was a kid! The thought of going to school, the movies or shopping together never occurred to me. We had a maid, I don't know how many days a week she worked for us; we also a man who did yard and heavy garden work. We certainly weren't wealthy, far from it. I suppose Bessie and Sam were paid very little.
Tootsie, Bessie's daughter was my first friend. I remember crying when she started school and no longer came with her Mom. We always gave them used clothes, produce from the garden, bouquets of flowers. We had chickens; Sam liked the necks and backs which were always saved for him.. I wonder if he really liked them...they have very little meat and are mostly bones...tiny bones making eating them difficult.
Even though I saw blacks weren't treated equally and knew something wasn't right about it; when I moved north I insisted blacks were happy in the south, had more white friends, were treated like family; I could not see the discrimination...the patronizing treatment.
I'm not sure exactly when my eyes began to open. Perhaps that began when I went to the real south for college...Winthrop College in South Carolina. I found that Tennessee is in fact a border state, not a southern state....being in the south was a shock!
More of this will follow.
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