Yesterday, I was inspired by Shortpant's commentary about 3 "Arab-looking" gentleman being jerks to some waitresses in Georgia and were stopped in Florida. They were not only stripped of their rights(at least 2 were American citizens) but of their dignity just because they were jerks. It made me realize, as an American who spent the majority of her life in the Middle East, that we are ignorant of these people in more ways than one. First of all, just because you are 'Arab looking', does not mean you are one. Take it from someone who was actually married to an Arab Bedouin-looks are decieving.
For example:
 This is a Pakistani
 This is an Arab or Saudi. He is from Saudi Arabia but dark skinned for this region. Most Arabs or Saudis have lighter skin like this jewel of the desert.
 this is an Iranian shepherd near Peresopoulis.
  Egyptians outside of Cairo
  and this is my adopted hometown of Tel Aviv, Israel. The soldier was actually my commander when I was in the military. Scary huh? Me, with a gun?
 Him, he's my favorite Israeli. Actor, Oded Fehr from The Mummy and The Mummy Returns films. Never mind, back to what we were discussing*growl. lust. slobber. drool*
The point is folks, everyone of these people were referred to as "Arab looking" once upon a time. We condemn several nations for having similar features and skin color and we would be in an uproar if the same was done to us. "I SIR, DO NOT IN ANY WAY RESEMBLE A NEW YORKER. I AM FROM BOSTON. HOW DARE YOU THINK SUCH A THING"
Ridiculous ain't it? This is a new millenium and we have had too many dealings with The Middle East not to have the common sense to learn something out of this. I believe the phrase is "one bad apple doesn't ruin the whole bunch" or something like that.
We have all gone through a tragic time but, instead of moving forward, we are slipping back into the mire of ignorance, stubborness and bigotry. We scream and holler when WE go to a foreign land and are not treated with respect; so why do we not give that same respect to people who 1) have passed all the tests to become that American citizen(and baby, that ain't easy) and 2) have not done anything personally to us. Are you going to blame an entire nation for a perverted few?
Isn't what we tell our children? ....if Tommy jumped off the Empire State Building, would you? Absolutely not! So why do we act like lemmings as adults. Pain and anger is one thing. Anger spurned ignorance is quite another.
STORY TIME: Some might not like what I have had to say but remember I have lived on the other side of the fence and know fear, distrust......
Shortly after 9/11, I went on a trip to L.A. to visit some friends who were vacationing there from Tel Aviv. We had not see each other in over 10 years(traveling back and forth to Israel is not a healthy thing to do). While coming out of a resturant(there were about 8 of us total), some inebriated customers(3 male; 1 female) started after my Israeli friends. First it began with a little name calling. We ignored them and kept waiting for our cars to be brought to us. Valet was becoming nervous though! They were referred to as Arabs and desert rats and cowards. They were accused of the whole 9/11 incident and then some. Then, it was face to face confrontation with our local drunks pulling my friends' shoulders back so they could confront them. I tried to intervene and was shoved to the ground. OOPS. WRONG MOVE.
This turned into a physical fight. All I could do was scream,"They're Israelis you idiots. You know, from Israel." Some stopped, some didn't. These clowns didn't even know the difference from an Arab, Israeli or any other Middle Eastern race. Some looked confused to the point it made me wonder if they knew what an Israeli was and they were our friends on the political playing field.
All in all, it ended up alright. Security took the drunks away finally. My friends only had a few bruises and scratches. I was the worse for wear, having fallen on the sidewalk on my behind!
It made me wonder though how we as the leading democratic country who go and save about every other country out there, actually view the countries that we aid.
Makes you wonder as we really the compassionate and understanding country that we believe we are or are we no better than the ones we aid and protect?
Nothing But Love
Aviv | 
MuSe
