And You Thought The Bruthas Had It Bad

Who knew that so many Americans in 2006 yearn to use 1940s Germany as a model? (Thanks Ann Tye)

Comments

[DavidD]

I think that the only people that should get a band like that are the people who called in to that show agreeing with that. This kind of ignorance is the reason behind all the wars people fight, the reason a groom gets shot at 50 times and killed on his wedding day, and a man get dragged out of his car and beaten to death with no convictions handed down to the assailants. The only people that suck in this world are the hateful, ignorant, and intolerant people that twist their beliefs into an excuse to kill others becuse they're different or they don't like them. We don't all have to like each other, just not hate each other. Big difference!

[Ann Tye]

This latest incident prompted me to think more deeply about what actions I would have taken were I present when passengers demanded that the Moslems ministers be taken off the plane. I'd like to think I would have spoken in their behavior and gotten off the plane with them. Given the tenor of the times, such a test may come. This possibility is quite thought-provoking. What would you do?

[Maine]

The worst part about it? We can sit here and say, "Wow, that's fucked up. People are fucked up," but in another 30 years, when its some other group under suspicion the exact same thing is going to happen.

Why? Because its happened 100 times before and it keeps happening. We always teach and preach tolerance and almost NEVER do anything about it. Japanese internment. The Jew threat to the German well being. The gay threat to marriage. Black dudes fucking all the white chicks. Whatever. It doesn't matter. And once we come to our senses about Muslims, they'll be a new threat next year.

A person can be smart. People, as a whole, are always going to be retarded. This is the least shocking news story ever.

[lattalayne]

QUOTE:
A person can be smart. People, as a whole, are always going to be retarded. This is the least shocking news story ever.

Posted by: Maine | December 04, 2006 at 02:00 PM
****************************************
That's what I thought. Big news would be if people had called and spoken out against this.
It's always been this way and I'm afraid it will never change. A hand full of individuals will act independently do the right things but the majority will always be sheep. That's how we wound up with the massacreing of Native Americans, American slavery, Nazi Germany, McCarthyism, and the invading of Iraq.

[Babu]

then again, the Jews didn't have extremists in 1940's Germany flying planes into buildings...

[DavidD]

"then again, the Jews didn't have extremists in 1940's Germany flying planes into buildings..."

So Babu, you want to label billions of people because of a few dozen extremists..... did you call into that show agreeing with the host? Beacuse it's comments like that that proves you're a sheep Lattalayne was talknig about. Hate the person's actions not the person, unless they're Hilter, then fuck him

[DavidD]

For the record- Yes I can't spell!

[DFS]

yes, but Americans still trust Muslims more than atheists

[Kristal K]

"A person can be smart. People, as a whole, are always going to be retarded."

Amen.

[Babu]

I don't agree with labeling muslims, I don't think that they all want to kill us, and I am not a racist or anti-religionist...

I do think that Islam is a fucked up religion and I don't support it.

I do think that some/many (not all) muslims (probably mostly not in the US) do believe that what terrorists do it a good thing.

My post was to point out that the situation is very different that what happened in 1940's germany, and it was a bit of a joke.

bahhhhhh

[The big O]

"I do think that Islam is a fucked up religion and I don't support it."

Really?? Have you read the Quran?? Do you know what you're talking about or are you just going off things you've heard?

I haven't read the Quran nor have I studied the religion of Islam, which is why you won't see me calling it a "fucked up" religion, and I highly doubt if any Muslims are broken up over your lack of support of their religion.

People fear things that they don't know about, just like sheep. Maybe if there was more education in this country with regards to what others believe and not so much "if you ain't christian, I ain't listnen'" attitude things like this could be avoided. All I know is that Islam and Christianity are not as different as western practitioning Christians would like for you to believe, for one thing Jesus is the most quoted prophet in the Quran. Never forget that both of these religions can trace their roots back to Africa. That is one fact that always puzzled me comin up - How can so many white people (alot of them being southern whites, descendants of slave owners, and or clan members, and alot of them being just normal american people who don't believe in that type of thing) be so devoted to a religion about and for the brown man (and how the fuck did we allow them to use it as one of the most dominant forms of oppression)? I still to this day don't really have an acceptable answer to this question other than bastardization by the Romans.

When looking for schools to enroll my son into, we went by a school in the Seattle area known as the Kings school (sadly they were not talking about Martin Jr.). We sat in on a class and checked it out, reason #1 I'll be damned if my son goes to this school; a picture on the wall of a blonde haired, blue-eyed Jesus frolickin w/ lambs and blonde children (sorry can't remember anything in the bible about Jesus' little vacation to Scandanavia). Reason #2 the teacher asked the students where the rain comes from and liitle johnny raised his hand and answered "god makes it" the teacher told him he was correct and that was enough for me, I was like "son, let's go".

These are two religions formed pretty much together, and all the people referenced in them (except the Romans) were of african or middle eastern descent. Christianity is not right. Islam is not right. They are both different. That's ok, nobody has to be wrong or right for you to live your life as a resposible and conscientious world citizen. Stop trying to be right all the time and just be kind. The Indians beliefs were percieved as wrong by white settlers and look what happened to them. Hell if you ask me their beliefs of respecting the land and all the animals and all of the beauty that nature has provided for us sounds closer to "right" than anything I've ever heard.

Cut open a Muslim and then cut open a Christian, you tell me if you notice anything different. Fuck off and live your life and don't worry about what the fuck the other man is doing and whether you agree with it or not, get over yourself. There's an expression that my grandad used to say to me all the time and I love it, it goes; Mind your own, you'll live long. Word gramps, word.

[The Sybian]

First off, wanted to give props to a great post by The big O. Well done, sir.

As to Babu, calling Islam a fucked up religion is just plain ignorant. I must assume that you are referring to the fundamentalists interpretation of the religion, which is no more f-ed up than the fundamentalist interpretation of any other religion. Islam is based on Judeo-Christian beliefs. Same god, same basic set of values. Religion, any religion, taken to an extreme is usually going to warp the founding principles. I'm sure Jesus wasn't thrilled about Crusaders killing, raping and pillaging in his name, much like Mohammed and Allah aren't too thrilled with beheadings and bombings in their name.

[Babu]

"Really?? Have you read the Quran?? Do you know what you're talking about or are you just going off things you've heard?"

Well most of my knowledge of Islam comes from this book,

http://www.amazon.com/End-Faith-Religion-Terror-Future/dp/0393035158

which I was turned on to by the "what we're readin'" section on the right...

the rest of my knowledge of Islam comes from the two women I work with who walk around in full head-dress, cannot cross the border of their country (Quatar) without a note of permission from a male relative over 18, cannot vote, and have no say over what they do with their lives.

that and the Koran says that all non-believers who cannot be converted should be stoned to death...and yes, I know that similar passages are also in the Bible and in the Torah...which is why I don't subscribe to any of those fiction stories.

So yes, I have solid reasoning to believe that Islam is a fucked up religion...but thanks for the lecture O. Then again, I think all religions are fucked up and are really the root of a lot of the problems we are having right now, that along with human nature.

I am not a sheep, I have formed my beliefs based upon education and experience

Maybe your gran-dad WAS right, but in the age of international travel, long-range weapons, and crazy dictators with nukes, the world is a slightly different place these days which makes it necessary to form opinions and make decisions.

[The big O]

"I think all religions are fucked up and are really the root of a lot of the problems we are having right now, that along with human nature."

We share this belief. Well, with religion being the root of most of mans problems anyways.

I also disagree w/ some of the policies that Islam has towards women and womens rights. But on the same note it's not neccessarily wrong, again just different.

"that and the Koran says that all non-believers who cannot be converted should be stoned to death"

Yeah, one can only wish that Spanish Conquistadores like Francisco Pizzaro were that nice, hell compared to the havoc he wrought in the name of god, gettin hit with some rocks ain't so bad.

Please do not think I was tryin to put you on blast, it's just statements like "Islam is a fucked up religion" gets me in 'what the fuck did you just say about the brown man' mode.

"I am not a sheep, I have formed my beliefs based upon education and experience"

As it should be, but that's kinda like sayin "I take care of my kids" or "I ain't never been to jail".

"which makes it necessary to form opinions and make decisions."

True, but you need to be real fuckin careful w/ that shit, that leads down roads we all know about like Slavery, Colonization, Economic exploitation, Apartheid, etc.

[The big O]

I meant to say that CAN lead to..........

[steveh2]

then again, the Jews didn't have extremists in 1940's Germany flying planes into buildings...
********************************************
No, but didn't Nazi propaganda allege that the Jews caused the German Empire to lose World War I, heaping great shame on the prideful German nation? If we're playing the "it's okay to tattoo and segregate by religion because of the threat they pose" game, I think what the Jews allegedly did to Germany was far worse than flying planes into buildings.

[SLaird22]

Big O...spot on.

[Jack Klompus]

I can appreciate what most of you are saying, but spare me all the self-righteous crap. A lot of people are still scarred by what happened on 9/11. Does that give them the right to be ignorant assholes? No, of course not. But if you're as kind and understanding as you all seem to suggest, then you should understand that it's human nature for people to judge on a single impression. That is, most people in the US probably didn't have much or any exposure to Islam before 9/11. Even though Islam was not responsible for the incident, you can only imagine the ease in which people have made a connection when they saw images of bin Laden issuing his fatwah, or crowds of Muslim men, women, and children dancing in the streets celebrating the 3,000 dead "infidels" in the smoldering ruins of the WTC (are those folks not judging the West based on limited impressions?). But of course this is not representative of the majority of Muslims. Just like those radio callers aren't representative of most Americans. Just like crooked cops aren't representative of all cops. Just like white supremacists aren't representative of all white people. But with human nature, people often make generalization based on their own experiences. If your first encounter with a cop is one of a harassing nature, you're not likely to trust the next cop you come across. Whereas, if your first experience with a cop was of a helpful nature, then you would probably be more trusting of the next one that comes along, even though the two circumstances are completely unrelated.

There seems to be a tendency on this blog to blame Americans for all that is wrong in the world. We just "don't understand the other side" because we're ignorant "sheep." I think that's a two-way street. Sure, we could do a lot beter educating ourselves in the fundamentals of world humanity -- but I hardly think our society is alone there. As well, I'd say as a country we're heavier on the humane scale than most. I do agree that it's important for us to mind how we oursleves behave before we tell others; however, people take time to heal after a catastrophic event, no matter what nationality or faith.

[M. Butler]

If 10% of a country x wants to do us harm, and we can't tell who that 10% is (and that 10% can do us harm), I have no problem with 1) demanding the country to take care of the 10% and if they can't 2)taking care of 100% of country x to solve the 10% problem.

They either resolve their hostility internally or we do it.

[Jerloma]

Hey Big O...next time you call someone an ignorant sheep, and they proceed to respond to you with perfectly valid reasons of why they are not everything you accuse them of, instead of another long-winded babble, perhaps you should just say, "Sorry, I was wrong for jumping to those conclusions."

Try it. You'll feel better about yourself.

[Nominal Me]

I tried reading the Quran once, but the first chapter is titled "The Cow" and I just couldn't take that seriously.

[Jack Klompus]

"They either resolve their hostility internally or we do it."

That's ridiculous. You can't hold all Muslims responsible. That said, it would be beneficial for those Muslims living in this country to communicate where they stand. To use the same examples as in previous posts, police officers should condemn improper actions of fellow officers, white people should condemn the actions of white supremacists, Christians should condemn the actions of radical Christians, Muslims should condemn the actions of radical jihadists, and Jerloma should condemn the play of Lil Ben Roethlisberger. If they remain silent, they shouldn't be surprised when people prejudge them as otherwise.

[M. Butler]

That's crap. You can (and should) hold a country responsible for the actions of its constituents. The fact that these nations can't separate religion from state is the issue (and we can't separate their state from their religion). They are condoning jihad on the U.S. and we should do something about it.

We don't need to look at this from a third party "fair" perspective. If we have to kill innocent foreigners to protect ourselves because they can't handle their own business, so be it. I'm not pro "killing innocent people because they are muslim," I'm pro killing muslim people because we can't tell the difference between good ones and bad ones (and they don't seem to be able to either) And we shouldn't have to sacrifice our soldiers to figure it out.

[Jack Klompus]

"You can (and should) hold a country responsible for the actions of its constituents."

Which country(ies)? Muslims are all over the world. It's not just Middle Eastern countries. Just look at the last few plots that were uncovered. Most were British nationals. Are you saying we should bomb England if they don't get rid of all radical jihadists? Now if you can prove a country's government is an active sponsor of the terrorist organizations that are seeking to do us damage, then I agree with you. We know Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Syria, and Iran all fit that description. Why we aren't dealing with them more aggressively is disheartening.

"And we shouldn't have to sacrifice our soldiers to figure it out."

I agree. We shouldn't have to. But who else is going to do it? The UN?

[The big O]

M. Butler,

Don't forget the Phillipines gotta bomb them too there's lots of Muslims there.

Jerloma,

Thank you for the perscription, I'll try that. Do me a favor though, show me where I specifically called Babu a sheep. Also did you see this; "Please do not think I was tryin to put you on blast" ?

"And we shouldn't have to sacrifice our soldiers to figure it out."

We are sacrificing our soldiers to get that oil, don't kid yourself. If you compare the death tolls of American soldiers in Afganistan (actually fighting terrorism) to those in Iraq (tryin to get that oil) you will see what the sacrifices are being made for. Iraq didn't have any WMD's and the connection with Al-Quida was very slim in reality. Sadam was just like Noriega another buddy who got too big for his britches and we (Bush/cheney) had to take him down. Those clowns are sacrificing our troops, not to combat terrorism, but so cats can drive SUV's. We did not get into Iraq to fight terrorists if you think we did, I'm sorry. I've said it before I'll fight for my country if my country has been attacked, I am not against erraticating Al-Quaida, but I'll be goddamned if I'm givin my life on some fools crusade for oil.