Letters to the Editor 10-05-2001
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Appalled - Screening Arabs - Christian Revival - Flag Theft
Appalled
Editor, Times-Union:In reply to "Screening Arabs" by George W. Deeter 9-24-2001:
I am appalled at Mr. Deeter's suggestion to single out Arabs. Not only is such an idea morally reprehensible, it is short-sighted. If we are to stand any hope of finding terrorists already in the United States, it will come from within the Arab-American community. They can speak the language and recognize people who may be planning further attacks. Most naturalized citizens are far better Americans than we natives. They had to understand our form of government, learn our history and take a test to gain the name American. Most love America more, because they understand the freedoms we enjoy. They lived in a place without freedom. The attack on America has hurt Arab-Americans even more than the rest of the nation, because they are now suffering discrimination, suspicion, and fear of their neighbors as well as fear of further attacks.
We must keep things in perspective. At Pearl Harbor, most of our Pacific Fleet was destroyed. Yet six months later we had cracked the Japanese codes, and two years later, the Japanese were in retreat. As Yamamoto said, they "had awakened a terrible and sleeping giant." That is all the terrorists have done - they have awakened a giant who will crush them. The number of terrorists among us is small - at most in the hundreds. Even if there were thousands, they would still be an infinitesimally small percentage of the Muslims in our country. As President Bush has wisely said, we are not at war with Islam, nor fellow Americans with dark skin or Arabic sounding names, nor those who wear "funny" clothes. Since Sept. 11 we have already rounded up over 300 suspects, and many of the leads have come from the Arab community. We do not need to turn away from our national ideals to solve this problem.
Mr. Deeter points to our internment of the Japanese as a good idea. It was wrong then and it is wrong today. The idea is foreign to all American ideals. Hitler started his persecution of Jews with "identity badges" - yellow stars. "The Night of Broken Glass" followed, in which Jews throughout Germany were attacked by their neighbors. It is both wrong and useless. How difficult would it be to forge an identity card or pin?
I have no problem with the idea of a national identity card such as Mr. Deeter proposes for ALL Americans. It might prove helpful in many law enforcement situations. This would be an infringement of our freedoms, and perhaps we need to consider whether this would now be prudent. But if we are to move in that direction, it must be for ALL of us. One of the most encouraging results of the attack is the way Americans have helped each other in the wake of the tragedy. We need to nurture such responses. We need to fight against those ideas which seek to divide us. Mr. Deeter's idea is a bad one. If we move down that road, then the terrorists have won.
Joe Conlon
Teacher at Warsaw Community High School
Warsaw
via e-mail
Screening Arabs
Editor, Times-Union:I have a few comments about Mr. Deeter's letter in Monday's paper.
First of all, I would like to know what country his family comes from. Unless he's Native American (which Deeter does not strike me as a NA name), he has no right to think that we can take the civil liberties, on which this nation was founded, away from any American citizen, regardless of former nationality or religion.
As to the process by which he recommends "screening Arabs," it reminds me of cattle branding.
Telling them that in order to stay in this country they need to disclose every last tidbit of information about themselves and their heritage takes their right to privacy away from them (which, unless I dreamed it up, was a founding reason for this country).
As for his likening this to the Japanese during WWII, there are many differences. One is that we were then at war with a nation that declared war on us, not a group of gutless cowards who attack civilians and then run and hide without taking responsibility. Not that that can ever excuse our behavior to Japanese-Americans, which we mistreated in those internment camps.
As for his crudeness in saying that Arab-Americans would "proudly" carry a card or wear a pin that shows people who they are, I would like to know how he would like to have every ounce of his humility taken from him and if he would "proudly" carry a card or wear a pin to show every person that he crosses paths with.
If he thinks that Arab-Americans need to be treated this way, they why stop there. My descent is mainly German, you better brand me because I could be a Nazi. You better brand every Russian-American as a communist, every Italian-American as being part of the Mafia and every South American-American as a drug lord.
To think that Arab-Americans are the only people who could be a threat to freedom is just plain naive. And to think that this would root out all of those who are here illegally, what about every other person who is here illegally?
The point is that it doesn't matter what people you single out, you're still going to be taking away their right to be in this country. You need to remember the reasons settlers first came to this country, that was to have freedom of religion, freedom to privacy and freedom from oppression, all of which Mr. Deeter's letter states we should take away from Arab-Americans.
So I have one last question for Mr. Deeter, it is: "What brand do you want on your ---?"
Amber L. Kramer
Warsaw
Christian Revival
Editor, Times-Union:God Bless America (please!)
God is not a respecter of persons, that is to say he invented nondiscrimination. He has one way to be right with him. The Bible, God's word tells us that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Therefore he commands all men everywhere (that's everybody) to repent of their sins and come to him through faith in Christ. Christians are taught to pray for those who know not the Lord God of heaven.
The idea that we should have separation of church and state did not come from God. In the Bible, the son of God told a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus he must be born again through him. Also, a black government official from Ethiopia heard about salvation through Jesus from an evangelist. And a white man named Cornelius, a Roman military leader, had God's plan of redemption preached to him. These three men represent all three major races on the planet.
We need to stop apologizing to the world for the faith of Jesus Christ. Our dear President Bush has recently stated that terrorists dishonor the Koran and Islam. Sorry, Islam, your religion is vain. This is the record, that God has given to us eternal life and his life is in his son. He that has the son has life and he that has not the son of God has not life. Period. No discrimination there, God's plan for all men is repentance toward God and faith toward his son, Jesus Christ.
All men have a free will to choose their beliefs. But Jesus is God, not just a messenger. He said that he is the way, the truth and the life and that no man comes to God the father but by him. Some say that he is too narrow, but God says that is globally diverse and all inclusive, the essence of nondiscrimination.
Human government was intended to be run in the fear of God. Since ours is not in many ways, the U.S. government allows the legal murder of babies in the womb every day. In two days as many babies are aborted in the USA as the number of people killed in the attack on the World Trade Center. The babies thought they were safe in the womb, much as the people in New York thought they were safe in the workplace. But then death came suddenly. Abortion is legalized terrorism and all terrorism is an awful crime.
My prayer for America is revival of the Christian faith, the old-fashioned Bible values upon which "one nation under God" was established. Jesus is the savior of all who call upon him. He is coming soon, trust him today.
Rick Wagner
Pierceton
Flag Theft
Editor, Times-Union:Questions for the person who stole my American flag:
On Sept. 11, after the second plane hit the World Trade Center, I put up my American flag. I lit it and kept it up 24 hours a day to honor all the innocent people who had just died and their friends and families. I don't know how many American flags you stole. I live on the north side of Center Street, close to downtown. It was a beautiful 4-foot by 6-foot American flag. I had flown my American flag for years. I woke up one morning and let my dog out. To my horror, my American flag was gone. I hope it makes you happy to know it made me physically ill. Now I can't even find a new one to fly. Now I have no way to express my patriotism to the country I love nor honor the many dead heroes.
1. Why steal the flag of your home country? Have you no patriotism, no honor to your home or adopted country?
2. Did you have the audacity to then fly your stolen symbol of the American way?
3. Did you destroy or degrade the American flag?
4. And finally, how can you sleep when so many people just died for this country and you have nothing to do but degrade the symbol of your homeland?
In my mind, you are as warped as the Taliban. You are one of those who are the blight of this world - a small minority who wants to stifle the vast majority's right to express themselves. You should be forced to live with the Taliban. Be forced to live in a country where you have no individual rights. Where fanatics tell you what you can and can't do or believe in.
God bless America, but I doubt he is blessing you right now. How can you possibly feel proud being such an unpatriotic American?
Peter Holtz
Warsaw
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- Appalled - Screening Arabs - Christian Revival - Flag Theft
Appalled
Editor, Times-Union:In reply to "Screening Arabs" by George W. Deeter 9-24-2001:
I am appalled at Mr. Deeter's suggestion to single out Arabs. Not only is such an idea morally reprehensible, it is short-sighted. If we are to stand any hope of finding terrorists already in the United States, it will come from within the Arab-American community. They can speak the language and recognize people who may be planning further attacks. Most naturalized citizens are far better Americans than we natives. They had to understand our form of government, learn our history and take a test to gain the name American. Most love America more, because they understand the freedoms we enjoy. They lived in a place without freedom. The attack on America has hurt Arab-Americans even more than the rest of the nation, because they are now suffering discrimination, suspicion, and fear of their neighbors as well as fear of further attacks.
We must keep things in perspective. At Pearl Harbor, most of our Pacific Fleet was destroyed. Yet six months later we had cracked the Japanese codes, and two years later, the Japanese were in retreat. As Yamamoto said, they "had awakened a terrible and sleeping giant." That is all the terrorists have done - they have awakened a giant who will crush them. The number of terrorists among us is small - at most in the hundreds. Even if there were thousands, they would still be an infinitesimally small percentage of the Muslims in our country. As President Bush has wisely said, we are not at war with Islam, nor fellow Americans with dark skin or Arabic sounding names, nor those who wear "funny" clothes. Since Sept. 11 we have already rounded up over 300 suspects, and many of the leads have come from the Arab community. We do not need to turn away from our national ideals to solve this problem.
Mr. Deeter points to our internment of the Japanese as a good idea. It was wrong then and it is wrong today. The idea is foreign to all American ideals. Hitler started his persecution of Jews with "identity badges" - yellow stars. "The Night of Broken Glass" followed, in which Jews throughout Germany were attacked by their neighbors. It is both wrong and useless. How difficult would it be to forge an identity card or pin?
I have no problem with the idea of a national identity card such as Mr. Deeter proposes for ALL Americans. It might prove helpful in many law enforcement situations. This would be an infringement of our freedoms, and perhaps we need to consider whether this would now be prudent. But if we are to move in that direction, it must be for ALL of us. One of the most encouraging results of the attack is the way Americans have helped each other in the wake of the tragedy. We need to nurture such responses. We need to fight against those ideas which seek to divide us. Mr. Deeter's idea is a bad one. If we move down that road, then the terrorists have won.
Joe Conlon
Teacher at Warsaw Community High School
Warsaw
via e-mail
Screening Arabs
Editor, Times-Union:I have a few comments about Mr. Deeter's letter in Monday's paper.
First of all, I would like to know what country his family comes from. Unless he's Native American (which Deeter does not strike me as a NA name), he has no right to think that we can take the civil liberties, on which this nation was founded, away from any American citizen, regardless of former nationality or religion.
As to the process by which he recommends "screening Arabs," it reminds me of cattle branding.
Telling them that in order to stay in this country they need to disclose every last tidbit of information about themselves and their heritage takes their right to privacy away from them (which, unless I dreamed it up, was a founding reason for this country).
As for his likening this to the Japanese during WWII, there are many differences. One is that we were then at war with a nation that declared war on us, not a group of gutless cowards who attack civilians and then run and hide without taking responsibility. Not that that can ever excuse our behavior to Japanese-Americans, which we mistreated in those internment camps.
As for his crudeness in saying that Arab-Americans would "proudly" carry a card or wear a pin that shows people who they are, I would like to know how he would like to have every ounce of his humility taken from him and if he would "proudly" carry a card or wear a pin to show every person that he crosses paths with.
If he thinks that Arab-Americans need to be treated this way, they why stop there. My descent is mainly German, you better brand me because I could be a Nazi. You better brand every Russian-American as a communist, every Italian-American as being part of the Mafia and every South American-American as a drug lord.
To think that Arab-Americans are the only people who could be a threat to freedom is just plain naive. And to think that this would root out all of those who are here illegally, what about every other person who is here illegally?
The point is that it doesn't matter what people you single out, you're still going to be taking away their right to be in this country. You need to remember the reasons settlers first came to this country, that was to have freedom of religion, freedom to privacy and freedom from oppression, all of which Mr. Deeter's letter states we should take away from Arab-Americans.
So I have one last question for Mr. Deeter, it is: "What brand do you want on your ---?"
Amber L. Kramer
Warsaw
Christian Revival
Editor, Times-Union:God Bless America (please!)
God is not a respecter of persons, that is to say he invented nondiscrimination. He has one way to be right with him. The Bible, God's word tells us that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Therefore he commands all men everywhere (that's everybody) to repent of their sins and come to him through faith in Christ. Christians are taught to pray for those who know not the Lord God of heaven.
The idea that we should have separation of church and state did not come from God. In the Bible, the son of God told a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus he must be born again through him. Also, a black government official from Ethiopia heard about salvation through Jesus from an evangelist. And a white man named Cornelius, a Roman military leader, had God's plan of redemption preached to him. These three men represent all three major races on the planet.
We need to stop apologizing to the world for the faith of Jesus Christ. Our dear President Bush has recently stated that terrorists dishonor the Koran and Islam. Sorry, Islam, your religion is vain. This is the record, that God has given to us eternal life and his life is in his son. He that has the son has life and he that has not the son of God has not life. Period. No discrimination there, God's plan for all men is repentance toward God and faith toward his son, Jesus Christ.
All men have a free will to choose their beliefs. But Jesus is God, not just a messenger. He said that he is the way, the truth and the life and that no man comes to God the father but by him. Some say that he is too narrow, but God says that is globally diverse and all inclusive, the essence of nondiscrimination.
Human government was intended to be run in the fear of God. Since ours is not in many ways, the U.S. government allows the legal murder of babies in the womb every day. In two days as many babies are aborted in the USA as the number of people killed in the attack on the World Trade Center. The babies thought they were safe in the womb, much as the people in New York thought they were safe in the workplace. But then death came suddenly. Abortion is legalized terrorism and all terrorism is an awful crime.
My prayer for America is revival of the Christian faith, the old-fashioned Bible values upon which "one nation under God" was established. Jesus is the savior of all who call upon him. He is coming soon, trust him today.
Rick Wagner
Pierceton
Flag Theft
Editor, Times-Union:Questions for the person who stole my American flag:
On Sept. 11, after the second plane hit the World Trade Center, I put up my American flag. I lit it and kept it up 24 hours a day to honor all the innocent people who had just died and their friends and families. I don't know how many American flags you stole. I live on the north side of Center Street, close to downtown. It was a beautiful 4-foot by 6-foot American flag. I had flown my American flag for years. I woke up one morning and let my dog out. To my horror, my American flag was gone. I hope it makes you happy to know it made me physically ill. Now I can't even find a new one to fly. Now I have no way to express my patriotism to the country I love nor honor the many dead heroes.
1. Why steal the flag of your home country? Have you no patriotism, no honor to your home or adopted country?
2. Did you have the audacity to then fly your stolen symbol of the American way?
3. Did you destroy or degrade the American flag?
4. And finally, how can you sleep when so many people just died for this country and you have nothing to do but degrade the symbol of your homeland?
In my mind, you are as warped as the Taliban. You are one of those who are the blight of this world - a small minority who wants to stifle the vast majority's right to express themselves. You should be forced to live with the Taliban. Be forced to live in a country where you have no individual rights. Where fanatics tell you what you can and can't do or believe in.
God bless America, but I doubt he is blessing you right now. How can you possibly feel proud being such an unpatriotic American?
Peter Holtz
Warsaw
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