It makes me want to cry, even more than exams
(A little LJ homage)
Current Mood: Not really sure
Current Music: The Postal Service - Brand New Colony
Current Mood: Not really sure
Current Music: The Postal Service - Brand New Colony
From the NY Times, this morning:
In U.S., 44 Percent Say Restrict Muslims
ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) -- Nearly half of all Americans believe the U.S. government should restrict the civil liberties of Muslim Americans, according to a nationwide poll.
The survey conducted by Cornell University also found that Republicans and people who described themselves as highly religious were more apt to support curtailing Muslims' civil liberties than Democrats or people who are less religious.
I think this makes it official: we're failing as a nation. I was thinking about it as I was writing my Journalism exam 20 minutes ago, we've come so far in the past two centuries, but there's still so much to do. And it's so easy! To me it all seems so obvious! That's what's frustrating. I really want to sit down with the 44% of Americans and try to understand how their thought process works. Where are these dillusions coming from? Is it the media? The supposedly "liberal" media? Is it our government? I'd say, yes, to an extent. There isn't a congressman in Washington right now who will come out and denounce this sort of thing AND BE HEARD. There are a handful of Representatives (I'm not sure how many Senators), who will and have spoken vehemently against civil liberties abuses and just plain stupid policy. But being against this sort of thing isn't enough. New policy, pro-active policy, rights GIVING policy needs to be created. There are just too many people who don't "get it". Logically, it seems like just a simple explanation is needed, but of course that's not the simple answer. It's a combination of discussion and education, neither of which is being adequately addressed. There are major discrepencies in educational opportunities around the country and Democrats and Republicans can't even sit in the same room without yelling at each other. I don't know what needs to be done, but if anyone figures it out, let me know. I'll do the same.
posted by Mike at 12/18/2004 03:54:00 PM
3 Comments:
Or, it could mean you've been in Madison too long, one of the most liberal campuses in the nation. Could be out of touch? Or, it could mean you'll need to look at the original survey and see if it was worded in such a way to have the results meet the writer's expectations. The Dutch reversed their viewpoints pretty quickly after the deaths of one or two prominent people at the hand of Muslims, and that country is far more liberal than the US.
The part of the article that I was focusing on wasn't the survey results showing that Republicans or those who consider themselves more religious were "more apt to support curtailing Muslims' civil liberties", but just the fact that 44% of all Americans support this. 44% want to restrict the civil liberties of Muslim Americans...not Muslim fundamentalists, not those with suspect backgrounds, not even immigrants (not to imply that these groups should have their civil liberties altered). They are advocating the restriction of freedom based solely on one's religion. While I do live in Madison, that doesn't really have a major impact on my views of social issues. And as for the Dutch, there is absolutely no reason to reverse one's viewpoint on civil liberties based on the actions of a few extremists, be they Muslim or white supremesists. I take issue with those who desire to restrict the rights of innocent fellow americans, be they 44% of the population or 4%. The exact numbers of the survey aren't important, but the sentiment behind them is.
All else aside, Norma, I'm really excited that you posted a response. I didn't know that anyone was reading this yet. I hope this can be a space to openly discuss this kind of thing.
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