Community Chat

[Topaz Gem]

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@Marp wrote:

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@dex wrote:

no China I don't mean people with mental health problems but people that don't like us and what we stand for.

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Uh, have you been paying attention to the news for the past oh, let's say a little more than eight years now?  There are as many natural born American citizens, seemingly mostly in their 40s and up, that don't like many of us or what we stand for.  Are they included in your "those that don't melt" ?

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@Marp wrote:

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@dex wrote:

no China I don't mean people with mental health problems but people that don't like us and what we stand for.

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Uh, have you been paying attention to the news for the past oh, let's say a little more than eight years now?  There are as many natural born American citizens, seemingly mostly in their 40s and up, that don't like many of us or what we stand for.  Are they included in your "those that don't melt" ?

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Pretending that our current threat is something other than it is, is of no value to anyone.  Of course there are bad people from all races and we should be diligent, but there is a trend in our current age, where the majority of evil is coming from a particular region of the world.  They are part of a movement that is spreading rapidly all over the planet.  To be so politically correct that you cannot acknowledge this is foolish, IMO.

[Marp]

I am neither foolish nor naive but to condemn more than a billion people because of their religious belief or half a billion people because of where they came from, along with who knows how many others of "middle eastern" descent that live outside the ME is beyond absurd.

Are we to be equally afraid of people from around the world, including those from the U.S. and our European ally countries, that convert to Islam in a given year (estimated to be over 5,000 a year in Briton alone)?

If we continue to look at every man, woman and child that are followers of Islam and/or every man, woman and child whose heritage is "middle eastern" as a terrorist and treat them as such we are legitimizing what the extremists are using as part of their recruitment arsenal.

All Muslims and all middle easterners are not the enemy. The true enemy is a relatively small group of fanatics that has been remarkably successful in recruiting followers.

Our worries would be better placed trying to figure out why they are so successful and fix the underlying problems than ignoring the cause and condemning everyone that fits a particular profile.

[dex]

Topaz gem..you said it best.That is evactly what I am worried about

[Topaz Gem]

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@Marp wrote:

I am neither foolish nor naive but to condemn more than a billion people because of their religious belief or half a billion people because of where they came from, along with who knows how many others of "middle eastern" descent that live outside the ME is beyond absurd.

Are we to be equally afraid of people from around the world, including those from the U.S. and our European ally countries, that convert to Islam in a given year (estimated to be over 5,000 a year in Briton alone)?

If we continue to look at every man, woman and child that are followers of Islam and/or every man, woman and child whose heritage is "middle eastern" as a terrorist and treat them as such we are legitimizing what the extremists are using as part of their recruitment arsenal.

All Muslims and all middle easterners are not the enemy. The true enemy is a relatively small group of fanatics that has been remarkably successful in recruiting followers.

Our worries would be better placed trying to figure out why they are so successful and fix the underlying problems than ignoring the cause and condemning everyone that fits a particular profile.

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Honestly, Marp, I don't know anyone who condemns ALL Muslims.  Most of us in the working world work with a very diverse population and many of us have friends of the Muslim faith.

But like in the San Bernadino tragedy, the victims worked alongside this Muslim man for 5 years, yet he turned on them in an instant.  This is why people are skeptical, Marp.  It's not bigotry, but how could you work alongside someone, go to lunch with them, work on projects, give the couple baby shower gifts, then at a holiday party, watch him re-enter the room with a machine gun?  How can you wrap your mind around such a thing?  This is happening more and more and people don't know how to handle it.

One of the 9/11 terrorists was a friendly, neighborhood kind of guy that took all the neighborhood kids to soccer practice and to other activities.  You'd think you could trust someone like that, right?  For him to fly a plane into a building after that is inconceivable to most of us, yet this kind of thing happens over and over.

It's time we take this seriously.

[MaggieMack]

Marp, what you write makes sense on many levels. In a perfect world. Pew Research did a polling study in 2013 asking Muslims around the world if attacks on civilians were justified. Globally, 72% said the were not; in the U.S., 81% said they were not justified. It's that remaining 19% that cause us to worry.

[Bird mama]

Yes, it's called active shooter here

[SydneyH]

There are these type of drills in public schools, have been for quite some time.....

[Snowpuppy]

I am required to take Actve Shooter training 2x a year for my job so this is nothing new to me.

For those who are interested, search the title and include Houston PD on youtube. Considered the best training video out there for non professionals.

While some here may not work, consider if you head to the malls, etc.

[Reba055]

No one is going to like this comment but here goes.  We need to stop worrying about being politically correct and raising a bunch of self entitled, whining, idiots. There are exceptions of course, some fabulous young people. 

People need to feel like they can speak up without being attacked by the PC group. I'm sorry, but people don't just go crazy one day and shoot up a school or church. SOMEONE has to notice the strange behavior, mood swings, ramblings, or sudden social withdrawal. We have to get back to looking out for each other. Kids and other people need to realize that there are consequences for your actions and that you are responsible to society. Enough of the excuses. Everyone is entitled to be odd, but you are also not exempt from being noticed, questioned, for that behavior. I'm not saying that the gang mentality is acceptable either. Some people are "odd" , but lately it has become almost vogue to see how weird you can be to stand out. We have to get back to common decency. 

This whole thing of I have a right to act however I want and everyone has to accept it is just wrong. We were raised to treat everyone like we would expect to be treated. Respect. But I don't have to agree with you, your lifestyle, or choices, and coddle you. 

Parents, stop making excuses for your children. Stop letting your kids run all over you.  Teach them values and work ethic. Make them face consequences for their actions. Stop giving them everything they want. Make them work for things. Instill at a young age that you expect them to be educated and excel. If your child is struggling, seek help. 

[Marp]

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@Topaz Gem wrote:

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@Marp wrote:

I am neither foolish nor naive but to condemn more than a billion people because of their religious belief or half a billion people because of where they came from, along with who knows how many others of "middle eastern" descent that live outside the ME is beyond absurd.

Are we to be equally afraid of people from around the world, including those from the U.S. and our European ally countries, that convert to Islam in a given year (estimated to be over 5,000 a year in Briton alone)?

If we continue to look at every man, woman and child that are followers of Islam and/or every man, woman and child whose heritage is "middle eastern" as a terrorist and treat them as such we are legitimizing what the extremists are using as part of their recruitment arsenal.

All Muslims and all middle easterners are not the enemy. The true enemy is a relatively small group of fanatics that has been remarkably successful in recruiting followers.

Our worries would be better placed trying to figure out why they are so successful and fix the underlying problems than ignoring the cause and condemning everyone that fits a particular profile.

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Honestly, Marp, I don't know anyone who condemns ALL Muslims.  Most of us in the working world work with a very diverse population and many of us have friends of the Muslim faith.

But like in the San Bernadino tragedy, the victims worked alongside this Muslim man for 5 years, yet he turned on them in an instant.  This is why people are skeptical, Marp.  It's not bigotry, but how could you work alongside someone, go to lunch with them, work on projects, give the couple baby shower gifts, then at a holiday party, watch him re-enter the room with a machine gun?  How can you wrap your mind around such a thing?  This is happening more and more and people don't know how to handle it.

One of the 9/11 terrorists was a friendly, neighborhood kind of guy that took all the neighborhood kids to soccer practice and to other activities.  You'd think you could trust someone like that, right?  For him to fly a plane into a building after that is inconceivable to most of us, yet this kind of thing happens over and over.

It's time we take this seriously.

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Topaz, your points are well made and well taken in regard to working and living side-by-side with someone that turns out to be a mass murderer but the difference is that many, many people are condemning an entire population because of the actions of a few and that is a relatively new phenomenon.

When Sandy Hook occurred did people start fearing every young white male or looking at every young white male with suspicion?  Did we do that after the Colorado theater shootings?  Did we do that after OKC?  No, we sought reasons and ways to prevent another occurrence but what we did not do was fear and cast aspersions and suspicion on a particular segment of society because while your friend, neighbor or coworker appears to be "perfectly normal" they might go on a killing spree.

Why the change now?  Why are we fearing an entire population instead of seeking answers to help prevent others from being radicalized?  Why are we not looking at our own youth (with and without conversion) that are attempting to join ISIS or going to these countries to fight with ISIS?

There are no clear answers but I firmly believe that isolating and fearing and be suspicious of people just because of heritage or religion does nothing more than fan the flames of extremism.