Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
It could happen here
And it did, of course. See: Japanese internment camps. The Canadians did it, too.
Big snip from a superb Daily Kos diary by Rock Strongo:
On Sunday afternoon, Washington, DC radio host Jerry Klein of WMAL was commenting on the Muslim Imams kicked off a flight. Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.
Among the callers:
“Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country … they are here to kill us.”
and:
Another said that tattoos, armbands and other identifying markers such as crescent marks on driver’s licenses, passports and birth certificates did not go far enough. “What good is identifying them?” he asked. “You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans.”
Finally a half hour into his show, Klien revealed the game:
“I can’t believe any of you are sick enough to have agreed for one second with anything I said. For me to suggest to tattoo marks on people’s bodies, have them wear armbands, put a crescent moon on their driver’s license on their passport or birth certificate is disgusting. It’s beyond disgusting.
Because basically what you just did was show me how the German people allowed what happened to the Jews to happen … We need to separate them, we need to tattoo their arms, we need to make them wear the yellow Star of David, we need to put them in concentration camps, we basically just need to kill them all because they are dangerous.”
Recently, I asked one of our docs if he had to fend off any prejudice. His response (paraphrasing): “Hey, I’m Syrian. So few Americans even know where Syria is.” While I’m delighted he doesn’t have to deal with racist BS — he’s a helluva nice guy and a top-notch doctor, and he really doesn’t deserve any BS — I know that our government knows where Syria is, and they doubtless know where he is. My friend may be safe from local prejudice, but is he safe from our government?
It could happen here. It could happen again. Based on Jerry Klein’s callers, lots of folks are itching to see it happen again. And all it would take is another 9/11.
Sorry . . . but I’m in a pensive mood, thanks to booboo’s hate mail. See comments to the Hanukkah meme, below.
D.
Do you ever listen to or watch Democracy Now, on Pacifica radio/TV? Last week Amy Goodman interviewed two of the imams detained from the US Air flight, as well as Jeremy Mayfield.
The interviews are all archived, if you haven’t listened and are interested. http://www.democracynow.org/browsebydate.pl
Sorry about the double post, clicked too soon.
I meant to include: I’m taking an Arabic language class. The instructor is Syrian, and she has fascinating things to share about what’s going on there now. She was in Damascus this summer when floods of refugees were arriving from Lebanon in addition to the steady stream from Iraq. But I bring this up here because I receive very strange looks and comments from everyone on the rare occasion when it comes up in conversation. Why would I want to learn that, wouldn’t something else be more useful? Am I going to be a terrorist after I’ve finished? Am I going to convert to Islam?
WTF? First, how is that anyone’s business re: Islam? Second, are all Arabic speakers terrorists in the minds of Americans?
jaysus…if those callers were serious, then i am ashamed to live here. dammit.
i wish i could move to canada.
but its too cold there.
hmmm…
Yes, we did do it. And people who think it couldn’t happen here should read a little bit about what happened.
Things are definitely out of hand. Let’s hope that history does not repeat itself in this country.
Once, I got this chain letter email that was just chock-full of hate speech and anger towards Muslims. Ninety-percent of it incorrect information (of course). I re-wrote the damn thing with the correct information and sent that out to every person who’d gotten the first email. And of course some neo-conservative dork wanted to dispute everything.
But you know. Some people just aren’t happy unless they have a scapegoat–it makes their own sad lives just a little bit more manageable, I suppose.
I decided a long time ago to be the change I wish to see in the world and not worry about fools who like it to stay the way it is. People can just be so dumb, sometimes.
And if I were Empress of the World, I would tattoo DUMBASS to all those people’s heads.
Thanks, folks. Shaina, you’re in that university bubble right now — most everyone you meet is enlightened and liberal. Wait until you get out into the real world.
jmc, thanks for the link — I’ll check it out.
Amy, you have my vote for Empress 🙂
When I was in eighth grade we read a short story about a young girl and her best friend in the Japanese camps, but I can’t remember the name of it, was it The Gold Necklace? The Gold Earring? The Red Diary? I just cannot remember, but I did remember liking it a lot and it shocked me to discover the USA had these camps. anyone??
I’m off to read the previous comments….
Lots of nice, friendly little bubbles out there–we live in one. Nearly everyone we know is educated and liberal, and the few conservatives are thoughtful and tolerant. (the AMEDD is a hotbed of pinko commies, but the army has trouble keeping them, so they ignore it) It’s tempting to extrapolate our experience to the rest of the military, or the rest of America, but stories like this keep us grounded.
Lots of great posts this week, btw. I’m having a heck of a time keeping up.