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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Stranger Still
Stranger Still
To the editor: I was shocked and deeply saddened to see that in the article titled “Strangers in their Homeland” (Sept. 5, 2002) depicted a woman wearing the flag draped over her head.
A great deal of this country’s young men and women fought and died for that flag, and to have it used and abused in such a manner as it was used is not only an insult but a sad commentary on the lack of respect and reverence for such a symbol of freedom. A sad day indeed when that symbol is used as nothing more than a headdress.
Bill Rinehart
Arlington
To the editor: Your lead article, “Strangers in their Homeland,” calls for a response, but what sort of response should it be?
I recall seeing a very American scene at an airport several years ago. There were three generations of women, presumably Muslim. Grandma was dressed in full ethnic costume. Mama wore a head scarf, while the daughters could have been any American girls. The generations evolve according to their choices and circumstance.
In this day of multi-cultural and diverse America, tolerance is a national duty and intolerance a grave sin. That should hold true not just for abstract society, the establishment, and the government, but also for each person and population segment. Persons who are strongly intolerant, such as some that author Naureen Shah described, should think of changing either their heads, or their residence country, never mind where they were born.
America may work as well as it does because so many Americans are easygoing, live-and-let-live people. Those Americans can compartmentalize their lives and beliefs. Or, as Jesus (teacher, messenger, prophet, savior — depending on your point of view) said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.”
Dave Olson
Arlington
To the editor: Regarding the outrageous article “Strangers in their Homeland” — I’m so sorry that some Muslims live in fear of internment camps. The poor babies should try going to work in a high-rise building anywhere in America. Or how about the fear of getting on an airplane? Better yet, they should go to Israel and try living in fear of being blown to bits while shopping in the grocery store. Or worrying that your children will come home in body bags after attending a disco dance — how does that feel?
I realize that the majority of Muslims living in America do not condone the terrorist acts on Sept. 11. But not one Muslim interviewed in your article expressed any concern for the victims of that horrible day. Instead, they whine about their imaginary fears of not being able to walk alone on a beach. They whine about the Republican Party ignoring their civil liberties. They equate the U.S. with the old Soviet Union and whine about not being able to talk freely. They whine about having to assimilate into the American culture.
Give me a break and then give them a one-way ticket to Iraq or Iran. Why should we have any sympathy for Muslim Americans who complain about their lack of civil liberties but who “can’t give their allegiance to something or someone that is non-Muslim”? Will they stand up to defend my civil liberties as an American woman? I wouldn’t count on it. How about a Fort Worth Weekly article on the status of human rights in Muslim-ruled countries? You owe it to us after printing this kind of garbage.
Brooke Ligon
Fort Worth
Corrections
•The sodium content of McDonald’s Arch Deluxe is 1,150 milligrams, not grams, as last week’s Metropolis story on the fast-food outlet at John Peter Smith erroneously reported.
•In “Strangers in their Homeland,” (Sept. 5, 2002), facts concerning Asli Parker and her husband were listed incorrectly. She is a Somali-American, and her husband is an American of mixed racial background.
Fort Worth Weekly regrets the errors.
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