Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness... For Some

In response to the hate-crimes and prejudices carried out against Americans of Arabic descent (evocative of the actions taken against Japanese-Americans during WWII), most of us would say, "Of course it's wrong to discriminate, of course we would not want to place Arab-Americans in internment camps." But what do we do when airlines remove people from planes because they bear a slight resemblance to the terrorists of Sept. 11 and the passengers feel "uncomfortable" as a result? Even though we are in the middle of a traumatic time, even though it is understandable to be cautious, when our fellow human beings face discrimination, we must not be guilty of silent complicity. Search our bags, ask us questions, but when we step through the metal detector, let us relinquish the prejudices along with the nail clippers and fold-up scissors. And if the airlines order Arab-Americans off the planes, let us all walk off with them. (By the by, many Americans of Arabic descent have pale skin and don't wear turbans. My great-grandparents were Jews from Syria and Egypt. Often, people think the name "Farida" is Italian. It is actually Arabic, and means "unique.")