Hello from New York

[Gio]

Eudora, please don't believe what you heard. Any country with a multi ethnic population is bound to have some racial tension sometimes, and there is good and bad everywhere. The United States have given opportunities to people coming from all over the world. You cannot call the surname of mayor of New York, just to make an example of someone who has been in the news a lot lately, a typical American name . When we joined Pet Talk noone asked what colour, religion we were. Personally, I was always made to feel more than welcome.

Unfortunately racist acts get in the news, good things very rarely do.

PS Thelma I'm so happy that you are OK, I didn't post before but that doesn't mean I was not thinking of the people of pet talk living in the hit areas

[ September 14, 2001: Message edited by: Gio ]

[3-greys-and-a-mutt]

We have a beautiful mosque in one of Toledo's outlying communities. Yesterday, someone drove past it on the expressway, and fired a rifle shot into it's window. No one was physically injured, but I'd imagine that, if I were a Moslim U.S. citizen, I'd be afraid of these sick attacks of counter-terrorism.

Where was it first said the violence begets violence?

[Paul]

   Eudora, the United States has more than 285,000,000 people spread over
9,158,960 square kilometers. As a nation I don't think we are a racist nation.
It certainly seems like people from every nation on earth have prospered
and do prosper in the US. Although, I am sure we have millions of people who have done
extremely bad things and I know we also have millions of people who do extremely good things.

[wolflady]

Paul, I know what you mean. A friend of mine and I were talking about this today at lunch. I thought it amazing at how it seems like so many people have come together during this time of crises. Hospitals are swamped and making appointments for the hundreds of thousands of blood donors Someone mentioned earlier that there seemed to be less road rage. Stuff like this I have noticed. I've seen the good in humankind. But I've also seen the bad. People are taking advantage of other people's vulnerability, and calling in fake bomb threats. Others are looting. Still others are taking advantage of kindness over the phone with scams. Here in California, a bag of pigs blood was thrown at a Muslim center. It makes me sick that there are people out there that do such unkind acts...especially during a time like this. It's never mattered to me where a person was from, or what their religious or cultural background is. We are all human beings. I'm sure our Muslim american friends and arabic american friends are as upset about this as we are, and we shouldn't associate them with the terrorists, just because of where they are from or from their religious background.
Eudora, Paul is right. I don't think as a nation we are racist, but there are always bad people in the world wherever you go. I think America is a very good and open and free place. After all, people come from all around the world to settle here. It's a big accomplishment for them!

[4 feline house]

Eudora - no, America is not racist, some Americans are racist. Just like Singapore is not racist, but some Singaporeans are (is that the right term?). Just like Great Britain is not racist, but some Brits are.

Gio - Well, there really is no "American" name except such like Greyeagle or Whitewolf. But then those peoples and their names existed centuries before "America" did.

Well, there are a few truly "American" names, made up at Ellis Island by clerks too ignorant or lazy to copy down the real name - our former Vice President Spiro Agnew had just such a name. But those are few and far between.