why are Americans called racist if we tend to watch our neighbors that who are mostly Muslims more after 9/11?
399442
Don't we like to keep a watch on your house, our possessions.. so why not our country? \nAnd why are people complaining, if they have no hidden agenda !
586182
As an American who about five years ago moved from her home country I may be able to put some light on this in general. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say in my case. Number one you may have answered a big part of it when you said we need to know more than what we see on television. Many many people get their ideas about things that way.  Not purposely of course. You don't sit and watch tv and conciously decide this is how it is but subconciously you can't really help it if you are subjected to it constantly.\n\nI was born a into a middle class american family in the last year of the fifties and was raised in school saying the pledge of allgience every day.  Singing God bless america blah blah blah.America is such a big country that it is almost too easy to forget there is " the rest of the world " out there.  About five years ago I moved to England to marry an English man and I have to say that so many of my beliefs have changed.  I have learned so much more about other peoples lives and their past.  I know that ENgland is another western country so I realize that it isn't so different however I do come into contact with people from so many different places here. Where I work my first best friend was from India. She was so sweet and so very intelligent. She learned what we did a lot quicker than I did even though english was her second language and she had to help me several times. I work with many many young muslim people and they are the nices group of kids. They are much more respectful than many others I have known. ANd just because I have always loved people we get a lot of conversations and I find out that very few of them agree that the terrorist things we have seen are right.\n\nI will not say that I understand and agree with everything I hear but you know what facinating thing I did learn.  That just because someone is from America doesn't automatically mean that what they say, believe or promote is right.  And ironically I meet some of those people here that automatcically hate me because I am american.  When I first moved here that was so hard but now I understand. It is no different than the average person hating "muslims" because of Bin laden.\n\nI dont' know if I answered your questions or not. I may have understood it on a different level than you meant but what I got was that  Americans gave an inflated sense of country, that they are the best, almost like why can't everyone else see if they would just do what the americans want every thing would be ok lol.  It is because we were raised thinking that was true and until something happened in our lives to question that we didn't know.\n\nThe thing about God bless america, I have to say my husband and I joke all the time.  When I am on my high horse he will say ( again him being English) oh yeah, I forgot God blesses america and I respond, only when he isn't busy saving the Queen :)\n\nPeace\nChristina
1073505
I agree that it "Islamic Terrorism" is a misnomer since the terrorists are motivated on the basis of political considerations rather than purely religious ones. Also, you are right to point out that when Christians commit hate crimes, they are not labeled "Christian Terrorists" but instead are looked upon as a single freak outlaw or as political activists. I also agree that Americans are largely ignorant of the beliefs and practices of the average Muslim and are therefore very easily convinced that Islam is a violent religion when the truth is that all the monotheistic religions are capable of inciting violence in their believers. However, I think you are wrong to blame this on the so-called brain-washing of "Jews who have tremendous hold over the mdeia - electronic and print - in the U.S." This comment shows that you are just as prone to believe in stereotypes, thereby misinterpreting and overstating the influence of Jews, as Americans, or for that matter, the people of any other nation are.\n\nA closed-minded xenophobe is a closed-minded xenophobe, and politically-motivated paranoia is politically-motivated paranoia. Your efforts to shift the blame wrongly placed on the Muslims to the Jews is transparent and unfair. No nation, no religion, no people has a monopoly on innocence and goodness, nor on evil and self-serving hypocrisy, for that matter.
329430
Because no matter what country, what race, or what situation, there will always be racists. Please remember that most Americans are not racist. I think the problem is that all of us who accept people for whomever they are don't walk up and tell you how much we accept it, because it doesn't occur to us that it would stand out as a problem to someone else. The racists are very vocal and will try to make you feel bad. I'm sorry you get treated this way.
970203
I'm sorry that you feel that way - nobody should feel like he or she is being discriminated against.  I think that most people don't feel anger toward the Muslim world, but they feel terrified of some of the leaders/ex-leaders of nations in the Arab world (Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, etc).  Ever since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, people have associated terrorism with the Arab world, and I completely agree that some have made unfounded generalizations towards Muslim people and people of Arab nations; however, it is a known fact that there are some groups in Arab countries that threaten the U.S. and feel/have felt for many years hostility towards the U.S. and other "Western Civilizations," so I think that many Americans, because of their intense fear, group all Arab countries/groups together, which is obviously not right.
729741
Nobody likes to think that "their guy" (Bush), the guy they voted for can do anything wrong especially when it comes to the war on terror and because most Americans don't have a clue about the Middle East or Iraqi politics it's very easy for them to understand Bush's very basic comments "stay the course, cut & run, fight'em over their not here", etc...) and after 9/11 everybody wants revenge and since Muslims caused 9/11 (still amazes me that Americans don't realize that most of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia) Muslims must pay whether they have WMDs or terrorists in their country or not.  War is not about the truth it's about winning and that's it.  There are no rules (Bush thru the Geneva convention out the door) just life and death and people will do anything they can to survive even if it means lying and this includes Bush.
25304
In general, it can lead to awkward situations.  A middle eastern terrorist will most likely to not be wearing robes when they commit a terrorist act on US soil.  \n\nIn certain situations, it can work to a community's benefit.  For instance, in poor communities, seeing a decked out cadillac with rims that cost more than the car itself... Yeah, whomever is driving that car is likely to be associated with drugs, albeit regardless of race.  \n\nDriving while black is a term that should be backed up by numbers.  Otherwise it will fuel a fallacy that makes us all look bad.  That then leads to reverse racism: Attributing tribulations to racism rather than the real cause.  For example Hurricane Katrina.  Kayne West's "Bush hates black people" is an example of reverse racism.  Statements like that only hurts us all.
790558
I'm not sure if its a pattern, but Its definitely NOT NEW. Every country back in the past 300 or so years had at least one immigration issue stemming from the difficulty of a few immigrants to assimilate, and unfortunately due to typical human insecurity and prejudice this expands into racism and hate. The Jews in Europe are one of the more famous cases of this (yes there was hate of jews even before but it expanded considerably in the last 200-300 years), The US also had it with Germans and Asians in the pre-World War I/II years. In the end though in most of the cases the affected countries end up surviving the so-called "invasion".\n\nIts the same today... a few scum Hispanics defy US culture, then certain "Americans" take this to mean ALL Hispanics defy the USA. In Europe some radical Muslims make trouble and this results into a general prejudice against Muslims. However since this is today (not 50 or even 200 years ago) and the circumstances are different with new ideas like multiculturalism (which ironically increases ethnocentrism in some quarters)... so no one really knows 100% what the outcome of these issues are.
588449
There will always be people who "hate" those who are different  from them.  The French and the English, the Blacks and the Whites.  It happens in many countries all over the world.  The Sunis and the Shiaas, the Democrats and the Republicans.\n\nSo it doesn't seem that it is necessary to specify "Americans" here.  As long as people have differences that they don't fully understand, there will be a level of discomfort and possibly hatred.\n\nAnd for the record, Americans ARE black people, hispanics, whites, and all others, so am I to assume that you really mean "Why do SOME WHITE Americans hate people who are not white?" (because you can't "hate on" someone.  That isn't how the verb works).
392385
9/11 has given the leaders of the US an excuse to heighten in another era of fear.  Every day they tell us to fear - fear the terrorists, fear the immigrants, fear natural disasters, etc.  I am surrounded by people who are just plain scared, and that is very sad.  We are told that people who want to kill us for being Americans are everywhere, behind every rock. This is just not a happy situation to be in.  The only way to be happy is to realize most of it is not true.  \nAnother thing I've seen is that people are no longer allowed to criticize the government or point out any flaws that might exist without being labled as "anti-American" or "pro-terrorists."  We are being told by Bush and others that if we are not with him, we are against America.  This is just sick and wrong.  I live in the South and if I even mention that there are things I am uncomfortable with in our government, I get all kinds of angry responses.  I have friends who are teachers in the public schools who can't even mention that America has flaws without getting angry responses from parents and administration.  The US is truly worse off after 9/11, but not because of 9/11 itself.  It's because of how our leaders have reacted to 9/11.
313664
You have to understand, friend, that people are ignorant. An no, not just Americans either. We as humans just have simple and one-tracked minds. Some more seriously than others.\nWhen it comes to the Israel thing, I have a good friend from Egypt, but she looks African America (Black). Mind you, she's beautiful. When people see her, they smile, guys buy her drinks, really hang on her tit like she's so fine. Then when she says that she's Muslim, cats get nervous. I understand it, because I'm Christian. And listening to most American Christians, post-911 mind you, they are really delicate when it comes to Middle Easterners, believing they had hands in US terrorist attacks. But remember, turning the other cheek and ignoring stupid people is a much more powerful jester than to reply with anything else.
407736
I can't explain everyone else's reactions to Arabic and Muslim people, but I for one strive to treat Arabs no differently than anyone else.\n\nYou have only to look at the U.S.'s continued history of racial tension (and that goes BOTH ways, folks--whites prejudiced against blacks and BLACKS prejudiced against whites... it happens!) to realize that, sadly, not everyone feels the same.
216614
A part of the reason is that American society still has racist messages and ideas floating around in it and showing up in the media (TV, magazines, the internet, etc).  Some of these things people don't even realize are racist.  Some members of racial/ethnic minority groups (African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans) internalize these racist ideas and use them against members of their own race or ethnicity who they believe are not "American" enough or not "ethnic" enough.  \n\nTo put it in simple terms, people start to believe racist messages from the media and from other people.  Sometimes without realizing it, people increase racism by being racist against others of their own race because of their ideas about what a "true American" should be like or what a "true African American (etc.)" should be like.
875378
the reason why people were rude to "justme" was cuz those people were americans n a lot of people dont like to be accused of bein racist.
898501
Isn't it racist to say that it's just Americans who are racist?
989000
Well, why do muslims hate Americans and they don't even know who they are? :) \n\n1st off, that's generalizing. \n\n2nd off, at least we don't have big huge billboards and signs everywhere saying "Down with (insert muslim country here)!" like they do in Iran about the U.S.A. \n\nAnd lastly, I have no problem with muslims. Only the fanatics that decide to blow themselves up and fly planes into buildings.
215371
Living in america u only get to hear one side of the story. the people over there r pissed off. what wud u do if some other country came into america n told u how to live ur life n run ur country? i am a muslim n lemme tell u, "terrorism" is not part of islam. islam literally means peace. the "terrorists" r a small group of idiots that believe they r true muslilms but all they do is give the rest of the muslims a very bad name. jus like the other guy that answered u was sayin how islamic countries do terrorise the world. this fool's obviously ignorant to the topic. just do some research goin bak to the late 70's early 80's. you'll see y osama bin laden is so pissed off at us... hope that helps... peace