Continuing Ted Koppel

Continued from Part 1...

The net effect of this ignorance (or perhaps stupidity depending on how you define the term) is that 25% of those polled from this program would allow the internment of Arab-Americans. That is insane. Internment, en masse, of American citizens based on essentially color of skin was wrong in the 40’s, wrong for Indian reservations, and still wrong today. I know of no argument that can support such a view, with validity, and I equate such a view as the same as those that supported slavery. The difference in thought seems to me to be quite slim. And in doing such an action what is there to stop us from sliding all the way back to slavery?

That 47% responded that Arab Americans ONLY should be required to carry an i.d. card or other form of identification is terrifying. I really would like to see someone explain to me how that is different from the stars that Jews were made to wear in Nazi Germany. Can anyone tell me that if either of these actions were done, that there would not be an expansion. Do you doubt that if these acts were done there wouldn’t come a time where perhaps Mexican Americans would be subjected to the same thing, because they could be illegal aliens. Or to Black African Americans because of high inner-city crime rates, or other Hispanics because they could be both. It’s a slippery slope once you start down this path, and the arguments are all without validity that supports it in my view.

On the other side is the over-reaching of the government. The NSA has and continues to invade the personal privacy of American citizens. My blogs, and posts and everyone who reads them have all been recorded by the NSA. That is a fact, and until the government receives a ruling on its appeal on the Supreme Court ruling, it’s legal. I have no doubt that the government has also looked into my bank account, phone records, ECT. even though that is expressly not legal. But in the same way that I would not want anyone to read my mail, nor any corporation having that information, I do not believe the government should have that much information. And to those that believe that the government should be able to scan all emails, would you let the government read all your written mail? There is no difference in the right to privacy.

Continued in Part 3...