Harmless Fun? Walmart Apologizes to Muslim Woman

[ChadWarner]

Chaps, I really think that American society needs to take a deep breath and step back from the brink of behavioural brittleness. Heaven knows I'm massively in favour of polite and respectful behaviour but people also have to be able to allow some things to flow over them like water off a ducks back.

Honestly, if I'd taken umbridge at every time someone made a joke at the expense of what I looked like or dressed like ...

Now if the chap in question meant to offend that's a different matter.

Well said sir.

 

[SensibleManiac]

I agree this was taken too far. If he would have said something offensive then I could understand, but making a joke and it makes headlines?

This reminds me of the time when voters in Canada called polling stations to advise them that they would be wearing masks to vote. Because it was decided that muslim women who were now citizens, were allowed to vote with their faces covered.
To protest this hundreds of people got together and decided they wanted to vote with their faces covered if it's their right why can't it be ours.
Reasonable accomadation they call it, I don't know if it's reasonable. I have nothing against people practicing their customs and religions but when it starts to affect this society we have to start questioning it.

Another situation I remember is many many years ago (about 11.) I worked security at a building where many muslim people from a particular country would congregate.
Well one day I came in to work and there was this woman all dressed in black from head to toe with even a black see-through material over her eyes so that you couldn't even see her eyes but she could see out. Anyways she was sitting in a chair near the front desk, the guard who was there at the time got her a chair because she was tired and was now waiting for someone to come pick her up.
I'll never forget the looks on the faces of the people passing by. Some were smiles, some were scared. I couldn't help but think how much she looked like the grim reaper sitting there. Not so much as a joke but that she could have easily had explosives underneath that robe and been waiting to detonate us all. Soon after her ride appeared and she left, I remember telling the other guard what he did was really stupid.

 

[Empty Hands]

Not so much as a joke but that she could have easily had explosives underneath that robe and been waiting to detonate us all.

I could have explosives in the trunk of my car, inside my jacket, or down my pant leg. Muslim dress is not the only way to hide explosives.

Soon after her ride appeared and she left, I remember telling the other guard what he did was really stupid.

Someone fetching a chair so a tired woman could rest? Wow, how unbelievably stupid. :shrug:

 

[Bigshadow]

I would like to think that if I was going out into the world dressed like 0.001% of the country I'd be ready for the occasional angry/frightened comment.

Reminds me of the time when I was a 18 or 19 and walked into a convenience store get a soda with one of those dummy hand grenades hanging around my neck imitating "Sailor" on the movie "Uncommon Valor". The clerk was very uncomfortable about that. Of course today, I would be in jail for dressing like that.

Of course it isn't the same, but this reminded me of of that time when I was both young and stupid!

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Chaps, I really think that American society needs to take a deep breath and step back from the brink of behavioural brittleness. Heaven knows I'm massively in favour of polite and respectful behaviour but people also have to be able to allow some things to flow over them like water off a ducks back.

Honestly, if I'd taken umbridge at every time someone made a joke at the expense of what I looked like or dressed like ...

Now if the chap in question meant to offend that's a different matter.

*GASP*

HEY!

I'm offended that you obviously INTENTIONALLY misspelled "umbrage" Deliberately just to piss me off! :tantrum: :wink2:

 

[Sukerkin]

ROFL - and I never even noticed - that'll teach me to speed post when I'm dog tired.

To all who have been mortally offended by my mangling of the English language ... erm ... sorry ... er NO! ... I mean ... oh darn it ... :lol:

 

[SensibleManiac]

I could have explosives in the trunk of my car, inside my jacket, or down my pant leg. Muslim dress is not the only way to hide explosives.

Someone fetching a chair so a tired woman could rest? Wow, how unbelievably stupid. :shrug:

Yes, but if you were hanging around right next to the security desk, it would have raised questions just the same and no we would not have gotten you a chair to sit. Especially when there were plenty of chairs further away.

I understand that there are many ways to be a danger you could always hijack a plane and fly it into the building. The biggest problem is that has not been as common a threat as lets just call them The Terrorists so I don't offend you. And yes I do remember Timothy McVeigh, but how many cells of his kind are out there looking to do the same and how many of the other Terrorists are there.
Any way you look at it, in North America people who hide there faces are usually up to no good. With the exception of most muslim women who do it.
Anywhere I would go with a covered face, (because it gets cold up here in the north) I would be mindful of where I'm going and what I'm doing like MOST muslims I've noticed. Their women should feel the same way.

I've never in my life seen any other "tired" women ask the same thing.

Could it be dare I say because many of these people have some sort of sense of "entitlement" that I don't see (all kinds) of other immigrants feel they have.
I can honestly say some of the nicest people I've ever met were Arabs (muslim or otherwise). This doesn't give the ones who want to cause trouble or feel entitled to special treatment because they look down on the people who live in the countries they chose to immigrate to a right to do so.
Stop making excuses for them they would never do the same for you.

 

[Empty Hands]

Any way you look at it, in North America people who hide there faces are usually up to no good. With the exception of most muslim women who do it.

Well, there you go. You just made the exception that applied to what you are bitching about. So what is the problem?

Anywhere I would go with a covered face, (because it gets cold up here in the north) I would be mindful of where I'm going and what I'm doing like MOST muslims I've noticed. Their women should feel the same way.

Their women (at least the ones in burqas) aren't given a choice. Understand that before you claim to know anything else. Including how someone from another religion "should" feel about dress required by their religion/culture.

Could it be dare I say because many of these people have some sort of sense of "entitlement" that I don't see (all kinds) of other immigrants feel they have.

Women want to wear required dress of their religion, and this is a "sense of entitlement"? The only reason you think so is prejudice. You can damn well bet that Christians feel a "sense of entitlement" to wear a cross or Jews to wear yarmulke.

I can honestly say some of the nicest people I've ever met were Arabs (muslim or otherwise).

Are some of your best friends Arabs?

Stop making excuses for them they would never do the same for you.

More prejudice. "They" are a diverse lot over many countries, some are as liberal as you please. Stop being such a jackass.

 

[Jade Tigress]

Attention All Users

Please keep the conversation polite and respectful.

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[SensibleManiac]

Empty hands, I mean this in the most respectful way possible but you COMPLETELY missed the boat on my post.

Before you go disrespecting people and calling them names at least get the point of their post.
Please go back and reread my post slowly and look for the meaning.

First, I'm not bitching I'm arguing a point.

You claim wearing a burqa is required of their religions, many muslim women CHOOSE not to wear burqas. Does that make them less of a muslim?
By the way you later go on to say, "Women want to wear required dress of their religion".
"and this is a "sense of entitlement"? No that's not what I said or meant by sense of entitlement. The sense of entitlement I'm talking about is when ANY one thinks they DESERVE better than you just because whatever the reason may be.
Your next sentence has nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

No, none of my best friends are Arabs. I said Some of the nicest people I've ever met are and that IS the truth.
I know what you mean by this statement and I have to say you are wrong about me.

Again in my last sentence They does not refer to who you think it does, No I'm not refering to all Arabs, I'm refering to any who carry this sense of entitlement that people seem to want to ignore because it won't be seen as politically correct. Regardless of what it is seen as, it is what it is.
Again this is meant as clarification and not an attack on any one.

Sometimes in life we see in others what there is in ourselves.

I hope you don't take this the wrong way and understand my original meaning.