Jason said, "I'm so scared right now. I don't want to hear any reports of Americans grabbing the nearest Arab and beating the crap out of him or her. Don't do it. Please."

I had a thought on this. I don't know what your experience is with e-mail, but I have certain people e-mail me on a semi-regular basis who don't write much but instead forward lots of stuff, usually something they've broadcasted to a number of others besides myself. It's not spam, exactly, but almost. In the last 24 hrs I've received a number of sentimental pro-Americanisms, slide shows of images we've all seen already, memorial thoughts and wishes, and so forth.

My assumption regarding this sort of e-mail has always been that the other recipients I see listed next to my own name probably think more like the sender than they do me, despite the fact that I managed to get grouped with them anyway. (A prejudiced conceit, I know, but unfortunately it comes all too naturally to me.)

At any rate, this list of recipients the sender always thoughtfully includes could possibly be turned to a positive resource. Consider composing your own 'message to be forwarded' and sending it back to all these addresses, a message that urges fellow citizens to think before lashing mindlessly out against other members of their own community who might happen to be Arabic in origin.


You know you're sending it to at least one person who likes to forward things, so you'll get some circulation. And maybe someone will read it and think twice before impulsively bashing an innocent Arab living in his community.

It's just an idea. I'm going to try it.