WE Need Balance
Reader comment on item: Indicted USF Student has Terror Past in Egypt - update*

Submitted by Becky, Dec 21, 2008 01:35

I am a graduate student. When I first heard about this case last year, I became concerned that ethnicity and the nature of the charges might lead to a guilty verdict before the evidence was carefully examined. After the horrific September 11th attacks, many Arabs were unjustly attacked and many felt threatened. I'm sure it is very difficult to determine who are inocent and who wish to harm us! After Pearl Harbor, Japanese individuals were unfairly detained until the conclusion of World War II. Our troops commonly experience the fear of not readily knowing who the enemy is while serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, we can't stop us from securing the nation! Carrying explosives across state lines is suspicious, and I feel that ethnicity is irrelevant, and we are all accountable for our actions. Posting videos on how to create bombs on the Internet is outright dangerous and some might argue that these actions might provoke others to act on what they've seen online so one person's video on creating explosives is an international security threat given how rapidly information can be dessiminated ! I sincerely hope that the US and other countries can try cases solely on the evidence presented! We can't unjustly accuse someone of a crime without conclusive evidence, but we must reinforce the belief that all citizens and visitors, regardless of ethnicity, are accountable for their actions and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law if their actions threaten others! I hope that the conversation will shift to how we can reduce the prevalence of terrorism, unjust stereotyping, and hatred while upholding and recognizing basic rights that are embedded in our Constitution, in UN documents, and in various treaties! I feel that how we treat our enemies and suspected criminals is just as important as military and policy decisions!

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