Oh no, cow, you're fine in this scenario. Don't worry. Also, yes. Maryland is exactly where I live, and NOT NEW JERSEY.
There is a difference between being Muslim and American. One is a system of belief, the other is a nationality. You see, anyone of any ethnicity or background or location can be a Muslim, and the change is in your mind, or in your heart if you want to speak all poetic like. You can immigrate to America and spend seven consecutive years there to get your citizenship after passing a test swearing loyalty to the state if you feel like wasting your time, but for the most part you need to be born there, and you are that forever. You can stop being a Muslim at any time by simply deciding it, but you pretty much remain an American forever, unless a war breaks out and your ethnicity gets deported en masse because of discrimination.
OH YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE A GOVERNMENT. I am a sunni muslim, which means I am not affected by the Shia declarations that whores are causing earthquakes. Even then, it's the ruling class in a dictatorship government of a country that stifles freedom of speech and just recently outlawed all other political parties. I am not an Iranian citizen, the shia priests would not listen to the protests of a sunni, and they have no authority over me anyways. It's different from the Republic of America. Legislation with representation man, this applies to all of your governments. The political system is broke, of course, I will admit that. However, apathy in the face of tragedy does not absolve you! These men and women are voted by you and represent you, that is the nature of the democratic republic. YOU DO FALL UNDER THEIR AUTHORITY, AND THEY FALL UNDER YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY.
When the Iraq war was announced started in March of 2003, meaning I was 12 at the time. But I spoke to every teacher and every classmate I had about how the war was wrong, although you know, 9/11. Also, I was part of the group being attacked by the overly "patriotic", so it's not like I was being heard. The others didn't listen, didn't try; they only complained when things didn't go THEIR way. I am not at fault, and if you guys tried something then guess what, neither are you.
ANYWAYS, I'M ONLY ARGUING AGAINST YOU GUYS, I DON'T REALLY BLAME ALL AMERICANS. THIS IS WHAT SPARKED THE WHOLE THING:
LordRetard wrote:"What it stands for" is still a really unusual concept that's hard to base in reality... I could see being opposed to their government, or their legal system. I'll admit that what most offends me is when people say they can't stand Americans, or something to that effect. Like being born or living in America makes you a lousy person (which basically is racist, let's not mince words).
THIS WAS MY REPLY:
AHMETxRock wrote:Hating all americans or saying all americans are bad or stupid is racist, of course. Hating the government on the other hand is not, and hating the american people for allowing the government to continue it's facade of humanity is also perfectly fine. I hate Israel with a passion, and all the Israelis that allow Israel to do what it does, but I have nothing against someone who is Jewish. Being American means nothing on you, but you can't ignore the macro system every individual is involved in.
If Afganistan allows Taliban fighters to attack american citizens, it's terrorism. If America allows all the shit that happened to kill muslim civilians, it's simply the price of war. That's wrong, and it won't change until you get involved. Whoever stood by as Martin Luther King Jr. was conducting peaceful protests KNOWS they should have done something. The children of the wikileaks video vowed to continue opposing the americans in an interview. Not with guns, but rather they said they would continue down the paths their parents walked; with a camera. You guys don't know the fear of being a target at any moment. You think you are a target, but what are the chances that a full blown terrorist attack will even get anywhere near you? Their voices aren't going to be listened to among the sounds of the explosions. Do you think those children would be unjustified if they vowed death on anyone who caused their pain? Haven't we all vowed the same upon Bin Laden and the other terrorists? Violence isn't the answer, but I don't blame them for hating us. I live here under protection, attending schools that won't be bombed anytime soon. I figure speaking I owe humanity, all of it, to speak out against it.
Anyways, the point is, it's not racist because it's not something that's beyond your control. They don't hate you for being American or British or whatever, they hate you for being able to try and stop it, and yet you refuse. Let me know what you've done, not just for Muslims and the middle east, but ANYONE IN NEED ANYWHERE THAT YOU COULD HAVE TRIED, and I'll drop the topic completely.