Reply #110: That sounds a lot like how I was treated as a hippy in the 60's. [View All]

[msmcghee]

I was discriminated against on job interviews because of my long hair. The cops would stop me just because they "thought they saw a tail-lite out". Sleeping in my van (that I lived in with my dog for a year that was labeled with anti-war messages) I'd often get "rousted" early in the morning by bored cops out for some fun harassing the hippies. Often people would not rent to me - and there other slights too numerous to mention.

I was correctly identified by "straight" people as anti-war. They saw me as a threat to America - and therefore to them. I chose to remain anti-war and suffer the consequences of having the majority in my country and some in my family think I was a pos and often treat me that way.

From what I've read some Israeli-Arabs despise Israel and are there only for the benefits and probably because they refuse to leave what they see as their land - temporarily in the hands of an illegal government of Jews. Those who feel that way seem to make no secret of that - seeing as how they live someplace where they can express such ideas and cheer on Israel's enemies without being tortured and having themselves and their families shot.

That doesn't mean that Israel has an overt policy of discrimination. It means in a free country those who push strongly against the grain will be seen as self-identified outcasts and will be treated poorly by many other citizens. Also, while we hippies were against the war, some of us were ex-draftees and most of us had friends who were currently serving. I never had any friends who cheered when a US unit suffered casualties - like some Israeli Arabs apparently do.

That's my impression. I could be wrong and I'd like to hear from some of our Israeli members - what's the real story is on this?

(Hey this new inline spell checker is really cool. Thanks DU ):toast: