44% believe Muslims should lose some civil rights.....

[ShaneGR]

Not surprisingly, the study found a correlation between Republicans, highly religious, and those who watch a lot of television news.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6729916/

(snip)
ITHACA, N.Y. - Nearly half of all Americans believe the U.S. government should restrict the civil liberties of Muslim-Americans, according to a nationwide poll.

The survey conducted by Cornell University also found that Republicans and people who described themselves as highly religious were more apt to support curtailing Muslims’ civil liberties than Democrats or people who are less religious.

'Disturbing news'
Researchers also found that respondents who paid more attention to television news were more likely to fear terrorist attacks and support limiting the rights of Muslim-Americans.

“It’s sad news. It’s disturbing news. But it’s not unpredictable,” said Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society. “The nation is at war, even if it’s not a traditional war. We just have to remain vigilant and continue to interface.”

The survey found 44 percent favored at least some restrictions on the civil liberties of Muslim Americans. Forty-eight percent said liberties should not be restricted in any way.

[EdGy]

1. democrats didn't fare much better

Let's be honest, this is a fundamentally racist country. Democrats maybe are more "pc" about it, but they're just as american as republicans.

And there's nothing more american than hating others who are perceived as different than us.

Just go to some of the threads on racism in the US and you'll see how many DU members -- and I'm not talking trolls -- refuse to accept that this is fundamentally a racist country.

It's a tiny step from racism against US blacks to racism against all Muslims -- and I have a hunch that there's a direct connection here, given the link with "Black Muslims" and the way they've been demonized in the US media.

[ShaneGR]

3. The article clearly states that Democrats favored no restrictions...

So what are you talking about?

[tx_dem41]

6. May I ask that you cite the results that led you to this claim...

the article referenced does not give any numbers breakout between Republicans vs. Democrats. It just makes general statements (which is maddening in itself!)

[EdGy]

13. here

http://www.comm.cornell.edu/msrg/report1a.pdf

Here's one snippet from that press release:

About 40 percent of Republican respondents agreed that Muslim Americans should be required to register their whereabouts, compared with 24 percent of Democratic respondents and 17 percent of independents.

Before you get all happy and think this absolves Democrats, we must remember that while Republicans are overwhelmingly white, Democrats are a much more diverse party.

If we broke the numbers out and counted only white democrats, that number would be much closer to the republican numbers.

[tx_dem41]

14. Are you implying that only whites can be racists?

BTW, thanks for posting the link.

[w13rd0]

15. I find it interesting that the lowest percentage...

...of all is among independents.

[ShaneGR]

20. That's very interesting... so most white Democrats are racist???

Huh?

[Deja Q]

11. So were other countries...

Britain, in the early 1800s, for example, abolished slavery ONLY to make the US look bad.

Ultimately, and moreso in non-US 1st World countries, people realized that it's about people that defines the emotional state.

In the end, out of every evil comes a greater good.

Unfortunately, it's disturbing to see the US at war with countries that used to be our allies. Especially when the SAME EXACT people were friends of these evil dictators and such. :tinfoilhat:

[cali]

18. It's not just Americans

You said:

And there's nothing more american than hating others who are perceived as different than us.

I'd argue that there's nothing more human than hating others who are perceived as different than us. Think Rwanda in the nineties. It wasn't as simple as an oppressed people rising up against their oppressors. Think of Darfur now. The long weary history of people hating others for their differences has been a constant throughout human history. We seem to have an inate need to have an enemy. We choose those who represent the other. Nothing new about that. It didn't suddenly spring into existence with the founding of this country.

[passy]

26. I think you are forgetting that it's leaders who need enemies, not people.

Mankind never evolved when people hated one another.
The Renaissance is a perfect example, it was a pan-European movement that only took place because countries had stopped their petty wars.
War and hate are not human instincts, the fear of the unknown is.
It is that fear which is exploited by political or religious leaders to gain and exert power.
Nowadays the Fear of terrorism has allowed the govt to introduce the most anti human-rights policies of any western country. And because of what? 6000 killed in one attack that could have easily been averted using the same laws as before if the govt hadn't let it happen.
That Fear was once again exploited to go to war against a country which members of the current govt saw as an ally only 20 years ago and who posed no threat against Americans as, as we all know Iraq had no long range ballistic missiles that could reach continental America.
But tell me do you fear a terrorist attack?
Do you live in fear of your black-muslim neighbor?
If you do then ask your self why.
You are more likely to get run over than to die in a terrorist attack, should we ban all cars?

[cali]

27. Sorry we disagree.

You believe it's the leaders, I believe that it's part of human nature to demoize the other. I certainly agree that people are persuadable, but that doesn't explain away the human tendency to search for and identify an 'enemy'.

You asked me if I lived in fear of a terrorist attack or my black muslim neighbor. The answer to both is no, though in the interest of full disclosure, I confess that I live in northern Vermont and the likelihood of an attack here is slim to none. Also the odds of having a black muslim neighbor are pretty damned low. Having said that, I haven't always lived here, and I've never been a person who feared others based on skin color or religion, though I've always had what I consider to be a pretty healthy fear of authority in the form of government.

Your sermon about the background of the Iraqi war is old and familiar news to me. I'm full aware of the background and bogus attempts to frame Iraq as a participant in the WOT. I actually saw 9/11 as a criminal endeavor and not an act of war, and believe the response should have been dictated by that knowledge. Honestly, I think you read things into my post that weren't there.

[TexasBushwhacker]

2. At least 48% have it right

"Forty-eight percent said liberties should not be restricted in any way."

Too bad the survey didn't take it a step further and found out how many think that Jews, or atheists, or blacks, or Hispanics, etc. etc. should be subject to some kind of standardized restriction of thier civil rights because of their race or religion. It wouldn't be 44%, but I guarantee you it would be 0% either.

[katinmn]

5. and we need to stand with those who are targeted for exclusion

or targeting.

[acmavm]

4. Nothing like that 'Old Time Religion' and its inbred bigotry. If these

idiots would take the time and make the effort to read about Islam, they would understand that it does not, as it was intended to be, promote violence, death, and hatred. But no, that would take intelligence and 'hard work'.

It's the nutcases and extremists in all religions that make it ugly.

[UdoKier]

7. Why do people use words like "interface"?

I hate that. People are not computers. They do not "interface".

Also, most of the people who would roll back civil liberties for muslims would roll back civil liberties of all Americans.

It's disturbing, but it's about more than xenophobia. It's about a large percentage of the people actually embracing totalitarianism.

[tx_dem41]

8. Here's a Cornell link with further results....

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Dec04/Muslim.Poll.bpf.html

[nostamj]

9. "television news"

don't they really mean cable propaganda? since this is from one of them, I wouldn't expect them to admit it.

[Fir]

10. Not surprising---we founded this country on genocide didn't we?

This countries beginning was based on the FACT that we made determined efforts to wipe out the Native Americans in our religious fervor.

We dishonored ourselves by not keeping treaties. If they became the lest bit bothersome we just went in and butcher the Indians. Now thats a past we can hold up for our children to know.

It is a true and a sad statement of fact that we think we are an honorable people, but the facts do not support that assumption.

It takes effort to be the people we want to be.

We have an inclination towards antisocial behavior. And with out admitting it we will never be able to change.

And one other lil tid bit. Morality cannot be legislated into being. It has to start with personal conviction, which is learned in your home.

[bullimiami]

12. damn headlines and prevarication

so

56% DO NOT believe it.

[earthside]

16. A Fascist America

These poll results remind me of the famous Pastor Martin Niemoller quotation:

"First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me."

And the fact that we have specific groups targeted as scapegoats - Muslim Americans and gay Americans by the radical Republicans - makes this more like Nazism than even Italian fascism.

Forty-four percent is an alarmingly high number. Frankly, I think we are further down this road to totalitarianism than most of us want to believe.

[tx_dem41]

17. We are missing some context though....

I wonder what how this number compares historically to similar questinos posed related to other minority groups.

[livinginphotographs]

19. I heard that this morning on another messageboard.

Getting mad at the stupidity of the average american seems to be a morning ritual for me.

[ckramer]

21. "Time to setup the Muslims-internment!" the rednecks shout

[passy]

22. Why not just Saudis?

Weren't they the ones behind the attacks?
70 years on: different country, different religion, same ideas.
Will it be a democrat who sets fire to the white house this time around?

[tx_dem41]

23. Why not recognize that the infringement of civil liberties of ANY

American citizen is wrong.

[The Stranger]

24. Because that would bigoted, racist and unAmerican.

Punishing all Saudis for the actions of ten or 19 or however many were allegedly responsible, is bigoted, racist and unAmerican.

[passy]

25. Once again Irony doesn't survive when typed.

Obviously I wasn't suggesting that all Saudis should be arrested, interned or anything like that, although confiscating their assets might be a bonus.
If you had read the rest of my post you might have realized that I was making a point about history repeating itself in an ironic manner.