Anne Coulter

It's easy and intellectually lazy to focus on Muslims as objects of fear after 9/11. It's also convenient for those who are prone to bigotry. How easy it is to forget that the principles of liberty and equality are the cornerstones of America! I would hope that the Nazi regime would be a lesson for those who came after, but apparently irrational emotions overcome reason in 37% of Americans when called upon to live up to their principles.

Wouldn't that be the same thing as the Jews having to ware Stars on their clothes during WWII, Maybe if they are not a citizen and entering the states but if their a citizen then why? They already have their green card!

The AOL survey was in response to a talk show host who proposed this idea facetiously to draw out the bigots. It worked. He made the Tatoo and Star nazis connection as well. When you live in a metropolitan area where you share your subway with Muslims, or you are on an airplane with them, I suspect you are more alert than you were before 9/11. This is not a defense, just an observation. Just think what a little precaution was required before 9/11 to board an airplane. It was so easy. We let our guard down and simple box cutters put us in a 4 year conflict. I support Muslim Americans, but I also believe in preventative security. I believe the 37% were giving a knee jerk response to the very real concern of how to detect someone with evil intent. They are frightened. Additionally, you know how surveys work, they seek to divide responses into neat, short answers that do not allow for subtlety or nuance. They like to "force choice" you into a category without any wiggle room. That is why I pay them little heed, especially to AOL polls. Their questions are poorly worded and the responses often not even appropriate. They are by no stretch of the imagination a professional, scientific polling service.

Good for you asking the question. As LynfromNM says, it's easy to scapegoat a whole group of people for the actions of a few. The percentage of people voicing this opinion is disturbing, but there's always a lot of ignorance and bigotry in the world. The only thing to do is to keep standing up for what's right: justice, fairness, compassion, open-mindedness, tolerance. You're asking this question because those are the things you care about. Asking the question is an action taken on behalf of those values. It raises awareness. If you keep doing that, it doesn't really matter what the percentage of ignorance is among others, because the percentage in YOUR world will keep moving toward zero. And that's the percentage that really matters: the part you're responsible for. That's what it means to "take a stand" -- it means the percentage of ignorance around you no longer fazes you.

Welcome to America dear!

History does repeat itself! The Nazi regime should be a grave reminder of how fear would cause people to give up very basic human rights (thier's and someone else's)in the name of safety. All it takes is a smooth talking politician to tell people that we would all be much safer if Muslims would carry special identification. Once we agree that Muslims should have their civil rights violated, that will open the door for the next target. Does anyone else remember what happened in Salem, Ma. in the name of God? If we give in to that kind of histeria, we are opening a Pandora's box that can only lead to fear, hatred, persecution and politically motivated manilpulation in the name of religion.

37%, eh? Hmm. That's very close to the same % of people who approve of the job our president is doing. Coincidence? I think not.

I would add that instead of alleviating anxiety about people who might appear to be muslim, some of the media outlets are busily fanning the flames of fear in order to build viewership ratings. Fox News comes to mind and Glenn Beck on CNN, mainly, but there are others who like to seed some fear, and then sprinkle in stories to keep the public hooked and then the network "harvests" the higher ratings. Very cynical, but it seems to work.

How can you say this "How can any Americans voice such a Facist attitude in 2006." You don't know if they were all Americans who voted. Don't you think you are being a bit judgmental?

Prejudice and fear are in the nature of the social government in this country. There's always an enemy, always a scapegoat, always some group or organisation that Americans are told to pit themselves and their country againts in the name of "Patriotism". And it's very easy to just blame hate and fear whoever you're told to, especially after unfortunate events like 9/11. It would be as if someone killed your entire family, and then presented you with "Proof" that someone else did it, it would be very easy and very natural to take the easy way out and hate that person without looking any closer at the real situation. So I can't say that I am surprised by that high percentage, so many people in this country simp ly shut their brains off and move into the position of looking at any "Progress" like that as good, even when it's a major step backwards.

I believe it's because of what some in the Muslim community have done to Americans in the past. While it seems bigoted to vote that way, I think that a lot more people feel that way than actually voted that way. It's very hard for most Americans to understand why there is so much active hatred for us in the Muslim world when we really, for the most part, meant them no harm whatsoever.

Because the world is full of idiots

In this day and age profiling is necessary.