An open letter re: Sydney "Anti American" protests

[Deleted]

There's parts I like about this letter and others that don't feel right. Good news is I only had to de-friend one person today.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/an-open-letter-20120915-25ziq.html

HAVE we Sydney-siders got this straight?

Because on the other side of the Pacific, somewhere in California, some loser has thrown together some kind of amateur internet video insulting your particular god, you think it justifiable to:

Take over the Sydney CBD.
Cause willful damage to property.
Throw rocks at police officers who are doing nothing more than their duty.
Hold up such ludicrous signs as “Behead all those who insult the prophet.”

We have to ask: Do you have the first clue as to the ramifications of your actions? Do you not understand that the net result of such irresponsible, appalling action is to give ample fuel to every racist in the country to reinforce every bad stereotype they have ever had of you, and that will affect badly the hundreds of thousands of other peaceful and law-abiding Islamic Australians?

In short, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!

Get this straight, and quickly: some of you may be from countries where this kind of thing is acceptable. But it is NOT acceptable in this country.

In this country you are free to worship whatever god you damn well please. Others are free to worship their gods.

And I am free to say it is all nonsense over imaginary friends.

But you are not free to create the mayhem you did yesterday, simply because you don't like a freaking video!

Racists have said for years, “If you don't like the way we do things here, go back to where you came from.” The net result of your actions yesterday is that – for those people specifically disgracing themselves in the CBD yesterday, not the vast bulk of Islamic Australians – much of the country now feels the same.

Nice work.

[Deleted]

I can agree with parts of it as well, although I'm not sure i like the tone of the letter.

But I agree that people need to stop getting up in arms (literally) over a video made by one idiot.