Sleepless in America

So I've got my alarm set for radio. The radio starts blaring around 0430 - I get up, hit snooze, and crawl back under the covers. I've got the radio tuned to the local talk station (we don't get 'Scare America', so you can bet the station leans to the right...), and for the 15 seconds it takes to make that groggy trip across my bedroom, I'm listening to what Bill Bennett has to say. This AM, as I stumbled through the darkness, his guest host, Mark Malzberg was reading a story about a muslim woman who was criticizing the Fox show '24'. Apparently, she was afraid to go to the convienence store because someone mught mistake her for a terrorist, and a la Jack Bauer, send her to the land of 7 Virgins (no confirmation on wether SHE was a virgin...). I tried doing a google search - I got the impression she had been on TV - but I couldn't find anything.

Gosh.

First, I'd like to apologize to this woman.

I'm sorry our soldiers are spilling thier blood to save your fellow muslims.
I'm sorry our country is spending lots of my tax money to build schools, hospitals and infrastructures in a country neglected for 30 years by a meglomaniac bent on domination of the muslim world.
I'm sorry your fellow muslims are hell-bent (or is that heaven-bent?) to destroy all that is good about Iraq and the muslim world, including the dreams and aspirations of your fellow believers.
But mostly, I'm sorry you think what you read in the MSM (including the Arab press) is accurate. I'm sorry you can't dig a little deeper and find, as they say, the rest of the story. I'm sorry you think you know it all.

Now, I'd like an apolgy from you.

I've never seen '24'. Really. I've seen the teasers, I've heard co-workers talk about it, but I've never seen one frame of the show. I know that Jack Bauer is an uber anti-terrorist dude, and from the looks of it, kills lots of people. Not that I don't like what Fox is selling - I just have a hard time coming in on the middle of a show like that.

Your apology should sound like this:

You should apologize for thinking all Americans are stupid. That we can't differentiate between fiction and reality. The vast majority of Americans don't channel Jack Bauer in thier daily lives. If they do, they are probably living in the woods somewhere. You'll smell them coming.

You should apologize for expressing your fears as an accusation. We Americans are a forgiving, generous lot. We don't blame you for Islamic terrorism. You, however, can certainly reinforce the idea that you are an American just like anybody else. Don't be afraid of shadows.

You should apologize for the Islamic terrorists whose goals are death and destruction. If more of 'your people' would stand up to these animals, I submit the problems of this world would be diminished.

I doubt I'll get and apology, though.