Democracy & Civics

The Gospel of Intolerance

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Whether it’s Jews against Christian, Christians against Muslims, or Iraqi sects against each other, religious intolerance is thriving, sometimes with deadly results. The Yedizi community, an ancient minority Kurdish ethnic- religious group in Iraq, faces near-annihilation following a coordinated carpet bombing attack carried out by al-Qaeda operatives last week in the Sinjar district west of Mosul. The Yedizis, who were heavily persecuted under the regime of Saddam Hussein, have endured other attacks in recent months. Yedizi leaders are now contemplating bringing disparate Yedizi settlement together under Kurdish tribal lands for safety. Dutch Minister Geert Wilders made headlines last week when he wrote an editorial calling for a ban on the Koran, which he called a “fascist” text that exhorts violence.

Democracy & Civics

Hate Crimes and the Homeless

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Violent street attacks on the homeless have multiplied across America in recent years, prompting lawmakers in six states, including California, to introduce legislation that would label such attacks hate crimes and punish people accordingly. According to a 2006 report from the National Coalition for the Homeless, the number of rapes, beatings and murders has jumped to 142 attacks countrywide from 36 such assaults recorded in 2002. The report points out that most homeless attacks are likely to go unreported. As for the perpetrators, crime statistics point squarely to middle-class males of European descent, typically in their teens. Those who oppose including protection for the homeless under hate crimes legislation say that unlike race or gender, being homeless is sometimes a choice.

Democracy & Civics

Security State's Brave New Tech

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The U.S. and Britain have been developing elaborate new tools to identify and subdue would-be terrorists at home and abroad. The Department of Homeland Security is developing a non-lethal weapon that emits a dazzling beam of light to incapacitate any suspect for a period of time. According to USA Today, the device has been dubbed the “puke-ray” for its tendency to induce nausea and vomiting. Rights groups worry it will be used not on terrorists but on Mexican immigrants crossing the border at night. Others worry that the instruments could enter the black market, forcing law enforcement to defend themselves against the weapon they developed.

Democracy & Civics

Your Words Betray You

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Marc Shultz couldn’t quite recall what he brought into the coffeeshop that Saturday morning, the day the last Harry Potter book hit the shelves. But as a worker at a local bookstore, a cup of coffee was a mandatory prelude to what would surely be a hectic day. In his hand, it turned out, was a printout of an article — a bit of media criticism to start the day and accompany his ritual caffeine boost. This he later recounted to the FBI agents who quizzed him at length on the topic. They were tipped off by someone at the coffeeshop who considered a critique of Fox News to be a risk to national security.