Citizen Army/Citizen Alert

"Travis, I manage an apartment complex. After 9/11 I called our main office and got permission to add to our rental application: "Are you a U.S. citizen? If not, what country are you from? When does your visa expire? You must make a copy of visas for all people to occupy the apartment and submit them with your application."

WOW! Fantastic idea. I'll do it with my couple little rentals.

http://208.185.249.64/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000031

Excellent! We need to spread this attitude all over.

Anyone up for learning their language? (Farsi, I believe.)

Then spend some time at a local Mid-Eastern coffee shop or "cultural event" that is open to all -- and listen. Chances are they won't suspect that you can understand what they are saying, and your presence may motivate any anti-US conversation they are feeling.

(Careful not to get into any dangerous environs, tho!)

Didn't see any mention of MACE (pepper spray) above -- always good to have, but particularly if you're snapping photos of strangers, and don't have a weapon.

Remember to use the "Buddy System" and both have cellphones.

Funny how I happened upon this thread as just tonight my wife's son and I were talking about his new neighbors in an apartment above his---two Arab dudes.
Anyway, he had a day off and wasn't feeling much pain so he went and knocked on their door. He said their accents were very heavy and it kinda suprised him. They offered him a beer (Mickey's Big Mouth malt liqour).
He also said that since then, they've been very low-key and not very visible. Definately worth another look IMO.

Those could be regular guys here to go to school, mind their business, and go back home. If they were sucking down some malt liquors I'd suspect there's a decent chance of it. Not every Arab is into messing with us.

Years ago, I met a guy from Libya -- he was the room mate of a friend of mine. The guy was -- apart from his accent and complexion -- no different from any other college dude, with one exception: he despised Ghadaffi with a passion, and was here taking business classes so that he could go back to Libya to try to help turn his country around. He told me he wanted to see a "capitalist revolution" there to get rid of the insane dictator. He wanted to see Libya turn into something like the USA.

I told him he was crazy and that he'd end up dead if he went back to try it but he said he it was his country, he hated Ghadaffi, and wanted it to be a free country like the USA, and he was gonna go back and do what he could.

I expect he's either dead or in jail now, because Ghadaffi is still on the throne.

Anyway, from your description, I got the impression that those guys were more the mind-their-own-business type, and when they saw what the terrs did in NY and DC, and then got that "visit" from your stepson, they got the crap scared out of 'em, and are laying low because they're terrified they'll be associated with the vermin.

Ed, farsi is not an easy language to learn! But if one has a talent for languages, it is a great idea. I wonder if Berlitz has a tape/disc program for farsi?

I told him he was crazy and that he'd end up dead if he went back to try it but he said he it was his country, he hated Ghadaffi, and wanted it to be a free country like the USA, and he was gonna go back and do what he could.

Good for your friend, however, when the ability to chose your leaders is lost, one must resort to revolution and you may be right, dictators aren't very hospitible to those seeking to retire them.

Odds are that the two dudes are no threat at all and that, like you say, just want to keep low and off some bigot's radar. However, if a significant number of US citizens should get whacked (bio-nuke, whatever) on top of what already has happened, this country could quickly become the home of many new 'bigots'.