Quote Originally Posted by bu villain View Post
It's not an issue of whether it is possible for you to be a victim of such attacks. The issue is how much mental energy should you devote to it. Your worry should be commensurate with the risk. Just because the risk is greater than 0, doesn't mean it is significant. Mama Cass died choking on a ham sandwich but I don't raise my awareness when I sit down to eat Subway. Maybe this will help... what percentage of unnatural deaths are from terrorist attacks in the US each year? Do you worry about all the more likely causes at least as much if not more than you worry about terrorist attacks?
How much "mental energy" used depends on the person. Some people cant walk and chew gun at the same time.... It's not a chore for me to evaluate situations or surroundings as they occur. I do think about chewing my sandwich when i eat it.... Just because i say i do something does not mean i am devoting a lot of time and effort to it. My routine feels natural to me.....



Quote Originally Posted by bu villain View Post
Paying attention solely based on a belief that is not based on fact is paranoia. Again, I'm not saying you have to trust anyone, I'm just pointing out the illogical nature of your middle eastern mistrust. I would say people with gang tats are significantly more likely to commit violent crimes. People who won't stop staring at you as you walk down the street at night are also worthy of more suspicion. There are a lot of legitimate factors that you should be weary of, but simply being of middle eastern decent without any other warning signs just isn't worth worrying about.
It's not based solely on their belief. I am "weary" of all factors, this is just another one on my list. If i see someone who sticks out for whatever reason, be it their ethnicity, choice of clothing, their accent or language... ect ect... i will give them a second glance. If no other red flags appear, on to the next one. Takes all of 2 seconds in my mind, nothing you would ever notice. If a middle eastern man walks into a gas station with a tense posture and sets down a backpack and walks out... i'm going to notice that. It doesnt mean i'm going to follow him around the candy isle making sure he isnt up to no good. It's just heightened awareness in general...



Quote Originally Posted by bu villain View Post
Think of representative democracy like a gun. It's just a tool. It can be used for good or for evil.
Indeed.