| AMERICAN LEBANESE COORDINATION COUNCIL ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
For Original Source Click Here
Pierre A. Maroun
October 27, 2004
Dear Mr. James Zogby:
I read your article “Why Arab-Americans should vote for John Kerry” (see link below) with great interest and desire to learn more
about the Kerry/Edward agenda as well as to better understand how an "Arab-American" bases his/her political judgment.
Unfortunately, I was very disappointed for several reasons. Firstly, although you tried to be “specific” in your argument, your
incoherent article left me with a bewildered state of mind. My confusion cleared only after I re-gathered my thoughts which had
been shattered by your long vague statements and the realization that your article was nothing other than a politically motivated
one based on generic clichés, rhetoric, and hush allegations. Quite frankly Mr. Zogby, it is disturbing to learn that your vote can
be derived from your stated “premises.”
Secondly Mr. Zogby, I would have rather that you addressed the entire Middle-Eastern-American community, which includes the
22% of Arabs, instead of addressing the Arab-American vote only. Your labeling of our community as “Arab-Americans” is
troubling. It is either that you believe all Americans from Middle Eastern descent are Arabs which is an untruth, or you lack
knowledge of our ancestral homeland and heritage, which is an insult. Either way it is unacceptable.
Thirdly, most, if not all, of the problems facing our world today which you addressed seem to have been oversimplified and
distorted. For example, you claim that “Over the past two decades [you’ve] helped to lead the fight within the Democratic Party
for Palestinian rights.” This may be true, but, it is worth noting that President George W. Bush is the first and only US President
to clearly announce the right of the Palestinians to have their own state. His declaration came after your Democratic President Bill
Clinton spent 8 years in the White House without acknowledging such a right. Don’t you think Mr. Zogby that you probably need
to reconsider your political affiliation and to reallocate your hard work and efforts regarding the Palestinian cause away from the
Democratic Party and to the Republican one since their walk seems to match your talk more than the Democrats?
Fourth, your views on the recent political situation are undeniably biased. By categorizing the Iraqi war as “disastrous,” don’t you
think that your statement is insensitive to the liberated Iraqis who have been raped, kidnapped, and murdered for decades? Don’
t you think that the Iraqi people and the region are better off today than they were under Saddam’s tyranny? Isn’t it hypocrisy
to object to the US Attorney General John Ashcroft’s anti-terrorism measures, which includes acts such as searching people in
airports, tapping suspected phone lines, and/or tightening immigration laws to protect the US citizens yet you ignore the
atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein against the innocent Iraqis for decades by insinuating that the war on Iraq was
unjustified? Furthermore, it is true that the last four years have had a devastating effect on our nation and that our national
unity and our sense of mission were tested, but unlike you, I believe that this was due to the barbaric terrorist attacks on our
nation. I also believe that we came out of this turmoil victorious because many Americans truly believe in unity and our sense of
mission. We were victorious because we have a resolute, consistent, and faithful leader like President George W. Bush in the
White House.
Lastly is the questionable validity of your paper which has a large number of fallacies. For example, the suggestion that Kerry is
good for “Arab-Americans” or for the Middle Eastern countries is false because Kerry is only good for Arab tyrant leaders and
radical regimes such as Bin Laden and Zarqawi who are killing in the name of Alla, Islam, and the Arab/Palestinians cause; he is
good for flip floppers who are enjoying the political, social, and cultural decay of the Middle Eastern nations, especially the Arabs.
He is good for them because he does not want to fight them. So, how could he also be good for the oppressed, the battered,
and the victimized in that region? Pure nonsense; a man who is tolerable of the status quo in the Middle East is not worthy of my
vote. Therefore, be assured that on November 2, I and many Middle Eastern Americans like myself will proudly vote against
terrorism, barbarism, and tyranny. We will vote against the entire status quo in the greater Middle East region. Thus, we will vote
four more years for President George W. Bush. We will do so, very confident that it is the right thing to do for our countries, our
communities, as well as for the entire world and the future of our children. I truly believe that had you survived the oppression of
a tyrant; or had you been terrorized and/or tortured by thugs; or had you been stripped of your basic rights, you, too, would
vote differently.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=9623
Pierre A. Maroun
(318)512-1780
Pierre A. Maroun
October 27, 2004
Dear Mr. James Zogby:
I read your article “Why Arab-Americans should vote for John Kerry” (see link below) with great interest and desire to learn more
about the Kerry/Edward agenda as well as to better understand how an "Arab-American" bases his/her political judgment.
Unfortunately, I was very disappointed for several reasons. Firstly, although you tried to be “specific” in your argument, your
incoherent article left me with a bewildered state of mind. My confusion cleared only after I re-gathered my thoughts which had
been shattered by your long vague statements and the realization that your article was nothing other than a politically motivated
one based on generic clichés, rhetoric, and hush allegations. Quite frankly Mr. Zogby, it is disturbing to learn that your vote can
be derived from your stated “premises.”
Secondly Mr. Zogby, I would have rather that you addressed the entire Middle-Eastern-American community, which includes the
22% of Arabs, instead of addressing the Arab-American vote only. Your labeling of our community as “Arab-Americans” is
troubling. It is either that you believe all Americans from Middle Eastern descent are Arabs which is an untruth, or you lack
knowledge of our ancestral homeland and heritage, which is an insult. Either way it is unacceptable.
Thirdly, most, if not all, of the problems facing our world today which you addressed seem to have been oversimplified and
distorted. For example, you claim that “Over the past two decades [you’ve] helped to lead the fight within the Democratic Party
for Palestinian rights.” This may be true, but, it is worth noting that President George W. Bush is the first and only US President
to clearly announce the right of the Palestinians to have their own state. His declaration came after your Democratic President Bill
Clinton spent 8 years in the White House without acknowledging such a right. Don’t you think Mr. Zogby that you probably need
to reconsider your political affiliation and to reallocate your hard work and efforts regarding the Palestinian cause away from the
Democratic Party and to the Republican one since their walk seems to match your talk more than the Democrats?
Fourth, your views on the recent political situation are undeniably biased. By categorizing the Iraqi war as “disastrous,” don’t you
think that your statement is insensitive to the liberated Iraqis who have been raped, kidnapped, and murdered for decades? Don’
t you think that the Iraqi people and the region are better off today than they were under Saddam’s tyranny? Isn’t it hypocrisy
to object to the US Attorney General John Ashcroft’s anti-terrorism measures, which includes acts such as searching people in
airports, tapping suspected phone lines, and/or tightening immigration laws to protect the US citizens yet you ignore the
atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein against the innocent Iraqis for decades by insinuating that the war on Iraq was
unjustified? Furthermore, it is true that the last four years have had a devastating effect on our nation and that our national
unity and our sense of mission were tested, but unlike you, I believe that this was due to the barbaric terrorist attacks on our
nation. I also believe that we came out of this turmoil victorious because many Americans truly believe in unity and our sense of
mission. We were victorious because we have a resolute, consistent, and faithful leader like President George W. Bush in the
White House.
Lastly is the questionable validity of your paper which has a large number of fallacies. For example, the suggestion that Kerry is
good for “Arab-Americans” or for the Middle Eastern countries is false because Kerry is only good for Arab tyrant leaders and
radical regimes such as Bin Laden and Zarqawi who are killing in the name of Alla, Islam, and the Arab/Palestinians cause; he is
good for flip floppers who are enjoying the political, social, and cultural decay of the Middle Eastern nations, especially the Arabs.
He is good for them because he does not want to fight them. So, how could he also be good for the oppressed, the battered,
and the victimized in that region? Pure nonsense; a man who is tolerable of the status quo in the Middle East is not worthy of my
vote. Therefore, be assured that on November 2, I and many Middle Eastern Americans like myself will proudly vote against
terrorism, barbarism, and tyranny. We will vote against the entire status quo in the greater Middle East region. Thus, we will vote
four more years for President George W. Bush. We will do so, very confident that it is the right thing to do for our countries, our
communities, as well as for the entire world and the future of our children. I truly believe that had you survived the oppression of
a tyrant; or had you been terrorized and/or tortured by thugs; or had you been stripped of your basic rights, you, too, would
vote differently.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=9623
Pierre A. Maroun
(318)512-1780