One thing you've gotta say about us Americans -- we are a tolerant, open society, sophisticated in our acceptance of other people, other cultures, other religions. Yup.
A group that is trying to tighten the standards for obtaining driver's licenses has come under fire for plans to post a billboard with a picture of an Arab clutching a grenade and a North Carolina license.
"The message of the ad says that Arabs are dangerous and violent people and that therefore they should not get driver's licenses, and I think that is bigoted. It's racist,'' said Christine Saah Nazer, spokeswoman for the Washington-based Arab American Institute.
Amanda Bowman, president of the New York-based Coalition for a Secure Driver's License, which is launching the billboard campaign in North Carolina and two other states, said: "We're not going after Arab-Americans. We're going after terrorists.''
The billboard, scheduled to go up this month near the state Capitol in Raleigh, shows a man in traditional Arab head scarf. The billboard reads: "Don't license terrorists, North Carolina.'' Similar billboards are planned for New Mexico and Wisconsin, the coalition said.
