It's barely a new year and already I'm disgusted by my fellow humans. My hopes for sanity remain a distant mirage. The news item of the Irfan Family kicked off AirTran Airways was appalling. Yes, I can understand how it happened based on the current idiotic fervor that's happening across America since 9/11, especially since our current government encourages this kind of turn in your neighbor mentality. However, what doesn't make sense is that we seem to have forgotten our history in favor of current trends.

Why is it that one of the smaller minority of racial groups, European Americans, feels it's ok to torment other Americans because of their appearance? Remember Timothy McVeigh and the profiling that happened to innocent people who happened to look like the American stereotypical "terrorist" from the Middle East? The evil doer there was as apple pie looking as the next Midwestern bigot! Caucasian, dirty blond, and what our media would consider "normal looking."

Normal to whom? If you live in a major metropolitan city on any of our coasts, "normal" means anyone from any racial background with any kind of clothing or appearance because we supposedly have a "melting pot" of people from all over the world. That doesn't seem to be the case though when it comes to having tolerance for those who don't look like you.

Get a grip people! We need to practice and teach tolerance. Religion is the evil here. All religions. Until we understand that the "us vs. them" mentality doesn't cut it for peace, we'll never have it. Read the lyrics to John Lennon's "Imagine" and think about it. You can be part of the solution by being tolerant with those around you and not letting your irrational fears overwhelm your common sense.