Misinformation Should Be Suspect

To the Editors:

In the Sept. 17 issue you published a letter by a College senior which included as a statement of fact that “mobs of up to 200 people” had attacked Arab-American cab drivers in New York City. As it turns out, these incidents appear to be imaginary. Presumably, some others may be as well. As a New Yorker it is hard to not take offense at such allegations — indeed, this is probably the city where such a thing is least likely to take place, and not only because of our ordinary diversity and egalitarianism but particularly because of the events and aftermath of Sept. 11. I point this out not to detract from the
highlighting of freshly inspired anti-Arab acts around the country, which after all is not diminished by limiting ourselves to the truth, but only to insist that we make every effort to maintain our critical thinking on the issues and our skepticism of the spin doctors every nationality and cause is now rolling out in full gear.
This is a very difficult time for the entire country and clearly not less so for Arab-Americans and those who are mistaken for Arab-Americans. Let us not make things worse with hysterical accusations, whomever the target may be. Trading on such misinformation can only serve to polarize us and occlude our understanding of events, endangering our ability to take right action.

–Joshua Kaye
OC ’98