Arabs running our ports

Oh brother. Talk about a non-issue. Larry Norman was spot-on when he wrote in a song:

The politicians all make speeches
and the newsmen all take notes
and exaggerate false issues
as they ram it down our throats

I may as well let you all know now that I love model trains. I've had them since 2nd grade and have collected and enjoyed them ever since. I'm not a hardcore hobbyist but there is something magical about ruling over a tiny kingdom. Just an ego thing probably...but anyway.....

...the Dubai company that is referred to in the press as "The Arab Company" is known as DP World and they purchased a British company called CSX. CSX has been handling freight in our country for a long time. Know how I know this? I have model railroad box cars with the company name on it. The same people that work for CSX now work for DP World like any acquisition. If I'm to believe the knee-jerk reaction of many politicians I guess this would mean that my model railroad is about to be overrun by Islamic fanatics.



I think what surprised people is that we don't have companies in our own country to handle this. The United Arab Emirates is a country that has been slowly moving oil out of their economy. It is a country where Christians can practice their faith openly. It is a place that manages ports (by manage we're talking about operations and bookkeeping) all over the world. Don't freak out because these people are "Arab."

You may as well also know that the terms "Arab" and "Moslem" are not synonymous. Arabs are a semetic people (like the Hebrews) that are descendents from Abraham of the Old Testament. In contrast those in Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq are not Arab. They come from a whole host of other geneologies. To single out a group for simply being Arab is in a different way being "Anti-Semetic."

I for one am going to let these Arabs manage my model railroad freely and without prejudice.