daniwo59@aol.com wrote:
In 1933 a small group of Jews declared war on Germany (in response to the government's official policies of anti-Semitism). Germany responded with an official boycott of all Jewish shops and eventually launched an all-out campaign to murder all the Jews of Europe.
The sort of event where a small extremist group purporting to represent a larger community performs irrational acts is not unknown to history. Equally common is the tendency of governments and the public press to fan the flames of discontent by taking these groups at their word in their claims of being representative. Often, as was the case in 1930s Germany, the extremists fit hand in glove with preconceived notions.
I find the overreaction of governments far more frightening than the original acts of the extremists. Of a sudden, in response to a single extremist event the freedoms and liberties of everyone in a society are revoked. It then takes many years (and incidentally big profits by many lawyers) to sort out the damages, even in a society that makes a big deal of proclaiming the freeedom it offers.
As important as it may be to keep a watchful eye on the extremists (which is not done by surpressing reports of their activities), it is also important to apply the same dilligence to the activities of governments.
Ec