Oh yeah, I remember this. Horrible AND stupid. And speaking as a New Yorker, thanks but no thanks, bastard.
I learned about Sikhism in elementary school, during a couple of days of comparative world religions study in Social Studies. A public school! On the taxpayer’s dime!! Oh the horror!
But none of us went out and shot Sikhs.*
However, this doesn’t seem to be a clash of “cultures” (Western culture? Latino culture? Arizonian culture?) so much as a clash of one culture versus one violent jerk who reacted violently when suffering a national shock.
Not that it would have been OK if he’d shot a Muslim, mind you.
We are a nation of what? More than 250 million people. We are bound to have our share of hate filled, murderous nut jobs among us. I suppose it serves a purpose for us to be reminded that we too have a duty to restrain our fanatics. Without getting too political about it, not all our fanatics and murderous nut jobs are at large shooting gas station attendants and tomato throwing Amish farm kids. Some of them are on the radio. More of them are on the Internet.
As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Sad, sad, sad.