Comments on: Iraqi restaurant window smashed. Veterans hold "eat-in" to show support for Iraqi refugees.

By: bklynchris

bklynchris — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:14:00 +0000

Thank you for the soul bandage. I needed something after the story about the developmentally challenges woman being hit by a cop in LA.

By: dioptase

dioptase — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:05:00 +0000

Ah, the hubris of building such a mighty restaurant. You can’t get to heaven serving humus. It just won’t pile high enough.

You have to admit, if you walked into a restaurant speaking one language and left speaking a different language that no one else understood,you might be inclined to express your dissatisfaction with the place using the unambiguous “rock-through-window” message.

It’s only happened to me twice. And they avoided the rock by giving me some free falafel.

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:34:00 +0000

Almost as much victims of?

They weren’t forced to join the killing squad you know, it WAS a choice. Please don’t insult real victims of war with ridiculous statements.

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:30:00 +0000

BB is a very good reddit filter though. Sometimes reddit makes me feel a little queazy with all the hugging and faux internet love – it’s a tad saccharine for this Englishman’s taste.

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Ye my first question whenever I see a story like this is along these lines.

There are a lot more stupid, inconsiderate people than there are hateful people.

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:27:00 +0000

Well, technically the video itself is a positive spin on a negative story.

So I guess it’s all about perspective.

By: peterkvt80

peterkvt80 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:42:00 +0000

I did meet a guy in Georgia, your average John Deere driving hunter, who made a joke about Iraqi men wearing diapers on their heads. With that level of understanding you can see why some idiot broke the window.
I recommend trying Iraqi food and I haven’t found anything that I didn’t like, even though with names like “foul medames” you do wonder what is going to arrive at your table.

By: Marko Raos

Marko Raos — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:11:00 +0000

Imo he meant “were nice and sympathetic to locally deployed coalition soldiers who were almost as much victims of “the coalition” as the iraqis were”

By: Mister44

Mister44 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:08:00 +0000

I think I’ve had that Swedish Dream before…

By: SomeGuyNamedMark

SomeGuyNamedMark — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:19:00 +0000

My motto: Don’t assume nefariousness when stupidity can explain it.

By: funisforassholes

funisforassholes — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:43:00 +0000

Supported the coalition? I think he’s guessing that part. The rest of us weren’t so sure.

By: Sekino

Sekino — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:19:00 +0000

I don’t care whether there was ‘hate’ involved in the crime or not, or what is says or doesn’t say about America…

Some people got victimized and scared; other people got together and showed them kindness and support. That’s just plain wonderful.

By: EdA

EdA — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:07:00 +0000

Been meaning to head up there with some Iraqis I know, and now with a 3-day weekend upon us!!!… @google-3d2b288473bf2e055bbc80ac08052e45:disqus thanks for the tip in Portland also!

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:14:00 +0000

Good job to all involved!

(Even the rock throwers. They enable us to band together and prove a point we won’t put up with their crap.)

By: juepucta

juepucta — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:31:00 +0000

Precisely. I’m an immigrant myself and there’s a Canadian Dream, Italian Dream, UK Dream, Swedish Dream… this notion that USians have is why they don’t get how hilarious exceptionalism looks.

By: UstinJay

UstinJay — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:18:00 +0000

I would tell them BB sent me, except I read this story on Reddit, about two hours before you posted it.

By: Spriggan_Prime

Spriggan_Prime — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:13:00 +0000

Oddly coincidental considering I just read Tom Robbins’ “Skinny Legs and All” today

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinny_Legs_and_All_%28novel%29

By: The Chemist

The Chemist — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:07:00 +0000

Speaking as an Arab-American with more than a passing acquaintance with Arab immigrants (and other immigrants more generally)- my experience is that they’re not so starry-eyed about America as most immigrants are made out to be.

By: orwell

orwell — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:56:00 +0000

nice to hear some good news…

By: flosofl

flosofl — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:25:00 +0000

There’s always one, isn’t there?

By: Xeni Jardin

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:59:00 +0000

thanks, added a link.

By: Gideon Jones

Gideon Jones — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:53:00 +0000

I think the owners of that restaurant would probably laugh at you and the utter ridiculousness of your dismissal of the American Dream were they to read it.

By: marilove

marilove — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:52:00 +0000

Yay for negative tangents on an otherwise very positive story. Ugh. Cynical people.

By: kevinv

kevinv — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:50:00 +0000

That’s the american reality. many still dream our country can be better than that.

By: Brian Sprague

Brian Sprague — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:48:00 +0000

I’m in that area fairly often and I think I’ll check it out. They’ll be hard-pressed to beat the falafel at Iraqi-owned Star East in Portland, Maine but I’ll give them a shot.

Also, the Lowell police superintendent thinks it was simple vandalism and not hate-related. (Below link posted on Babylon’s Facebook page.) Hope he’s right, although that doesn’t really make the crime any more forgivable.

http://www.lowellsun.com/local/ci_19718719

By: ffabian

ffabian — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:47:00 +0000

American Dream? What dream? That everyone has the chance to get abducted, tortured or spied on?