Wrong Reasons for Cancellation

Submitted by Caesar M. Arevalo (United States), Oct 17, 2006 at 01:44

Even though I applaud the decision of MAC to cancel the Taxi Test Program, the real problem has not been resolved. In my previous letter I mentioned that "political correctness" indoctrination has paralyzed the decisions of local officials, and as a result of it the constitutional rights of the American people are violated.

Let's analyze briefly the reasons why the commission canceled the Taxi Test Program: " public response to the proposed program "has been overwhelmingly against creation of a two-tiered taxi service system," "we've heard from Australia and England." "Some taxi service providers have expressed fears that people opposed to the program will choose other ground transportation options rather than take any taxi from the airport.""People are overwhelmingly against any kind of cultural accommodation." "That backlash, Hogan said, included 400 e-mails and phone calls"Excuse me? Is the commission saying that if the people had been quiet, they would have carried out the plan anyway? Why did they have to wait to receive hundred of letters and base their decision upon the outcry of Brits and Australians?

In other words, has anybody of the commission thought about the violation of the first Amendment of the Constitution by allowing that a group of Muslims taxi cab drivers impose their interpretation of Islam on the rest of non-Muslim people?

The irony in this case is even revealing when we heard groups like the Free Muslim Coalition calling for the complete banning of these Muslims taxi cab drivers from picking up drivers at the airport. The Free Muslim Coalition is right in this respect. Furthermore, Muslim leaders showed more common sense than MAC and declared straightforward that there are Muslims who own gas stations and sell beers under the justification "that they have to make a living."

MAC and local and federal leaders must pay attention very seriously to the declaration of Kamal Nawash, "These taxi cab drivers basically think they're living in their own countries where it's OK to impose your religious beliefs upon others." I did not say it; a prominent Muslim leader said it.

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