YMB - // //but lumping millions into a group and mistrusting them all... is irrational.//
So when people hated the Germans it was irrational then?
Or the Russians in the 60-70's //
Of course it was irrational, it was then, it is now.
But let's be clear - just because something is irrational does not mean that it does not find traction.
Human nature is to distrust something we don;t understand, and it's really easy to form an image of a vaguely sinister 'enemy' whose constituents are all from another country, and therefore 'different' from us.
That natural reaction grows exponentially when it spreads among communities, and it is perfect for media fire-stoking.
That leads to the sort of approach that we see on here day in day out.
Because Islamist terrorists are quite rightly seen as a threat to us as a society and a culture, it is a simple but utterly false link to assume that therefore any and all Muslims must support the aims of terrorists, therefore all Muslims are to be feared, with attendent bigotry in attitudes and behaviour.
Sadly, a lot of that nonsensical conclusion-jumping is underlined and perpetrated on here by individuals who really ought to be bright enough and educated enough to know better.
Ironically, it is those people who constantly trumpet about their 'education' as a sound reason why their bigotry should be believed.
That, in a nutshell, is what feeds the daily examples of bigotry against Muslims that fills the site every day.
Forever stoked and added to by people who, as I said, ought to know better, but clearly their own dep-seated predjudices make them flag-wavers for the less articulate contributors, those who simply like to feel part of a gang, however nasty and ignorant that gang may be.