Ameliorate

ameliorate
verb
measures taken to ameliorate the situation improve, make better, better, make improvements to, enhance, help, benefit, boost, amend; relieve, ease, mitigate; informal tweak, patch up. antonym worsen.

"Hey, Jude, don't make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better" Lennon and McCartney

Improvement is applied in endless ways: improve gas mileage, improve carbon emissions, improve your skill, improve your relationship, improve your living situation, improve your house.

Here's an article dated April 15, 2006 from the San Francisco Chronicle titled "Dalai Lama seeks to improve Islam's image. He'll meet with Muslim leaders in a mission of peace in S.F."

Considering that a guest on Fox News recently suggested that Muslims check into airports in separate lines, The Dalai Lama is on target regarding the image of Muslims in America. watch the video

It must be pointed out that the guest, Michael Gross, is attempting to come forth with an improvement. He would improve the situation by creating a distinct racially profiled line. He is bringing forth racism as an improvement. I suspect previous laws governing racism were seen as improvements.

I would argue differently. This is another form of collective punishment. The vast majority who would stand in that line are forced to suffer a type of cultural humiliation, a disruption beyond ordinary disruption. At what point does the separation that is inflicted at the airport end and when does an acceptance begin. How does the cleared person in the line dust themselves off and proceed to get welcomed back into the fold of the others. Would the line at the airport be the only line? Probably not.

There is anti-moslem sentiment in the US at this time. Check out the website little green footballs and see for yourself.

Here's a simple observation. Twenty five years ago the people on the left side of the political spectrum, people like me, would be called commies. The failure of communism and the initial end of the cold war ( which incidentally is once again being revved up by the present administration) put an end to that labelling for the most part. Now people on the left side of the spectrum are called "Islamo Fascists" by the same name callers. (note: some call lefties "Commie Islamo Fascists" which is my kind of absurdity.)

Running parallel to this name calling is a parallel racism. Blacks are out at least from the point of view of being on the forward edge line of racism though of course clearly in the main body. Now the new racism is focussed on the Moslems. A substitution has occurred and little improvement is in sight.

Painting is by Duchamp