The United Arab Emirates-owned company backed out of the controversial deal yesterday that would have given them operational status of a dozen terminals at six U.S. ports. The deal, which has dominated the headlines since coming to light a month ago, created so much opposition and controversy that the company agreed to transfer operations to an American entity, after Senate leaders pronounced the deal dead on Capitol Hill yesterday afternoon.

Finally the nation has spoken – since, according to recent opinion polls, over 70 percent of Americans were against the deal. But why?

Why has the operating of a dozen terminals at six U.S. ports caused such uproar among Americans who generally pay no attention to contracts and deals? Oh yeah, because the deal involved Arabs.

How easy it is to forget that ethical thinking and moral standards are cast aside when someone from the Middle East is involved – they’re all terrorists, you know.

It’s becoming difficult to stomach; the regression this country has been in since 9/11 is staggering. At times we think that we are becoming a more secure and aware country. Watch out for that backpack that kid just put down, it could be a bomb! But instead we are becoming more afraid, more judgmental and dare I say, racist.

But it’s true, just listen to us. Seventy percent of Americans oppose the idea of an Arab company managing our ports.

Isn’t that strange?

A British firm, which is foreign in case anyone forgot, currently has the contract in question and China – a communist country – had the deal before them. But now there is concern for our ports?

It’s ridiculous.

The concern should be in the security of the port, since only 10 percent of all cargo that enters the ports is inspected. And just so everyone is aware, the United Arab Emirates company was not going to be in charge of any aspect of security. It was strictly a management contract, similar to the contracts that all foreign airlines have at every international airport.

But no one cares about that, this is about race and fear. Had the contract been renewed to the British firm it wouldn’t have made the USA Today national news, but because an Arab country was involved, Americans have become afraid.

Prior to the civil rights movement, older generations were afraid of blacks. Anyone who didn’t live through that era has difficulty imagining how any human being could treat another person the way blacks were treated.

Those who did live during those times often say “It was a different time then,” and apparently that is enough of an explanation.

The port deal is not equally comparable to the civil rights movement, but anyone of a middle eastern decent or who has a Muslim name is subject to extreme racism. Twenty years from now will it really be acceptable to say, “Well it was a different time then?