A STORY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF LOGIC AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.

When my kids were small, the mother of a friend would babysit them. Often, the kids and I would take her to the grocery store on the way home. (She did not drive.)
At the time, I enjoyed picking up and examining other people's discarded items (trash, to some). It can be very revealing and funny. This was also a fairly short time after 911.
On the way into the grocery store, one afternoon, I bent over to pick up a business card. The babysitter scolded me for picking up other people's crap in front of the kids. It's unsanitary and it would give them the idea they should also pick up garbage. (Not that that would be a bad thing, if they threw it away).
I then noticed Arabic writing on the back of the card. "This is cool," I said and showed it to her.
"Oh my God! You should call the police, or the FBI. That's evidence! It could be part of some plot!"
"Rosie," I said calmly, "It's probably someone's grocery list. Think about it logically. Even if it WAS some terrorist's plot, what makes you think they'd be living in this town? Why would they be so careless with something important to their plot? Do you think EVERY Arab is a terrorist?"
No," she replied, "but this one might be. Why take chances?"

To this day, I've kept the card but refuse to have it translated. I think it makes a better story not to know.
Prejudice stems from ignorance. We really need to better educate folks.