CAN'T WE GET ALONG?

[rooter]

ON A FLIGHT OUT OF LONDON TO THE US, ONE ARAB IN THE WINDOW SEAT, THE OTHER IN THE MIDDLE SEAT, AN AMERICAN ON THE ISLE. PROMTLY INTO THE FLIGHT, THE AMERICAN KICKED OFF HIS SHOES. SOON ONE OF THE ARABS SAID HE NEEDED TO GET UP TO GET A BEER. THE AMERICAN TOLD HIM, NEVER MIND, HE'D FETCH THE BEER FOR HIM. AS SOON AS THE AMERICAN LEFT, THE ARAB WHO WANTED THE BEER SPIT, SPIT INTO ONE OF THE AMERICAN'S SHOES. A LITTLE WHILE LATER THE SECOND ARAB REMARKED THAT BEER SURE SOUNDED GOOD AND HE WANTED A BEER SO THE ENTIRE ROUTINE REPEATED ITSELF---THE SPITTING INTO THE OTHER SHOE BY THE SECOND ARAB. HOURS LATER AS THE PLANE APPROACHED JFK AIRPORT, THE AMERICAN SLID HIS FEET INTO HIS SHOES AND IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY", THE AMERICAN ASKED PLEADINGLY, "HOW MUCH LONGER DOES THIS HAVE TO GO ON---THIS HATERD, THIS ANIMOSITY, THIS FIGHTING BETWEEN OUR NATIONS--THIS SPITTING IN SHOES, THE PISSING IN THE BEER-----"? CHIEF