The thing about Jerry Della Femina is that he likes to stir things up. Cause trouble. Be controversial. And truthfully, that's part of what i've always liked about him. A bunch of years ago i produced a tv show with he and his wife Judy - and the whole idea was that they were willing to break the rules and ask celebs the questions that were impolite, even aggressive. While we haven't spoken in a while, i've always admired his independence, creativity, and willingness to stick his neck out.

So I didn't pick up The Independent expecting Jerry's column to be anything less.

I won't bore you with my retelling of it - the summary is his proposal that all of the luxury travel to the Hamptons (the Jitney, Luxury Liner, nightclubs, etc) stop and search all Arabs (or Muslims as he swaps the terms) so that no one bombs the Hamptons. Read Jerry's Ink for yourself.

I read this - and i see the future of our country flash before my eyes. We're about freedom, but it's ok to profile anyone we think might endanger us. We're about free speech (after all Jerry can print his newspaper) but if anyone criticizes our government, or the president, well then - let's profile them as well. Oh, and what about wealthy advertising exec's who've move out to the hamptons and made a career out of tilting at windmills. I'm pretty sure that there are some old money Hamptonites who'd call Jerry a credible threat to their way of life.

You see - Jerry - freedom isn't a switch you can turn on and off. And it's been turned on for you in a way that has resulted in very comfortable life. So when a young Pakistani, or Indian, or Arab, or Turkish young man gets off the bus in East Hampton... he arrives with all the promise of a country that is open to allow anyone (even a carpetbagger like you) to speak your mind. And once we tell him that freedom doesn't apply to him, well then - we've lied to the world about what WE believe in. And we've created an environment that sows the seeds of hate for not just this generation, but future generations.

Don't get me wrong. I hate being searched at the airport. I hate taking my shoes off. But i like being able to write in my blog that the movie about the President called "First Daughter" with Michael Keaton, Forest Whitaker, and Katie Holmes was a bomb.

I don't want the words 'bomb' and 'president' to get my post flagged by the Secret Service. And btw - Jerry - neither do you.

The world is a complex place. And the issues that we face aren't simple. For a country of immigrants to become ethnocentric is bizarre. And when people like Jerry - first generation success stories who've made their millions by embracing freedom of speech - decide that they can discriminate against people and think it's funny. Well, that's just downright frightening.

It's not about "profiling" it's about freedom. And no one knows more about freedom that Jerry Della Femina.

Jerry - i hope you don't mean what you wrote. it wasn't funny.