My name is Yasmin. My husband got stationed here at Eglin Air Force base three years ago.
I am a Muslim woman, and I'm married to a Christian man.
I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.
We love culture and accept anything that's different, so I never judged another human being by their skin color, religion or what clothes they had on.
I never understood racism or what drove it.
Thursday, in Publix, I experienced first-hand how evil and hateful people can be.
My parents came to visit us from Louisiana, as they usually do. We mostly get stares of curiosity when we are in public (her stepmother wears a traditional head scarf), but nothing alarming.
My family was grocery shopping and doing things normal people do at a grocery store. We had a (basket) full of food, as we were going to barbecue the second we got home since we're celebrating the purchase of our property and home here in Crestview.
We turned the corner out of an aisle and a man threw a pack of bacon onto our groceries and said, 'Merry Christmas, buddy.'
My father replied kindly, "Thank you." My dad is 55 years old, and I can see the pain in his eyes for my 2-year-old baby brother, who was sitting in the cart.
Twenty years ago, my dad would have shot off at the mouth to this guy — but I saw a different, fragile old man.
My heart instantaneously crumbled into a million pieces.
I turned around and asked the man, "Why would you do something like that?"
He said, "Because I can!"
I realized he had his son with him, who didn't look older than 9. I saw he was in a tan mechanic shirt, and I said to him, "That's absolutely disgusting of you, that you're doing this in front of your son, teaching him hate in his heart.
"What a wonderful example you are."
My husband, who has been serving in the military since 2007, was beside himself and was overcome with emotion.
He didn't understand the tears rolling down my face. He is white and never experienced anything like this before. He couldn't believe it, and confronted the man, who laughed.
We are Americans, just like you.
We cry with you and we bow our heads and pray when we have fallen service members.
We place our hand over our heart when we hear the Pledge of Allegiance, just like you.
We are not different, and our faith and the color of our skin doesn't define us.
We are afraid too — but we shouldn't be afraid because of my religion.
We are fighting the same enemy — we are not the enemy.
We are ordinary people, just trying to get by.
I am afraid and tormented for the world that our children have to grow up in.
Just remember: the man you laughed at for asking you why would you do something so cowardly to his family in Publix served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And continues to serve daily for your right to do something so hateful.
Yasmin Saunders and her family live in Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SAUNDERS: Anti-Muslim sentiment saddens Crestview resident