The terrorist attacks on 9/11 were a horrific time in our nations history so what do they have to do with our newly crowned 2014 Miss America? Maybe it’s the Empire State of New York that’s the commonality they share because it sure isn’t terrorism.

Nina Davuluri, 24, made history by becoming the first Indian-American Miss America and as always social media plays a huge part in displaying the complete ignorance of the clearly uneducated.

Twitter, being the social media giant that it is, prides itself on being a platform for free speech. And with any platform of free speech, we can always expect the unfiltered ignorance of the clueless.

“Congratulations al-Qaeda,” read one of the tweets in a buzz.com post. “Our Miss America is one of you.”

India has nothing to do with Middle Eastern nations or the terrorist organization known al-Qaida.

Another tweet stated, “9/11 was 4 days ago and she gets to be Miss America?”

The focal point of this historical event is completely skewed when it should be solely about the win being the first of its kind.

This is a rare back-to-back win for the state of New York. Davuluri, from Fayetteville NY, won a tiara and a $50,000 scholarship that I’m sure America doesn’t give away to terrorists.

What constitutes being an American anyways?

Kansas’ Theresa Vail, an Army sgt. who won the America’s vote portion of the pageant and is believed to have been the first contestant to openly display tattoos, was a favorite to win. Standard American stereotype, but clearly not enough to claim the title of Miss America.

Are we not the melting pot of all cultures? Isn’t being born here simply enough?

With the constant evolution of our culture as a whole, some traditions are challenged and some are even becoming obsolete. People with ethnic backgrounds are rising in places that used to be dominated by White America.

Race and background come into play with politics as well. Donald Trump is still questioning President Barack Obama’s citizenship, as reported by ABC news.

Ignorance is guided by fear and that fear is guided by change. Some people don’t want to see an Indian-American Miss America just like some people didn’t want to see an African-American as president.

Fortunately, Davuluri took those harsh words in stride, as one would expect from Miss America. USA Today reports that she is “thankful there are children watching at home who can finally relate to a new Miss America.”

Thankfully we live in a nation where people are judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Right?