Excellent! This should be good fuel for his lawsuit.
Well, I don't see either JetBlue or TSA making any overtures to settle yet, so this may take a while. I'm willing to bet someone high up in TSA is carrying JetBlue's water on the national security tag.
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So just because of overzealous police officers, and a people in fear.. it's a bad idea to wear a harmless t-shirt, in America?? Our country continues its gradual decline..
My personal opinion is that I fully support and back freedom of speech, however, we live in a time (post-9/11) of uncertainty and high alert. Although this particular man is an honest, non-harmful human being who even works for a peace organization, the fact that his shirt shows Arabic writing saying "We Will Not Be Silent" is uncomforting to see at an airport. What does that mean? That's like trying to send a message. It's not like it showed Arabic writing with the words "Go Yankees" because many other languages have such shirts translated like that.
If anything, JetBlue was very fair in that they purchased him a new shirt. His claim that the TSA should have told everyone that it's fine is just not enough. Why shoul X amount of people be inconvenienced and scared because of one person's shirt? It's not the Arabic writing that I have a problem with, it is the phrase that it translates to AND it being at an airport in today's world.
I couldn't disagree more. When you feed mindless sensitivity, it grows. What we need are flash mobs of hundreds of people wearing shirts like that. Maybe then, people won't be scared of stupid sh*t.
To bad the OP isn't around to respond to the DOT's ruling that what the airline did was a legal violation of the passengers rights. I thought it would workout the way it did.
I couldn't disagree more. When you feed mindless sensitivity, it grows. What we need are flash mobs of hundreds of people wearing shirts like that. Maybe then, people won't be scared of stupid sh*t.
No, they'd be more scared, and clamoring for the police to buy those microwave pain/burn generators to break up the unlawful assembly.
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I am really disturbed by how many people here think that "it's a bad idea" to wear a T-shirt with a vaguely political message at an airport in America in 2008.
The founding fathers should be turning in their graves.
I am really disturbed by how many people here think that "it's a bad idea" to wear a T-shirt with a vaguely political message at an airport in America in 2008.
The founding fathers should be turning in their graves.
They are. I wish I could hook a generator to them. I could probably light a small town.
__________________ Department of Homeland Security sounds better in the original German: Heimatsicherheitsministerium
Has anyone found a link to a letter with a DOT seal on it. I'd like to add such a letter to my anti racist carry on documentation that I have to pull out from time to time when traveling.
Has anyone found a link to a letter with a DOT seal on it. I'd like to add such a letter to my anti racist carry on documentation that I have to pull out from time to time when traveling.
I've been looking and haven't found one. Got an email in to the ACLU requesting more information.
__________________ Department of Homeland Security sounds better in the original German: Heimatsicherheitsministerium
The statement on the Tee shirt was as apolitical a statement as I have ever read. The racists who are so offended by a simple statement but are perfectly happy to vote for Nazis dressed up as american war heros or pigs wearing lipstick, or attend churches where the most vile hatred is spewed out against every other creed need to get a life.
It saddens me so much to see this in America - honestly the terrorists managed to change the way we live - so who won??? They changed most of us into quiverving, submissive hunks of jelly - especially when we fly - so who won?? They changed the belief that the majority of Americans will fight to their death in support of their constitutional righs - so who won??? I fully agree with enhanced security measures - and I agree with keeping a close eye on people etc. In fact I fully agree with profiling (racial or otherwise - by the way I'm brown) - and I'm not apt to get worked up about ID check requirements at security checkpoints etc. But a T-Shirt - c'mon.....
I've lived in countries where Freedom of Speech is nothing more than a pipe dream - and a guaranteed night, or longer, in Jail, or worse, for offending/scaring the wrong person/religion/ethnicity. Trust me - if some of the people here who are "understanding" of this whole B6/TSA approach lived there - they'd appreciate it better.
I wish people would try to understand why the founding fathers fought so hard for the Constitution and Amendments. Don't forget Benjamin Franklin: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. "
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PhlyingRPh
Has anyone found a link to a letter with a DOT seal on it. I'd like to add such a letter to my anti racist carry on documentation that I have to pull out from time to time when traveling.
Unfortunately, I don't think a letter with the biggest seal in the world will make a difference to some of these TSA types. All I can suggest is know your rights, stay calm, explain the law and tell them something like, "I have the phone number of [the ACLU/a PIRG that handles civil rights law/etc.] and if I have to call them it's going to get very unpleasant for everyone."
I hate the fact that people use 9/11 as a carte blanche excuse for this kind of crap. That's unacceptable, 9/11 or not. Seriously, get over it. It's a hole. People died. Memorialise it, throw flowers in it, whatever, fill the hole, build something and move on. We need to stop dwelling on the past if we're to move forward. 7 years isn't long enough for "closure"?
Seriously, what's the difference between "We will not be silent", "Nous ne serons pas silent" and نحن لن نصمت?
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
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Last edited by stupidhead; Oct 14, 08 at 10:25 pm.
