Ridiculous – Plane Diverted over Praying Jew
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This is not the first time this has happened, and that is sad. Today, a US Airways regional flight, flight 3079 operated by Chautaqua Airlines, from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Louisville, Kentucky was diverted to Philadelphia over a religious issue.
A seventeen year old teen caused the diversion over his use of tefillin. Tefillin are used as part of Jewish morning prayers, and consisting of small boxes, about the size of alphabet blocks. These boxes are attached to leather straps. One is attached to the head, the other to the arm.
Apparently, the leather straps were mistaken for wires, and the whole devices mistaken for a dangerous item. The Flight Attendant became concerned and alerted the pilot. Republic, who owns Chautauqua, issued a statement that the crew attempted to discuss the issue, but did not receive a clear answer, and diverted. An examination of the item should have avoided that, as pictured, they look nothing like a bomb or even an electronic device.
The TSA reported that the teen was “disruptive.” Other reports indicate he was “praying loudly.” We are hoping to hear more from someone who was onboard. All reports agree that the teen explained the significance of the items to authorities on arrival.
The last time we reported an incident with a Jew praying, there were mitigating circumstances, although even then we were critical of it. The man did not speak English or French and could not communicate his intentions. This time, the teen was able to communicate after he and his sixteen year old sister were removed from the plane to the satisfaction of the authorities in Philadelphia. We hope the regional carrier, US Airways, and the TSA issue an apology and take steps to prevent similar incidents.
As one blogger put it, “What’s Next? Dreidels of Mass Destruction?” Will the flight crews and TSA screeners go after any religious paraphernalia? How about Rosary Beads? They could be used as a weapon, couldn’t they?
This, on the face of it, seems to be the most ridiculous thing we’ve heard in a while. But we may not get a clear answer. The airline directed questions about the incident to the TSA, and the TSA directed questions to the airline. But we know what the real problem here. It is what the media has told us to believe post 9/11… “Religious People are Scary.” And with all the fear we are told we should have, the last thing we need to do in the sky is pray…right?
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I understand Richard, this is what I was reacting to: This is also why I believe TSA profiles — it is (as I said earlier) to give the illusion of safety. (And as I said earlier, this is despicable).
Let me put it in an easier way, by using racial profiling it is giving “satisfaction” to those “seeking full safety” when flying.
Thing is, the satisfaction they are seeking is racial profiling.
I feel like I’m having a literary tongue twister here trying to explain what I mean. It’s visual what I am trying to explain. You have the passengers who have been whipped into fear that if they get on a plane with anyone looking Middle Eastern or Muslim OOOO boy, don’t want to get on that plane! So then, in order to SATISFY that person who is fearful SOLELY based on the ethnicity/religion of that “strange looking passenger”, you take that person aside and pat em up one side and down the next, give the wand over and over, empty out the contents of all baggage, WHATEVER it takes, BECAUSE you want the passenger who is afraid of the “strange one” to feel safe!
My question of Editorsteve goes not to the inefficacy in doing this as a safety measure, which is what I think he meant, but maybe not, but to try to flip it around to see that this isn’t about SAFETY at all! It’s about our government feeding and perpetuating racism in those who lap it up because they are so damn sure they’re right! Those darn Arabs/Muslims should be scrutinized. So rather than fostering what Obama “promised”, this is really bad!
OK, hope my attempt at un-tongue twisting worked. It isn’t about giving a false sense of security, it’s about what you are DOING to give it and what you are FOSTERING in those demanding it.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
In my opinion, Robin, I don’t think the TSA gives a damn if we feel safe or not. A large part of the obsessive, paranoid racial profiling and excessive security is to shield themselves from blame in the event another panties bomber, or some other kind of “terrorist,” comes down the pike. One cannot fail to recall that the first reaction to the panty bomber episode was, “whose fault is it, whom do we flog?” and the answers went from the Israelis to the folks at the airport in Amsterdam who sold the guy his ticket in cash. (If buying a ticket with cash is so suspicious, why do they accept cash in the first place?)
The objectives are avoiding liability, crowd control and then safety, in that order. They don’t care about passenger comfort; they would be happy to make us fly in paper gowns and give us nothing to eat but stale pretzels on international flights. They don’t make an example of “female possibles” like Shirin, for the sake of reassuring nervous travelers; on the contrary, the purpose is, at least in part, to make everybody feel nervous and intimidated (crowd control). It’s a display for the benefit of anyone watching.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
I agree Mary, completely. I think we are saying the same thing in different ways. It is display, but as Editorsteve pointed out correctly, it is done in the guise of providing safety and WHAT is done is neither Constitutional or moral for the recipient of the profiling nor serving any purpose for the fearful one other than to satisfy and cement that fear. Profiling and targeting certain individuals doesn’t alleviate fear, it puts a rubber stamp on it. That’s where Editorsteve gets it wrong in saying “it is our complaining that people are irrational and our belief that government can change their minds”. The government IS playing a mind game in choosing to act in this fashion. Question is, then what? Who benefits from this? Neither of the parties involved, but rather the powers that be. The hair on my neck raises in a cold shiver as to what this is doing to our society.
As for shielding themselves, what did this latest incident result in? Upping the ante on more profiling, not just tightening the system which failed big time. (not to mention justify further US involvement in Yemen)
And this is “hope” and “change”, ah, that’s a different subject:) Or is it? Where is the ADC? James Zogby? Where are they now…………..
Something has gone very very wrong.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
We’ve actually seen plenty of evidence that government changes people’s minds, despite editorsteve’s claim to the contrary. One of the most fascinating books I read on the subject of 9/11 is Susan Faludi’s “Terror Dream,” which, although the book spent a lot of time on the feminist issues of heroes and damsels in distress, still opened a window of insight into the collective psychology of a society that has throughout its history sought out and constructed its entire mindset on its imagined need to be ever vigilant against enemies. Faludi takes an interesting idea and runs with it – that the western male-dominated society, and its government, overreacted to being brought to its knees by a bunch of eastern Arabs and has been trying to regain its feeling of superior strength, intelligence and fighting power ever since. This tragic occasion of the US’ being knocked off its proverbial high horse on 9/11 has been a catalyst setting in motion a lot of changes in our lives, many of which make no logical sense and many of which seem reaction-based. The need to regain the sense of control we used to have, the previous feeling of being invulnerable, is making us go to crazy lengths to recapture our old confidence. Other countries experience terrorist attacks but do not react the way the Americans do, because their societies are not built on the American myth.
I still think this kind of hysteria is going to escalate; I don’t know how close this boy came to being assaulted or worse, but it is bound to happen in the future, that an innocent person is going to be mistaken for a terrorist by a hysterical airline employee or fellow passenger, with tragic results.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
I agree with you, Mary. It is, first and foremost, about theater – appearing that they are taking it all very seriously and doing something about it. That, and not passenger safety, is the primary reason for the whole barefoot-through-the-checkpoint (which I have never experienced outside the U.S.), liquids-in-tiny-containers-in-a-quart-size-plastic-bag (which is not consistently enforced outside the U.S.) and all the rest of it. It’s mainly all for show, and that whole alleged liquid-mixing plot was a ludicrously unlikely fantasy anyway, and wasn’t it instigated by some undercover moron desperate to snag him some terrorists, or am I confusing it with the ten other heavily publicized “thwarted terrorist plots” that consisted mainly of mentally deficient, drugged-out wannabe so-called Muslin converts who were incited by undercover idiots to come up with fantasy terrorist plots? None of it was designed to protect anything but the asses of the officials who dreamed it up.
Maintaining a perpetually frightened populace is, of course, always a useful thing for a government-industrial complex. In the ’50’s it was duck and cover and dread the red. When that went away they had to replace it with something else to be afraid of.
In my experience, though, international flights are not nearly as affected by the security bullshit or the cost-cutting measures as domestic flights are. When I fly abroad, I generally dread the domestic leg, if there is one, from start to finish, and prefer to avoid a domestic flight if practicable. Security measures outside the U.S. are generally much more reasonable, and in-flight service in quality non-U.S. airlines is about as good as it gets. Singapore, Emirates, and Royal Jordanian are really good, with Royal Jordanian getting extra points for putting extra legroom space between rows, and Emirates getting extra for providing electrical power outlets in coach. Stupid “security” bullshit tends to diminish as you get farther from the U.S.
As for someone like me being regularly called out as a “female possible”, I’m still not sure what that is about. It generally happens well before I arrive at the airport, since it’s all based on a code on my boarding pass. It doesn’t happen every time, so it doesn’t seem that I am on some sort of “suspect list”, but it is far too frequent to be random. And there is no way it is profiling based on appearance.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
The ADC?! Jim Zogby?! give me a break! Their main goal for more than a decade has been to prove that they are “real Americans” by toadying as much as possible. Some of us have predicted that it won’t be long before they start sending speakers to the AIPAC convention. Many of us severed our relationships with ADC in disgust even before they changed the name of the organization from Arab-American to American-Arab, and when they did that we knew we had been right.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
Anyone who thinks the government does not change people’s minds has lost any connection with reality. Does the government change people’s minds? Let me count the ways. We can start with Goebbels’ famous statement about repeating lies often enough.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
“There are more Jewish terrorists targeting the US than Muslim.”
As tempting as that is, it is not a logical interpretation of the data presented.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
I was being fecetious Shirin. What you wrote is exactly what I meant concerning the ADC and Zogby. Caspar Milquetoasts who do nothing whatsoever of value except to serve as token trophy wives to this administration.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
Oh, good. I am relieved! Facetiousness doesn’t always read well in this medium.
ADC is the Uncle Touma (Touma being Arabic for Thomas) of Arab “activist” groups, shuffling and grinning for the master, and hoping one day to be mistaken for a white man. Even our local Arab community center is stronger in dealing with issues than ADC, even though we have to be extremely careful about political actions because we receive government funding for our social service programs and with that funding come very strict restraints. Nevertheless, we manage to keep our integrity very well, which ADC stopped doing quite some time ago. Years ago a bunch of us got fed up and split off from the national group to form our own rather loose-knit activist group, and maybe four or five years ago the local ADC chapter (which I resigned from a long time ago) separated from ADC and changed its name, and is now doing a lot of great work locally on a political, social, and cultural level. None of us has any use at all for ADC, and in all honesty, I don’t think about it much anymore at all.
This comment was originally posted on Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place