$400,000 Award to Passenger Mistaken for a Terrorist

[Bob Owens]

Post 9/11 folks....we are living in a whole different time and place these days. Call it fear, haste, ignorance or whatever you want. Muslims, Middle-Easterners or whatever you choose to call those who resemble the terrorist's ethnicity, like it or not are looked upon differently in the United States since 9/11. Right or wrong that's the way it is. As inconvenient as it may be I would rather err on the side of caution. I would hope there would be some sort of understanding. If I were living in a different country where people who looked just like me blew up buildings and killed thousands I would understand the suspicion and reaction.

Blame the terrorists not basic human instinct.

Well Bill if you lived in a different country, like Vietnam, Panama, Iraq etc people that looked just like you killed millions.

While most in the world were horrified by Sept 11, many, including some of our closest allies (England for one) were not as sympathetic as you may think. Most people who have had someone killed really dont discriminate between murder through a small terrorist group or murder from a large invading army. England harbored ill will towards the US because most of the funding for the IRA came from the US and England was pissed that the US did not crack down on it till after Sept11. Many people in other countries such as Vietnam, Panama, Grenada etc saw US forces invade their country, often without provocation, and kill many non-combatants.

How would you feel if you were eking out a living and all of a sudden soldiers from some other country came by and blew the crap out of your family and declared "Now you are free. We decided that you were not free and felt that the loss of your family was a price worth paying for the freedom that we decided you should have."

You forget that the US was a major supporter of terrorism in central America where terrorist groups sought to oust democratically elected leaders. In fact US supported and trained terrorists murdered and raped American nuns in central America.

Prior to 9-11 the worst terrorist attack upon the US was made by a white male from middle America. Did McVeigh look more like you or more like Bin Laden? Should we have resorted to restricting the free movement of all white males, especially those with far right political beliefs?
"Confederate flag on his window, bring him in for interrogation." ??

The fact is there are Muslims that have blond hair and blue eyes. If they really want to make an attack they will simply get someone who doesnt fall into the profile. Its been done before, in England a terrorist used a white pregnant woman to unknowingly try bring a bomb onto a plane. She certainly would not have fit the profile.

Profiling does nothing but provide terrorists opportunity, if you want security you have to use the same proceedure for everyone.It may make you feel safer without the hassle of being treated the same way but in fact it puts you more at risk. Dont check Granny with a cane and the terrorists will find a granny with a cane to be the bomb mule if they really want to. Out of the billions of people on the face of the earth they only need one.

There are violent people in every race. You may not be able to help the anxiety you feel but your feelings do not give you the right to infringe upon the rights of others simply due to their appearance and its affect on you. If you cant bear their presence then stay home.Thats one place where you can pick and choose.

9-11 changed OUR world, not everyone elses, they were already there.

 

[Bill]

Bobby, Thanks for the history lesson but we're not children here. I'm well aware of past events. I was not condoning the action just stating what is a reality in our country. We're bullies...no doubt about it. With Dubya at the top of the jungle gym!

 

[Vortilon]

Well Bill if you lived in a different country, like Vietnam, Panama, Iraq etc people that looked just like you killed millions.

While most in the world were horrified by Sept 11, many, including some of our closest allies (England for one) were not as sympathetic as you may think. Most people who have had someone killed really dont discriminate between murder through a small terrorist group or murder from a large invading army. England harbored ill will towards the US because most of the funding for the IRA came from the US and England was pissed that the US did not crack down on it till after Sept11. Many people in other countries such as Vietnam, Panama, Grenada etc saw US forces invade their country, often without provocation, and kill many non-combatants.

How would you feel if you were eking out a living and all of a sudden soldiers from some other country came by and blew the crap out of your family and declared "Now you are free. We decided that you were not free and felt that the loss of your family was a price worth paying for the freedom that we decided you should have."

You forget that the US was a major supporter of terrorism in central America where terrorist groups sought to oust democratically elected leaders. In fact US supported and trained terrorists murdered and raped American nuns in central America.

Prior to 9-11 the worst terrorist attack upon the US was made by a white male from middle America. Did McVeigh look more like you or more like Bin Laden? Should we have resorted to restricting the free movement of all white males, especially those with far right political beliefs?
"Confederate flag on his window, bring him in for interrogation." ??

The fact is there are Muslims that have blond hair and blue eyes. If they really want to make an attack they will simply get someone who doesnt fall into the profile. Its been done before, in England a terrorist used a white pregnant woman to unknowingly try bring a bomb onto a plane. She certainly would not have fit the profile.

Profiling does nothing but provide terrorists opportunity, if you want security you have to use the same proceedure for everyone.It may make you feel safer without the hassle of being treated the same way but in fact it puts you more at risk. Dont check Granny with a cane and the terrorists will find a granny with a cane to be the bomb mule if they really want to. Out of the billions of people on the face of the earth they only need one.

There are violent people in every race. You may not be able to help the anxiety you feel but your feelings do not give you the right to infringe upon the rights of others simply due to their appearance and its affect on you. If you cant bear their presence then stay home.Thats one place where you can pick and choose.

9-11 changed OUR world, not everyone elses, they were already there.

You go ahead and let your guard down all you want, and think happy thoughts. Try to justify your logic by using some weak anti American analogy of the OK city bombing or some liberal clap trap about what really happened in Central America. All I'm sayin is times gonna come when you will be eating your words - but you will not have offended anybody - heaven forbid.

 

[FA Mikey]

Letting your guard down? The so called Liberals are looking for a screening process that better access all people VS. your limited screening of middle eastern men. Never mind the number of white, African and Asian populations of Muslims.

The difference is you want to be reactive, while I want a way to be proactive.

 

[ronaldl79]

$400K? Ridiculous.