Posted on 07/15/2004 6:19:30 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever
A WWS Exclusive Article
Note from the Editors: You are about to read an account of what happened during a domestic flight that one of our writers, Annie Jacobsen, took from Detroit to Los Angeles. The WWS Editorial Team debated long and hard about how to handle this information and ultimately we decided it was something that should be shared. What does it have to do with finances? Nothing, and everything. Here is Annie's story.
On June 29, 2004, at 12:28 p.m., I flew on Northwest Airlines flight #327 from Detroit to Los Angeles with my husband and our young son. Also on our flight were 14 Middle Eastern men between the ages of approximately 20 and 50 years old. What I experienced during that flight has caused me to question whether the United States of America can realistically uphold the civil liberties of every individual, even non-citizens, and protect its citizens from terrorist threats.
On that Tuesday, our journey began uneventfully. Starting out that morning in Providence, Rhode Island, we went through security screening, flew to Detroit, and passed the time waiting for our connecting flight to Los Angeles by shopping at the airport stores and eating lunch at an airport diner. With no second security check required in Detroit we headed to our gate and waited for the pre-boarding announcement. Standing near us, also waiting to pre-board, was a group of six Middle Eastern men. They were carrying blue passports with Arabic writing. Two men wore tracksuits with Arabic writing across the back. Two carried musical instrument cases – thin, flat, 18" long. One wore a yellow T-shirt and held a McDonald's bag. And the sixth man had a bad leg -- he wore an orthopedic shoe and limped. When the pre-boarding announcement was made, we handed our tickets to the Northwest Airlines agent, and walked down the jetway with the group of men directly behind us.
My four-year-old son was determined to wheel his carry-on bag himself, so I turned to the men behind me and said, "You go ahead, this could be awhile." "No, you go ahead," one of the men replied. He smiled pleasantly and extended his arm for me to pass. He was young, maybe late 20's and had a goatee. I thanked him and we boarded the plan.
Once on the plane, we took our seats in coach (seats 17A, 17B and 17C). The man with the yellow shirt and the McDonald's bag sat across the aisle from us (in seat 17E). The pleasant man with the goatee sat a few rows back and across the aisle from us (in seat 21E). The rest of the men were seated throughout the plane, and several made their way to the back.
(Excerpt) Read more at womenswallstreet.com ...
I agree with you on all counts.
Racism is a funny thing - it cuts both directions.
I entered a small market just off a major interchange a few months ago. Two people were sitting a car. As I entered the market, 3 people were in the market. 2 of the 3 were visible, the third was behind a display shelf.
As the 2 visible ones were paying, the third stepped up behind me. It was obvious he knew the other 2, so I offered to let him go ahead of me. He declined.
The 2 left, I stepped to the counter as one of them re-entered the store, joining the one behind me.
By this time, I was terrified that a robbery was imminent.
My instinct had told me to leave as soon as I saw the third one partially hidden by the shelf display - I didn't, because it would not have been PC.
Whether I foiled a robbery, or worse, I do not know for sure. I only know that had I been the same race as the other 3, I would NOT have stuck around. Not wanting to appear racist, I endured one of the most terrifying events of my life.
Racism is one thing, suspicious behavior is another. Unfortunately, PC muddies the waters.
For the record, I would have been equally uncomfortable as the woman who wrote this piece; and would have been as uneasy if 14 men of a cook's choice of races were acting so suspiciously.
Whenever I see a headline on FreeRepublic which says "ABSOLUTELY MUST READ," I never read it.
I figure that if the headline by itself does not draw my attention, I won't be interested in the first place.
I agree, but the author's point about the asinine anti-profiling policies is spot on. There weren't any Swedes hijacking those planes on 9/11.
If this kind of thing doesn't bring out righteousness indignation......I really don't know what would.
I've been called down before.
So the next time surely would hurt as bad as being surprised at a knife being stuck in my throat.
No. Don't be silly. Al Qaeda has the ability to figure it out on their own. It only takes a coupld of crazy scientists...
I've said there are ways ... I have not given out which materials would be used and will never talk about that on a public board, but it is extremely easy to destroy planes, sir.
gp !!
Agree with your sentiments and thoughts BTW.
Just wanted to point out that some people forget that WWII was a special case. The commies were on our side so the left in this country were on the side of the war because Uncle Joe Stalin was fighting the same war.
That is emphatically not the case this time.
Big difference. I think even if we were attacked by space aliens the left in this country would take the side of the space aliens. Don't think we'll see WWII type unity again anytime soon.
The airport rent-a-cops are a PC joke.
6/2002 I accidentally smuggled 6 rounds of 357 and a pocket knife in a backpack carry on ... found it the next day in my bag. People make mistakes but they really should have caught that stuff too.
Not all just some. I'm more concerned about the water ways anyway. what Iraq is showing us is that these creeps have more than enough rockets and explosives to do severe damage to our energy industry.
I've never forgotten to take stuff like .38 hollowpoints out of my purse, or pocket knives out of my pockets, but I have forgotten a book of matches in my purse. Nobody every found that...coulda lit off my shoes with them.
"Does it bother anyone else here that this tread is getting a lot of traffic on HOW to blow up a plane?"
Exactly! Lets just help them a little more why don't we!!!! Good grief!
Put 14 guys on one flight, and you don't screen or search them, you limit your options.
It depends on the threat too.
Let's say you want to build something lethal, biologically or chemically.
It wouldn't be far fetched to have each guy carry a component, and have redundancy too. I specifically wouldn't know what simple things you could use to build something really lethal, but I would think those things exist.
What's with the one way tickets too?
You gotta love the MineralMan. He comes on, makes a couple of ridiculous posts and then sits back to see what everybody will say about them. What a strange form of self-gratification. Well, I guess it won't cause you to go blind.
I know that people are making fun of me for my response aobut martial law, but without rooting these no-goods out, every plane can be bombed. And no one is safe. No air marshalls will save a plane bombing. Airports airlines and law enfocement must be held harmless from profiling lawsuits.
No, I dont think they will take over a plane, I think they will blow it up.
And this from your own Free Republic homepage:
Everything I need, or am willing, to say, I say in the threads. I will not reveal my identity on Free Republic, due to a certain element here, for the protection of myself and my family. I do not respond to FreepMail. If you want to discuss something with me, do it in public, please.
Glad to hear you don't live in fear of anyone.
I'm not sure what you mean.
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