Column on Arabs strikes a nerve

The News & Observer ^ | 16 September 2005 | JANE STANCILL, Staff Writer

[Dawsonville_Doc]

I don't know about cavity searches within a 100 yard radius, but I have no problem with x-rays or persons, explosives sniffing dogs at checkpoints, explosives detectors in airport trams and in airplane doorways...and special attention paid to those who would more likely be a terrorist than the caucasian woman in a wheelchair(who should also be x-ray checked...). This student now finds herself with some free time...Rush? Sean? Ann? Need a new writer?

[Dark Skies]

Sounds like a career is born.

[Dawsonville_Doc]

Ping others as you see fit...

[highlymotivated]

One of the new things in the terrorist world is "Womb Bombs"! The women pack in the explosive and without a cavity search, you ain't finding it. They can pack in enough Semtex to take down a place if they do it right. These vermin need to be expunged from the world.

[highlymotivated]

oops, place = plane.

[LibWhacker]

"The image of naked Arabs in a public airport is not only truly horrifying..."

Be fun if they were infidels though.

[Dawsonville_Doc]

without a cavity search, you ain't finding it

An explosives-sniffing dog would find that, I believe. And I *do* want little old ladies in wheelchairs sniffed...I just want more likely suspects sniffed more.

[Tax-chick]

I think her comments were disgusting and immature, quite to be expected of a 20-year-old with pretensions to "journalism." Give it a pass because you don't expect anything better of students ... but making her a heroine because she's into exposing other people to humiliation is just silly, imo.

[highlymotivated]

No doubt but imagine a woman's reaction to a dog sniffing her crotch! And the use of perfume can cover the scent I believe. If the pooch alerts on her in a public area, you KNOW that the poopy will hit the fan! Ted Kennedy will bloviate for weeks on it!

[af_vet_1981]

All she had to was use a good editor. Substitute the word "Arab" with "suspected terrorist" and I don't see a problem with the searches.

[Dallas59]

What does she look like? < /dirtyoldman>

[King Prout]

she engaged in hyperbole to excess, but as she phrased it as her own desire/opinion, rather than a statement of fact, I am unsure there is a problem with what she said.

on the other hand... Chechnyans are often enough blonde-and-blue, and they also practice -ah!- "explosive diplomacy", so RACIAL profiling is probably not a particularly wise option.

strip-searching anyone who refuses to step on a Koran or eat a ham sandwich, otoh, might make a lot of sense.

[Inyokern]

Ann Coulter's comment that if she ever wanted physical intimacy, she would walk through airport security

Hmmm. Playing passenger and security screener with Ann Coulter. That's a fantasy I had not previously thought of.

[Dawsonville_Doc]

I agree that her remarks are immature, not well written, and needed editing. But that's not why she was dismissed, and we all know it. I haven't seen the resulting press coverage, so I don't know if she was made a heroine or not. I would be willing to bet you a steak dinner at Morton's that other equally poor writers have written equally poor articles in the school rag from a leftist slant, and they remain on staff.

[Tax-chick]

other equally poor writers have written equally poor articles in the school rag from a leftist slant, and they remain on staff

I don't doubt it for a minute. That was why I said she should get a pass - because this is what student journalism is like, as a rule.

[Prime Choice]

Now-now! Can't go and offend the Arab street y'know!

[groovychick]

This would not have been a problem for anyone if it was
derogatory of conservatives or the president.

[groovychick]

I meant of course anyone of our intellectual elite
hairbrained college professors etc......

[Dawsonville_Doc]

The fired journalist's letter to the Editor of The Daily Tar Heel, from which she was dismissed...

http://www.dailytarheel.com/vnews/display.v/ART/432a4ce19fe9e

[thoughtomator]

"I fired her because she strung together quotes out of context," wrote Coletta, 21, a senior from Cary. "She took sources' words out of context. She misled those sources when she conducted interviews."

In other words, she's perfectly qualified for a job at the NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times, CNN, ABC, CBS, etc. etc. etc.