Part II: Terror in the Skies, Again? (New Story) Part II: Terror in the Skies, Again?

Women's Wall Street.com ^ | 7/19/04 | Annie Jacobsen

[Chieftain]

This PC crap needs to be tossed into the garbage - right along with these "middle-eastern males".

I printed the original story last week and brought it home. My 21 year old son read it and summed it up in a few words. "These people are IDIOTS! They are so STUPID because they worry about offending someone, and they let the bad guys through, unhampered! I am not surprised at the TSA is fining the airlines and not doing the job of airline security, because the Transportation Secretary is a DemocRAT!".

He is definately getting some great real life political lessons recently!

[Dead Dog]

You got it. I'll find something cool, with airplanes for those of us that buy the gas.

[Solson]

I'm sorry but anyone traveling often usually has a pretty strong suspicion about who they are. As often as you used to travel, I'm confident you would be able to spot them. I do that while I'm waiting for the rest of the plane to board. It's the "who's a marshall guessing game."

Never are they with a spouse, always alone, suit coat on, military style haircut, supportive shoes, etc.

I know we're not SUPPOSED to know but to calm a passenger who is obviously concerned, I'm sure they'll quietly tell someone.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I was the only person who disagreed that it was an attack by Middle Easterners.

Are you so certain that that was not the case? Personally, I think McVeigh knew a lot more than he told. I still wonder what happened to John Doe #2... There were just too many sightings..

As for this airline story, I'm not so sure that the lady in question isn't over-reacting -- although I do think that the whole scenario is suspicious.

I thought the part of the story where the FA said that they were surrounded by Air Marshalls was very strange. I really question if that statement would have been made to a member of the general public.

[Dead Dog]

Really, wouldn't the best security check at an airport be "Please show your weapon has a clear chamber before bording". Then the game would be, "who splurged for the cor-bons".

[Conspiracy Guy]

That's good for me. I am nearing the point of asking the mods to remove all traces of me on this thread.

[Conspiracy Guy]

And after that they tell the passenger that the Captain is concerned.

Yep Marshalls are easy to spot. But a lot of Non-Marshalls look like Marshalls. Either way a flight crew usually wants the passengers calm. I think this lady was hyperventilating or something.

I really would like to ban a lot of people from flying or living in the Great Nation and send them home. Foriegn Muslims and then Lying Democrats. Both are a threat to our future.

Anyway I have been a good sport in spite of being jumped on. To understand me better go to my Profile Page and click, "It's personal", I posted it under my old Freeper name Flurry.

Later.

[Conspiracy Guy]

McVeigh was not alone. But he was not middle eastern.

[Solson]

You've got valid points. I don't think I've been one to jump on you too hard. You're right- trust then verify. But the story sounds legit.

[hattend]

I keep thinking back to a photograph I saw in the Los Angeles Times called "Falling" by Pulitzer Prize winning AP photographer Richard Drew. It's a photograph of a man, his body is stretched out, one knee at a right angle, as if he's lying on a couch, watching television in the living room, relaxing and enjoying life. But he's not. It's a photograph of a man falling from one of the top floors of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. This man jumped to his death, most likely because it seemed a less painful way to die than being engulfed in flames.

This picture is haunting. For a long time I kept it in my office. I still think about this picture and I wonder about this man --- his daily life, what he did for work, what he did for play, what his thoughts were about the world. I think about this person. I think about the meaning of "dry run." And then I think about what it means to be politically correct. And I keep coming up blank.

BTTT

[Conspiracy Guy]

Sorry I wasn't accusing you. I have stirred up a few people though.

Everyone should be vigilant in all surroundings. But why write a story about how scared you were on an incident that so far has proven to be harmless, other than the fact that at least a few of the 14 were A-holes trying to scare folks. It reminds me of the days immediately following 9/11. I got more panic emails than I could shake a stick at from people I thought I knew. To everyone I posted the following.

"Keep you eyes open and be calm. A calm person sees more and reacts better. If it is really suspicious, report it. But stop sending panic emails to everyone or at least me."

These people are still my friends and all realized I was trying to get them over the hysteria.

[exhaustedmomma]

The fact that I quoted Ann Coulter seems to have many people up in arms. I want to be clear -- there is no political agenda here. I quoted Ann Coulter for the information she had, not for who she is. Read the quote again and pretend Joe or Jane Doe wrote it. She states the facts. The facts she states are that 10 days after 9/11, Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta sternly reminded airlines that it was illegal to discriminate against passengers based on their race, color, national or ethnic origin or religion.

This part has always impressed me.

[tubebender]

Bump...

[Solson]

I used to be a bouncer at a pretty popular bar in downtown St. Louis. You always learned to be very vigilant and position yourself appropriately. But if you panicked - you would cause mass chaos. the same goes nowadays.

[Akira]

Bump...she'll be on Scarborough Country tonight.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Exactly. I didn't see it as much on this thread but the original was like someone yelled Fire in a Theater.

[Modernman]

Very good questions. I for one would like to know just what these characters did sfter landing in LA.

That is the missing piece to this puzzle. If, as was claimed by these 14 guys and the TSA, this band went on to play for a month at a casino, this whole story goes away and becomes something mundane (like these guys were doing cocaine in the bathroom).

If nobody can confirm what happened after they got to LA, then this story is relevant.

[Akira]

You make good points. I hope she's not embellishing the story at all. But at the very least, it's providing some of the airline employees a chance to vent some frustration, and also bringing the PC discussion back to the forefront.

[Heff]

Where is the orignal story? I read it from their website, I just wanted to see the comments on FR regarding this issue.

I can't believe this is the first I am hearing of this. This is outragous. We need a big round up and throw these scumbags out of the country once and for all!

[Modernman]

and what do you do when they refuse to take their seats and buckle up?

If I was in the pilot's shoes, I would have done an emergency landing at the nearest airport and had the airport cops storm on board.

I was on a flight from LA to NY where a couple of drunk passengers became unruly. The pilot landed in Denver, cops came on board and we were back in the air in half an hour.