War veteran charged after bomb comment

The Globe and Mail ^ | Thursday, October 4, 2001 | Canadian Press

[jalisco555]

CHARLOTTETOWN -- An 81-year-old man is facing a criminal charge and has been banned from flying with Air Canada for life after asking a baggage handler in Charlottetown whether she was looking for a bomb in his wife's change purse.

Elmer Blanchard, a frail Second World War veteran, thought it was an innocent question. He was wrong.

Minutes later, he was arrested by Charlottetown city police, charged with uttering bomb threats and taken to the police station, photographed and fingerprinted.

His wife, Albina, was hauled into a separate room, questioned and informed that her husband was being charged under the Criminal Code and that neither of them would be allowed to fly with Air Canada again.

Mrs. Blanchard said she's shocked, and now worried about her husband's health.

Since the incident Monday, she said, her husband won't eat, has stopped talking and just lies there -- sometimes with tears in his eyes.

The decorated veteran had never been in trouble with the law. Now, he faces a court hearing in Charlottetown next month. The maximum penalty for a conviction on the offence is two years in jail.

"I'm telling you, I don't know if I can go through this," Mrs. Blanchard said, choking back tears.

"He didn't mean it. He just said it as a matter of speech. She was looking through this little bag of mine. There was jewellery in there and there was money in there . . . and Elmer was right behind me, and he said 'Are you looking for a bomb?' "

The Blanchards summer in their hometown of Tignish, PEI, and spend the winters in Dundas, Ont.

After being released from police custody, the Blanchards booked a flight on Canada 3000 out of Moncton.

Their daughter, Gail McMillan, who lives in Paris, Ont., said she believes that security officials overreacted.

Ms. McMillan was supposed to pick up her parents at the airport in Toronto when she received a call saying that they were not on board the plane.

"All the man said -- and I shouldn't say 'all' because he shouldn't have said it -- but all he said was 'Are you looking for a bomb?' " Ms. McMillan said. "He's an 81-year-old man who has never, ever, ever had a brush with the law, who was in the war for five years. He's in shock. He just can't believe that he could be in so much trouble for making that comment."

Charlottetown Police Constable Gary Clow said that in light of what happened in the United States, the police department couldn't take any chances. But he said any time such a statement is made, the police are called.

Mike Campbell, general manager of the Charlottetown Airport Authority, said the matter is out of his hands. He did say that such incidents are "very, very rare" for the Island's main airport.

Mr. Campbell said the airport's security measures were in place well before the terrorist attacks and have not been changed.

Mrs. Blanchard said she's trying to find a lawyer and figure out how they can get back to the Island for the court appearance. Air Canada is the only airline to fly into Prince Edward Island regularly.

[Cachelot]

I'd rather be surrounded by jihadi wackjobs than these brainless twits in the gubmint.

Problem is, sometimes they seem to be one and the same.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Demn, straight!
The next time one of those 'differently abled' jailors asks me,
"Would you mind if I remove your restraints?"
I will stoop as straight as possible and in my loudest voice whisper,
"Yes! Yes I would mind."
After all, the handcuffs are for my own safety.

[Publius6961]

Their daughter, Gail McMillan, who lives in Paris, Ont., said she believes that security officials overreacted.

Ya think??

The usual excesses of the stupid exercising power.
Identical to the zero tolerance joke in our schools.

[Publius6961]

Government has no incentive to prevent real terrorism.

Like every other law, it is much easier to go after the average citizens on technicalities, than to face real criminals.

That could be like... dangerous, you know?

[Publius6961]

Oh yeah! An over reaction but still should have had more sense than to say bomb

I hope you have the same clarity of mind when you're 81...

[Billy_bob_bob]

Just another story to throw on the pile of reasons why I would rather drive a thousand miles than fly. Air travel was already so bad that it has become a standing joke. Now it is going to be even worse. You couldn't pay me to fly anymore.

[thinking]

Canadians sure are a tough lot, considering that Toronto is over-run with terrorists...Vancouver is run by East Indian and Chinese mafia....

[Wurlitzer]

"Oh yeah! An over reaction but still should have had more sense than to say bomb "

I don't see any threat in asking "are you looking for a bomb?". If he has been properly quoted, there was no threat. He did not say, there is a bomb in there or look out for the bomb. He asked if the person was looking for a bomb.

Using the same lack of logic, I would be guilty of yelling "Fire" in a theatre if I asked, "has this theater ever had a fire? I used both spellings of theater for our Canadian friends.

[NewAmsterdam]

There are always little bullies in our midst. They thrive on bureaucracies and they love it when they can exert there petty powers on the grounds of 'health and safety'. That is another reason why America should get on with life as swiftly and normally as possible. Don't believe all the scares you hear and remember: fear can be exploited by your own government to gain more powers as much as it can be exploited by terrorists. This poor man should be let off immediately and the people who treated him so disgracefully should be demoted and made to apologise publicly. The little fascists.

[Dan Day]

My Dad is 80 years old and a WWII Vet. he still calls fly spray "bug bomb" or just "bomb"

About fifteen years ago now, a co-worker of mine in the oil industry took a commercial flight to bring a piece of oilwell data logging equipment to a work site.

When he got to the security checkpoint, the folks there took a look at the odd-looking narrow tubular device, several feet long, and scratched their heads. "What is this?", they asked.

My co-worker answered without thinking, calling the device by its standard industry name: "It's a pressure bomb".

Much excitement ensued.

[Nov3]

You guys are real pieces of work. I don't think he should be in jail. It was a blatant over reaction by the security personel but, anybody talking about bombs in an airport now needs to have their head examined. It is plain stupid. (Like arresting an 80 year old man.)

It is stupid, stupid, stupid. It is the rough equivalent of the idiots who made statements on this forum that could be construed as threatening to Clinton over the last few years. Anybody could tell the difference but the secret service is still going to show up. That is their job. Wake Up

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Yes sir!
From now on I'll simply shut up and take it.
I see the error of my ways.
Thank you so much.

Before you go, could you possibly loosen my restraints just a bit?
But don't take them off, they're for my own protection!
Thanks.

[Nov3]

Before you go, could you possibly loosen my restraints just a bit?

Is the asylum hospital staff restraining you? If not go down to the airport and start talking about bombs!

Again what happened to this guy is ridiculous but anyones intelligence is seriously suspect if they expect to go to an airport and talk to security staff about bombs, guns, knives etc. What do you think the staff has, brains or orders?

[freefly]

They sure are tough when they can go up against an old
man that they KNOW was just making a casual statement.
A classic example of petty little people getting their
rocks off by pushing around someone that won't/can't fight back.
(I wonder how they would fare against a REAL terrorist.)
It's also a good example of why giving them that power
for ANY reason, turns out to be a terrible mistake.
I worry about clowns like these a LOT more than I do about "terrorists".
I can deal with a criminal if he tries to act against me.
Bullies like these have their abusive actions fully backed by the "law".
You have little recourse when they use their authority against you.
Of course, the excuse is that they are doing it "for the public good".
But the truth is that busting an old man for the crime of using the
word "bomb" in their hearing doesn't make anyone safer
and they certainly aren't doing "the public" any good.

[WhiteyAppleseed]

maybe they'll start over-reacting when someone that is wearing cologne and has a pack of smokes in his pocket and also fits the bill of a terrorist, though dressed like a yuppie, tries to cross in and out of the country, eh?

[MrBambaLaMamba]

As long as I shut up, don't say any of the words on the PC list of sacred "Evil" utterances, and take whatever idiocy comes down the pike I'll be "safe".
As long as I put up with being protected by 'differently abled' folk I'll be "safe".

You just don't get it, do you?

[MrBambaLaMamba]

"...What do you think the staff has, brains or orders?"

On second thought, you do get it.
And you think it is a reasonable idea.
Could it be that you one of those giving the orders to our 'differently abled" protectors?
Is this the best solution you could come up with?

"Mindless automatons, your leader demands that you profile/detain anyone saying these words..."

[Nov3]

As long as I shut up, don't say any of the words on the PC list of sacred "Evil" utterances, and take whatever idiocy comes down the pike I'll be "safe".
As long as I put up with being protected by 'differently abled' folk I'll be "safe".

You just don't get it, do you?

"...What do you think the staff has, brains or orders?"

On second thought, you do get it.
And you think it is a reasonable idea.
Could it be that you one of those giving the orders to our 'differently abled" protectors?
Is this the best solution you could come up with?

"Mindless automatons, your leader demands that you profile/detain anyone saying these words..."

It could be that I think it is unbelievably stupid to go to an airport now and talk about bombs and expect you will get no reaction! I urge you to go down to the airport and start talking about bombs. If you don't have an airport nearby go to a movie theatre and yell fire.

Now I need to get back to oppressing. It is a hard job but someone has to do it. My automatons look leaderless. "Hey frisk that ninety year old man lackey" "That six year old kid fits the profile"

[MrBambaLaMamba]

I'm from the pre-PC era and know that sticks and stones can hurt me, while names cannot.

I recognise the need for effective security,
but do not understand how by not uttering certain words to 'official' staff
I or anyone else is made safer. Please explain

You'll recall that the gentleman in question did NOT indescriminantly shout out the word 'Bomb' inthe airport, as is implied by your reference to shouting "Fire" in a theatre.

Again, am I to believe that because no one is permitted to say certain words, my personal safety is enhanced?
How?

[Alfredo52]

Unless Air Canada acts quickly to come to the legal aid of this 5-year war veteran, I say any American or Canadian who flies on Air Canada is a traitor who dishonors all Allied veterans.

An 81-year-old veteran asking a legitimate, benign question about security is not a security threat.

"This needs a FREEP!!!! HELP THIS MAN OUT AGAINST THE GESTAPO!"

Would it help to contact the Canadian government?

I do not have contact info for the Air Canada CEO, but
please feel free to contact the Air Canada ombudsman:

Her name is
Michelle Perreault-Ieraci

Mailing Address:
Office of the Ombudsman - Air Canada
Sun Life Building, zip 1193
1155 Metcalfe St.
MONTREAL QC   H3B 4T5
CANADA

E-mail: ombudsman@aircanada.ca

Phone:
1 888 682-7576
(514) 390-2600

Fax:
1 888 756-5221
(514) 393-9883