[Pdarassenko]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/06...est=latestnews

SAN DIEGO – A Muslim woman is suing Southwest Airlines for kicking her off a flight from San Diego in March after crew members became suspicious of her behavior, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday night.

Irum Abbasi, a U.S. citizen who emigrated from Pakistan a decade ago, was seated on a plane ready to depart from San Diego for San Jose when a flight attendant became worried about what she thought Abbasi was saying on her cellphone.

Abbasi said she had told the caller, "I have to go" -- but the attendant thought she had said, "It's a go," the Times reported. The San Jose State University graduate student, who was wearing a hijab, the Islamic head scarf, was escorted from the plane by a Transportation Security Administration official.

I don't think I would've sued unless it was a repeated thing. I'd probably stop flying. But here's the thing - if that had been a woman of any other ethnicity or looked like any other woman - let's just say a white woman - and the flight attendant still thought she heard "it's a go" would she have done the same thing I wonder?

This is a case of someone being too paranoid (but then I'll hear "what if it had been an attack?"). THere are lots of "what ifs" in the world. I'm not about to be paranoid and wonder about all of them and second guess every decision I make. When it's my time, it's my time I suppose. (I'd rather not get blown up by a terrorist though).

[alenbarbaf]

Being too "paranoid"? No. "Paranoid" would be the right word if she would have reacted the same way toward someone of another ethnicity. "Prejudice" would be more suitable here.

She got racially and/or religiously profiled.

If I recall correctly, immediately following the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, many of the local Arab Americans were being harassed and detained by the authorities, and others got their property vandalized by neighbors.

Sadly enough, those who pestered the local Arab population didn't have the conscious to regret what they did upon finding out that Timothy McVeigh - a white man - was responsible.

I believe something similar, although on a smaller scale, occurred in reaction the bombing in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics.

[maxfreemann]

Being too "paranoid"? No. "Paranoid" would be the right word if she would have reacted the same way toward someone of another ethnicity. "Prejudice" would be more suitable here.

She got racially and/or religiously profiled.

If I recall correctly, immediately following the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, many of the local Arab Americans were being harassed and detained by the authorities, and others got their property vandalized by neighbors.

Sadly enough, those who pestered the local Arab population didn't have the conscious to regret what they did upon finding out that Timothy McVeigh - a white man - was responsible.

I believe something similar, although on a smaller scale, occurred in reaction the bombing in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics.

Good.

.

[Irravepem]

I don't think I would've sued unless it was a repeated thing. I'd probably stop flying. But here's the thing - if that had been a woman of any other ethnicity or looked like any other woman - let's just say a white woman - and the flight attendant still thought she heard "it's a go" would she have done the same thing I wonder?

She just said the kicker. If the flight attendant says she would have done that reguardless of what race the person is she is clear. She was acting as she thought best and who is to say she didnt actually say "it's a go". Im sure they will settle out of court but it does make it to court Im thinking it will just be dismissed. This chick just wants her 5 minutes of fame.

[inchaaruutaa]

Quite the issue. Yes it probably had to do with how she was dressed and how she looked. However, if she hadnt done anything and thought oh maybe shes just talking about something else the plane got taken over most people would be telling the flight attendant she's stupid.


How many NON muslim people ahve tried to take over a plane? Not many, does it make it hard pill to swallow yes. Tough spot, wouldnt want to be the flight attendant.

[haittiweerved]

I suppose I'm one of the very people who've had the upbringing and the experiences throughout my life to appreciate the life that I'm able to live as a white Anglo-Saxon male in America.

You other jokers haven't the slightest clue.

[Aleksis]

The flight attendant did what she had to do; her job is to protect the citizens on board. She heard or thought she heard something, reported to her higher ups as she should. She didn't make the decision to boot the chick. I'd rather an over cautions flight attendant who acts on the ground instead of waiting till your 50k in the air.

Maybe the chick did say it, now she wants a payoff to finance the real operation. – My Conspiracy theory.

[Rqqneujr]

We should force all the Muslims to wear a yellow crescent moon on their clothes, and tattoo a serial number on their arms.

That way, if one of them is acting suspiciously, a concerned citizen can just take down the serial number, and report it to the Ministry of Peace.

[JonDopl]

This is just like an episode of 30 Rock I saw last night. Tina Fey's character thinks her new neighbor is a terrorist because he has maps on his wall, she sees him and a friend doing some obstacle course thing at the park, and he gets a package that was accidentally sent to her door. So she calls the feds and he gets arrested. Then she finds a package from him at her door, asks her to play it because she's in the media and when she does...it's an application to Amazing Race.

So what happens when white people aren't the "majority" anymore? What happens when your rights are infringed on because you "look" different? You "sound" different? You wear "funny looking" clothes?

All those reasons above are just ridiculous. "Well it COULD have been a terrorist." I "could" be a lot of things but I know I'm not. Anyone "could" be a terrorist. Let's all get on the paranoia train...

[VioletttaJosetta]

We should force all the Muslims to wear a yellow crescent moon on their clothes, and tattoo a serial number on their arms.

That way, if one of them is acting suspiciously, a concerned citizen can just take down the serial number, and report it to the Ministry of Peace.

Yes, because the only available option is the most outlandishly extreme.

We could always pretend that the entire history of plane-based incidents - hijackings and terrorism - does not exist, and that we have no information on the backgrounds of the people that have done such things. Then we just act as if the 70-year old Finnish woman, the 6-year old Japanese boy, and the 29-year old Yemeni man are all equally likely to be a threat and treat them all the same. Seems kind of wasteful and illogical to me.

Or we could recognize that there seems to be a trend, a common thread or two or three, amongst those that have perpetrated these actions, and use that knowledge to concentrate our efforts on those that match those threads. That almost sounds like a smart, efficient way of doing things.

[Biassasecumma]

Doug Stanhope has a great bit on flight attendents. I can't even begin to repeat it here but I suggest looking it up.

This was racial profiling and it sucks but unfortunatly profiling works because profiling works. When they're wrong you get an appology and free flights for a year. I think the TSA has its head up its ass and soon the government will be keeping tabs on us wherever we go (by 2015 all phones will be equiped with GPS if the FCC gets its way). But in the interest of reasonable safety, sometimes the wrong people are going to be questioned and asked to get off a plane. Its going to happen no matter what we do. If you act like a shadey basterd your going to be treated like one. In the passenger's defence dumbass flight attendents shouldn't be in charge of protecting the plane. I don't want to put my life in some moron's hands.

My fix for the TSA, put a trained sky marshal with a gun on every single flight. No need to harrase you customers anymore, if shit gets real, there's someone trained to take care of it on the spot.

[Effopsytupt]

This is just like an episode of 30 Rock I saw last night. Tina Fey's character thinks her new neighbor is a terrorist because he has maps on his wall, she sees him and a friend doing some obstacle course thing at the park, and he gets a package that was accidentally sent to her door. So she calls the feds and he gets arrested. Then she finds a package from him at her door, asks her to play it because she's in the media and when she does...it's an application to Amazing Race.

So what happens when white people aren't the "majority" anymore? What happens when your rights are infringed on because you "look" different? You "sound" different? You wear "funny looking" clothes?

All those reasons above are just ridiculous. "Well it COULD have been a terrorist." I "could" be a lot of things but I know I'm not. Anyone "could" be a terrorist. Let's all get on the paranoia train...

If 99.99% of all hijackings had been perpetrated by white males in their mid-40's with gray hair, a receding hairline, clean-shaven, and wearing Dockers, then I'd anticipate that because I fit that description to a "t", I'd be getting a little extra attention from security.

[Depolit]

So you're saying terrorists are too incompetent to either recruit someone of a different ethnic background, or obtain a fake passport with a different country of origin?

[unlomarma]

So you're saying terrorists are too incompetent to either recruit someone of a different ethnic background, or obtain a fake passport with a different country of origin?

So you're saying we should just ignore that most terrorists share similar traits?

[Prarnenoexpog]

So you're saying we should just ignore that most terrorists share similar traits?

Over there maybe, since most people in the region look like that. I'd expect most terrorists operating in Japan probably would look Asian, just a hunch. Over here they can look like anyone, and often do. I'd say it plays more into the hands of AQ if we only be vigilant when a person of a certain demographic is nearby.

[doctorzlo]

Hey, I have no love for Muslims. I recently discovered I have some Jewish ancestry along my mother's side and the fact that the majority of the Muslim world is against Jews and Israel does not rest well with me. Perhaps if the Muslims did a better job of policing their terrorists, they wouldn't be profiled so flagrantly.

Like Shrike said "Good".

[Kimmitmelvirm]

If 99.99% of all hijackings had been perpetrated by white males in their mid-40's with gray hair, a receding hairline, clean-shaven, and wearing Dockers, then I'd anticipate that because I fit that description to a "t", I'd be getting a little extra attention from security.

No you wouldn't.

As a white person in America, you have the luxury of being judged as individual whenever you do something that you shouldn't be doing.

I'll demonstrate what I'm talking about, with a few examples. I can get upset and cuss my wife loudly out while eating dinner at Ruth's Chris. I can conspicuously complain to the cashier about the price of truffle at a high end chocolate store. I can walk up to a complete stranger coming out of McDonald's, and ask him for some of his fries, a bite of his burger, and a sip of his soda.

And who looks like a jackass at the end of the day? ME. No one else, but ME. My behavior is only attributed to ME as an individual.

As a white man, neither you nor I bear the burden of representing a whole race.

Let a black man, for example, do the exact same things that I mentioned. His observed behavior will be attributed to his race. It's not "That guy is an idiot," it's more along the lines of "Black people, I swear!"

Hell, I remember discussing the Octomom with a friend of mine who happens to be a sociology instructor at a four-year university. As a nation, we looked at the Octomom as an individual. But what if she was another race or ethnicity - say, Hispanic or black? She would no longer be judged as an individual. The discussion then would be about black "welfare queens," and Hispanic women milking "the system."

You're white. You don't bear that burden. We do stupid things all the time, but in the end, the only people who look stupid are our individual selves.

[GoveMoony]

Hey, I have no love for Muslims. I recently discovered I have some Jewish ancestry along my mother's side and the fact that the majority of the Muslim world is against Jews and Israel does not rest well with me. Perhaps if the Muslims did a better job of policing their terrorists, they wouldn't be profiled so flagrantly.

Like Shrike said "Good".

Oh, what - because one person shares the same religion as somone else, that makes them responsible for their behavior? You're a joke.

[duawLauff]

Nadia Suleman is of Assyrian Iraqi ethnicity...therefore she's not white despite having pale skin....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadya_Suleman

Just sayin'.

[dubballey]

Actually, Ygg, you're making all white people look like complete morons.

Congrats for nullifying your own argument!