You know, it takes a lot to make this America-loving, dyed-in-the-wool (to the right of Rush Limbaugh) right-winger like me be ashamed to be an American. But, here is the latest occurrence to make me feel this way.
Read this then come back: http://shebshi.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/some-real-shock-and-awe-racially-profiled-and-cuffed-in-detroit/
So let’s dissect what happened here: Some hysterical imbecile on this Frontier Airlines flight erroneously comes to the baseless conclusion that there is some sort of “suspicious activity” going on with the two male and one female occupants of a certain row. One of the men spent “too much time” in the lavatory (in whose opinion?). Too much time means over 10 minutes. I don’t know about you, but there have been times when I have spent over 10 minutes trying to take a shit. Even if this were true, for the airline flight crew and captain to react as if someone were in the process of lighting their shoes shows how felony stupid they all really are.
So, the captain radios ahead and, in response, our federal government spends a shitload of money scrambling two (2) F-16 fighter jets from NORAD to escort the plane into Detroit. You’ve read the rest in the woman’s blog.
One news report (2 minutes into the video) referenced “sexual activity” going on among an unspecified two of these three: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/security-situation-with-flight-from-denver-to-metro-airport. As the woman reports, she never got out of her seat. None of the three knew each other. There is no evidence of any sexual activity between the two males. This is all, again, the hallucinogenic rantings of a hysterical nitwit (passenger or stewardess?) that got listened to and believed by an even stupider flight crew.
And, please, don’t bring up the old horse shit saying “Better safe than sorry”. I have some better slogans: How about “Better smart than stupid”. How about “Better rational than irrational”. How about “Pull your head out of your asses you stupid sons of bitches”? All of those make more sense than “Better safe than sorry”. Yeah, right, “better safe”, with 6 hours of unnecessary inconvenience over absolutely nothing? Bullshit.
Don’t get me wrong. I am all in favor of profiling, including racial profiling. But this? All terrorist activity involving aircraft occurs while the plane is in flight. This one had landed. Whatever perceived threat was likely over. They were on the ground. Why waste time and money (my money) going through everyone’s luggage (again) and interviewing over 100 passengers? This is so fucking stupid that I am almost apoplectic.
Add up the cost of the F-16s, the FBI, the local cops, the re-screening, the overtime, the TSA and all other costs, and this fucking blunder cost taxpayers a million bucks at a minimum. And this may have happened repeatedly yesterday involving other flights? Are you fucking kidding me? No wonder the government is broke, pissing away all our money on phony bullshit “security”.
And, sure, let’s haul a woman, who never left her seat during the flight, off the plane in handcuffs, temporarily incarcerate her for hours without allowing her to make even one phone call, strip search her, and then meekly apologize and release her. Read this: http://www.detnews.com/article/20110912/METRO/109120377/1408/local/FBI–Detroit-bound-flight-passengers-were-no-threat.
To me, these Gestapo-like tactics are my definition of terrorism.
Finally, perhaps I am as livid as I am because, the woman who was terrorized by our crazy government agents, is someone I have known since she was a child. This married mother of two young boys is the last person who could be considered a threat. Frankly, I should be considered more a of threat than is she should. Of course, I’m quite White and she’s not. Yeah, she’s ethnic looking. So what? This is why I have not been on an airplane in years. My tolerance for bullshit emanating from men with guns is zero. Had I been one of the passengers I would have refused to look down when ordered to. I think I have a right to observe what’s going on. I likely would have been taken into custody myself. Or worse.
We really can do adequate security intelligently. Of course, that would necessitate the immediate unemployment of tens of thousands of incompetent people currently involved in allegedly maintaining our security.
If this stupid bullshit is the new post- 9/11 America then, yes, I am ashamed to be an American. I really am.
sdjerry 
Thank you for posting this. Shosh is a friend, and our family is disgusted. We too are not proud.
I’ll bet you voted to RE-elect George Bush, back in 2004. Of course I’m sorry for your friend, but you can reap what you sow. We’ll see if you’re ever ‘ashamed’ enough to push for the prosecution of the people you voted for, who have always supported wire-tapping and torture. I guess it’s alright if they do it to people who aren’t your friends.
Wire tapping and torture are both okay by me for the guilty or for the involved. What’s not okay is the terrorism of innocent people based on zero. If there were ANY valid basis to suspect my friend then I would have understood what happened to her. But the fact that she looks sort of Middle Eastern and merely sat in the same row as two Indian men, one of whom spend 10 minutes in the lavatory, is no reason to subject her (or anyone else) to this outrageous treatment based upon, as I wrote, some moron’s incorrect opinion of “suspicious activity” or sexual activity. And the same goes for the two Indian men.
It is not about whether I know those involved. I get upset about things involving total strangers if the situation is outrageous. It’s about whether there was any valid and rational basis for this type of expensive and excessive over-the-top reaction, not whether the victim is my friend or not.
And, yes I held my nose and voted to re-elect Bush in 2004 (Vice President John Edwards? I don’t think so). Frankly, I don’t believe anyone for whom I voted “deserves prosecution”.
“Wire tapping and torture are both okay by me for the guilty or for the involved”
What about for the innocent but suspected? What about for the cop’s neighbour who plays loud music late at night or parks slightly over the edge of the cop’s driveway or otherwise annoys him?
It is vital whether for you in the USA or us in the UK to defend our liberty from security officials’ claims of necessity. I think the biggest issue is that Miranda rights seem to have been waived and this is all authorised by the Patriot Act.
For the innocent but suspected? Wiretaps yes. Surveillance yes. Investigation yes. Torture no.
Cop’s neighbor with loud music or parks in driveway? We have laws against using the color of authority for personal use. If a cop gets annoyed then he can bugger off. That’s not a matter worthy of official governmental intervention. Any cop who did that would be an ex-cop very rapidly.
As far as Miranda rights being gone, let me tell you that, Patriot Act or not, no American would be forced to talk if he chose to remain silent, regardless of the crime for which he were arrested. There would not be torture but it might not be very pleasant.