Where does it end if “Arab” passengers are kicked off planes because the flight attendants are scared? I ask because I was born in a Middle Eastern country, and although I am a U.S. citizen (and have been since birth) and am in no way Middle Eastern in appearance, I have been pulled aside and questioned many times before getting on international flights and upon crossing European borders. I am always asked if I am a dual citizen, if I travel back to my country of birth frequently, if I have contact with anyone who lives there, how long it’s been since I was there, etc. And this is a country that is an ally of the U.S. - not unfriendly by any means. When is some flight attendant going to decide that I might be a danger too?
What about “Arab” looking people who aren’t “Arab” at all - Italians, Spanish, Greek citizens? Or persons of Middle Eastern descent whose families have lived in the U.S. for many years?
Re it being legal to allow businesses to choose customers based on race: I thought those “White Only” signs went out with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
And I also think that pilot announcement is complete glurge.
missbunny, haven’t seen you around in a while. It’s always a pleasure.
Snopes says that story is true: http://www.snopes2.com/rumors/pilot.htm
but I am skeptical that AbbySthrnAccent’s friend was the original author, if only because of the odds of that, and the fact that the originating city (Denver) was left out of her note.
Hell, I’m still* skeptical, even with the Snopes confirmation, without, for example, the name of the pilot, or evidence of any other type than anecdotal. But I’m just that way.
Her note did say the flight originated in Denver. * I *deleted the originating city when I cut and pasted it to to post to the thread. I still have the note although I suspect that having the email as I received it proves nothing. My apologies to those of you who feel it was glurge.
