# We're officially a nation of pussies - Add your examples here **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 21, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338 "2004-09-21T16:01:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/1 "2004-09-21T16:01:10Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/09/21/flight.canceled.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/09/21/flight.canceled.ap/index.html) > [@](#): > > MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) – Midwest Airlines canceled a flight ready to take off for San Francisco after a passenger found Arabic-style handwriting in the company’s in-flight magazine and alerted the crew The flight didn’t leave _until the next morning_. Feel free to add examples, they’re practically everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/2 "2004-09-21T16:13:55Z")
Why does the media publicise that stuff? Now the terrorists know that all they have to do to bring the US to a standstill is invest in a few pens, and scribble some Arabic everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/3 "2004-09-21T16:14:39Z")
See, there’s a difference between being pussies, and being _paranoid loons_. This is a case of the latter, not the former. All fed by our friends in power, the Bush Administration and associated pundits who think that being brown and speaking an arabic language is akin to being a terrorist. Why do we/they feed into this fucked up paranoia by delaying flights and shit? I rarely fly, but when I do fly, I don’t get all nervous and worried about arabs, terrorists, or hijackings. This kind of crap reminds me of that crazy woman who freaked out over a couple arabs who had McDonald’s bags and visited the head occasionally(who of course turned out to be members of a band travelling to SoCal for a gig). :rolleyes: Sam ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/4 "2004-09-21T16:18:57Z")
Wow. That _really is_ idiotic. I’m amazed the crew were moronic enough to pay any attention to the lunatic passenger. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/5 "2004-09-21T17:18:55Z")
Hummm. No specific example, but I think back to my childhood and what we did, versus today with warning labels on everything, stranger danger, etc. We shot each other with BB guns, played lawn darts, stayed out in the neighborhood past midnight. Hell, I was a latchkey kid at age 6, and was home by myself for a couple of hours every afternoon until my Mom got home. Recently a mother got arrested for leaving a 10 year old “home alone” for less than an hour. I wonder how the human race ever got this far with all the **DANGER, READY TO KILL US AT ANY MOMENT** everywhere. You’d think we’d have died out and cockroaches would be battling over who got a legitimate purple heart in the war with the sharks. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/6 "2004-09-21T18:21:06Z")
> [@5que](#): > > I wonder how the human race ever got this far with all the **DANGER, READY TO KILL US AT ANY MOMENT** everywhere. You’d think we’d have died out and cockroaches would be battling over who got a legitimate purple heart in the war with the sharks. _snort_ ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/7 "2004-09-21T18:25:17Z")
Dear lord. “Oh god! It’s - Arabic! It looks contemplative in nature! It must be a threat! Call the police! Call John Ashcroft!” People need to learn how to calm the fuck down. If I’d been on that flight, I would’ve been pissed off beyond any belief. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/8 "2004-09-21T18:42:30Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Dear lord. “Oh god! It’s - Arabic! It looks contemplative in nature! It must be a threat! Call the police! Call John Ashcroft!” > > People need to learn how to calm the fuck down. If I’d been on that flight, I would’ve been pissed off beyond any belief. I know, people get delayed a day because of this shit? Hell no. Ironically…(bolding mine) > [@](#): > > The writing was in Farsi, the language used in Iran, said airline spokeswoman Carol Skornicka. She said she didn’t know exactly what the writing said \*\*but was similar to a prayer, “something of a contemplative nature.” \*\* ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/9 "2004-09-21T18:46:26Z")
They’re going to be really embarrassed when it’s translated as the Farsi version of “There once was a man from Nantucket…” Good lord. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/10 "2004-09-21T18:53:12Z")
Or better yet, “All your planes are belong to us. Idiots.” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/11 "2004-09-21T19:00:37Z")
When I was 5 I walked to school all by myself. No way that would happen in today’s world. Toys are no longer made of metal. You can’t smoke anywhere any more. (Not that all of these changes are bad things) ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/12 "2004-09-21T19:19:48Z")
Skin care products for men. 11 million kids on Prozac. 3-year-olds riding tricycles with helmets. The “time out”. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/13 "2004-09-21T19:25:41Z")
Just a short response. ‘Time out’ is a devastatingly effective punishment for our four-year old. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/14 "2004-09-21T19:26:48Z")
I’ve studied Arabic, but it was only for a semester, a while ago and now I can’t really remember any of it. Except my name. I doodle my name in Arabic at the top of my papers from time to time. Will keep you updated on any accusations of threat to national security. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/15 "2004-09-21T19:34:35Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I’ve studied Arabic, but it was only for a semester, a while ago and now I can’t really remember any of it. Except my name. I doodle my name in Arabic at the top of my papers from time to time. > > Will keep you updated on any accusations of threat to national security. Much thanks! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Pirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/16 "2004-09-21T19:36:11Z")
I must second the “time-out”. Competitive playground games (dodgeball, red rover) are practically non-existent. Americans expect wars to have no American casualties whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/17 "2004-09-21T19:42:30Z")
> [@Psycho Pirate](#): > > I must second the “time-out”. > > Competitive playground games (dodgeball, red rover) are practically non-existent. > > Americans expect wars to have no American casualties whatsoever. Seriously, it’s like a combination of terrorists (question everything), no personal responsibility (lawsuit happy), and not damaging the self-esteem of little kids. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/18 "2004-09-21T20:35:19Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Will keep you updated on any accusations of threat to national security. One flaw with your plan – they don’t have internet access for prisoners at Gitmo. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/19 "2004-09-21T21:34:36Z")
If its any consolation its ditto for Canadians. I’ll bet no where else in the world are you a bad parent if you allow your kids to ride a bike without a helmet! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338/20 "2004-09-21T21:37:35Z")
Are teeter-totters disappearing in the rest of the world as well ? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-officially-a-nation-of-pussies-add-your-examples-here/265338.md?page=2)