Haha, them reactionary mobs, worried that increased security measures will infringe constitutional rights. Ha ha ha, read this, motherfuckers.
Raed Jaer, pictured, left, describes an incident that occurred at JFK. He was wearing the shirt in the picture which says in Arabic script, “We will not be silent.” After passing through security, two inspectors, one of them identified by Raed as Harris, accompanied by a Jet Blue employee, came up to him and asked him to change his shirt as, “people are feeling offended.”
Jaer replied, “Why do you want me to take off my t-shirt? Isn’t it my constitutional right to express myself in this way?” Inspector Harris said, “people here in the US don’t understand these things about constitutional rights.”
He added, “You can’t wear a t-shirt with Arabic script and come to an airport. It is like wearing a t-shirt that reads “I am a robber” and going to a bank.”
Of course, the bigger story here for The Consumerist is that Jaer’s rights as a consumer were violated. We are very angry about that. Very very angry. (Thanks to Francis & Andrew!)
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wanna do something? Buy a shirt: http://itsnotallbad.com/iamnotaterrorist/
Since September 11th, 2001, I have been selected for “special screening” at airports more than a dozen times. In fact, I have been selected for extra screenings for every flight I have taken. I am a mid 20s white Marine, but it hasn’t ever prompted anybody to let me by without that extra attention. I’ve even been pulled out of line at checkpoints in my Dress Blues.
I’m not going to argue that this “we will not be silent” thing was justified or rational, but I don’t think that anyone with experience in con law would find a real violation here…private businesses have the right to exclude patrons from their property for anything they see fit. Limitations on viewpoint restrictions almost never apply to private parties. The government is the only entity that regularly is required to abide by such things.
Raed is rightfully outraged at his treatment. If I had ever been a JetBlue customer, I would not remain one, after reading this. But security indignities don’t seem to be any more focused on Middle-Easterners than anyone else. Turn around next time you go through the metal detectors, and watch who gets pulled out of line and checked “at random.” While you’re watching them, pretend they REALLY ARE each choosing people they believe to be MOST LIKELY to be a danger to others.
After ten minutes of that, you will probably fall into one of 3 categories. One will think that airport security is ridiculous, be outraged at where our priorities are, and make snarky but ultimately useless criticisms about the inconvenience of having to pack your toothpaste in a different bag. You will probably be able to write about the terrible inconvenience on your blog, later, when your plane lands after not having been blown up, but I bet you won’t think a single grateful thought that someone at least tried to keep weapons off your flight.
The second group will also think airport security is ridiculous, and be outraged at where our priorities are. Any suggestion you make about focusing limited security resources on people most likely to wage war on an airplane will be dismissed as racist.
The third group will think airport security is racist. And unconstitutional. My dad belongs to this group, and thinks that until you shoot, stab, or poison someone, you should be able to bring guns, knives, or drugs onto the plane.
But I doubt any of you will see a disproportionate number of Middle-Eastern males between the ages of 17 and 40 pulled out of line to be checked. No matter what you think about airport security, claiming arabs or persians are being unfairly subjected to more security is patently false.
I am very saddened to see the number of idiots on this posting. Heartened to hear the one’s who don’t have their head up their ass. How can we (America) be the greatest country in the world with so many people with low (or about non-existent) IQs. I am really baffled. How could someone be so stupid to be offended at words in arabic (which actually stand for peace) AND then even more… how could someone else think that they could dicate the irrational to that person.
I am really baffled… Come on guys, grow an IQ…
Since there are so many arab/arabic-speaking Christians, a t-shirt with arabic words could be saying “I Love Jesus” but the idiots who only think Arabic = Muslim = Terrorists, wouldn’t think that was possible. What if it is a non-Arabic speaking Muslim? Maybe their t-shirt is in any number of African, Asian, languages and THEY are terrorists — because of course terrorists will be wearing a t-shirt to express themselves. I guess that would make sense to the t-shirt slogan zombie masses that have a t-shirt reflecting every mood and idea (I LOVE BEER!)to identify what they believe in.
Since when is the Arabic language forbidden? What does a terrorist look like? McVey? Or haven’t you seen blue-eyed blond white-skinned Arabs, just like there are very dark-skinned African Arabs?
The passengers who got nervous seeing a t-shirt in Arabic should have been removed from the plane. A person with a bomb could walk by them, but if the person wore a nun’s habit, they wouldn’t pay attention – and we realize that if a priest was dragging a small half-naked boy, they’d also look away…
But seeing words in another ‘strange’ language? That’s what they panic about? Proves the complete ignorance of so many in this society.
I can’t believe what this country has turned in to. How the hell can anyone justify this? It’s not just being inconvenienced to change a shirt, it’s the principle. Not to mention the embarrassment he must have felt. Not to mention the IDIOTS who think that wearing a shirt in Arabic is the equivilant of wearing a shirt that says “I have a bomb”. I mean, are you for real???? Seriously, I’m not being sarcastic, ARE YOU FOR REAL???????????