Bush's Arab Secret Service agent
<a href="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020104/us/agent_removed_3.html" target="_blank">http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020104/us/agent_removed_3.html</A>
One of Bush's Secret Service agents, who is Arab-American, was trying to fly to Texas on Christmas day, but the pilot stopped him from getting on the plane. American Airlines said that the agent's paperwork wasn't in order and the pilot said the agent was hostile. Other witnesses say the agent wasn't hostile, and the airline had run out of the right forms.
When asked about it, Bush said he would be "madder than heck" and "plenty hot" if the agent was singled out because of his ethnicity.
In reality, Bush has no problem whatsoever with singling out residents of the US because of their ethnicity.
See, for example: <a href="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20020108/ts/attack_deportation_dc.html" target="_blank">this recent policy cracking down on Middle Eastern illegals but not others</a>, and the policies from this fall involving mass detentions of Arabs on possible immigration charges, and mass "invitations" of Arabs to be questioned by the FBI and local police.
And then Ashcroft says to Congress that if you criticize these policies, you are aiding terrorists.
[quote]To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve.<hr></blockquote>So, is Bush aiding terrorists now, too?
One of Bush's Secret Service agents, who is Arab-American, was trying to fly to Texas on Christmas day, but the pilot stopped him from getting on the plane. American Airlines said that the agent's paperwork wasn't in order and the pilot said the agent was hostile. Other witnesses say the agent wasn't hostile, and the airline had run out of the right forms.
When asked about it, Bush said he would be "madder than heck" and "plenty hot" if the agent was singled out because of his ethnicity.
In reality, Bush has no problem whatsoever with singling out residents of the US because of their ethnicity.
See, for example: <a href="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20020108/ts/attack_deportation_dc.html" target="_blank">this recent policy cracking down on Middle Eastern illegals but not others</a>, and the policies from this fall involving mass detentions of Arabs on possible immigration charges, and mass "invitations" of Arabs to be questioned by the FBI and local police.
And then Ashcroft says to Congress that if you criticize these policies, you are aiding terrorists.
[quote]To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve.<hr></blockquote>So, is Bush aiding terrorists now, too?
Comments
I agree that perhaps AA needs to have a better way of checking these things out. But I don't fault them for being better safe than sorry. The reason they wouldn't let him on the plane was - to check him out. It's not as if he was arrested and beaten.
Besides, we were/are on another one of those alerts where we are supposed to be extra aware. Hell, (again not to take the Bush angle SCOTT ) Bush himself has said, if you see something out of the ordinary report it.
The pilot's responsibilty is to ensure the airplane safely makes its trip on time. Not to do security stuff.
Not being there, and not knowing all the facts, I'm pretty much talking out my ass though.
Just my opinion.
<strong>
So, is Bush aiding terrorists now, too?</strong><hr></blockquote>
<strong> </strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, I rolled my eyes at Ashcroft's statement, too.
[quote]Originally posted by seb:
<strong>I don't care about the Bush angle.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I know polls say no one cares about the civil rights policies since 9/11. Most liberals even seem to think it's OK. But then why is Bush coming out against the same principle that his administration endorses?
The gov't thinks it's OK for them to engage in racial profiling to get terrorists, but it's not OK for others? Especially airlines?
Bush should have said what you said - that some people are inconvenienced, and that's life. We're at war. The rules are different, etc.
My question is, does he think this type of racial profiling is acceptable or not?
With his getting "madder than heck" about it, it seems like if it affects him or someone he know, it's bad. But if it affects others, he's all for it.
<strong>When asked about it, Bush said he would be "madder than heck" and "plenty hot" if the agent was singled out because of his ethnicity.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Seems the British Press were a little "madder than heck" and "plenty hot" after Bush called Pakistani's "<a href="http://uk.news.yahoo.com/020107/80/cnnmz.html" target="_blank">Paki's</a>"...oooops.
It's tough being conservative... <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
Quoth The Boondogs:
"We are thankful that our leader isn't the spoiled son of a powerful politician from a wealthy oil family who is supported by religious fundementalists, operates through clandestine organizations, has no respect for the democratic electoral process, bombs innocents, and uses war to deny people their civil liverties."
<strong>You're an idiot.</strong><hr></blockquote>Yeah? Well you're a Paki!
<strong>Yeah? Well you're a Paki!</strong><hr></blockquote>
Is that supposed to be an insult? By who's invention?
Ari Fleischer: [quote]Americans had better watch what they say<hr></blockquote>
~
Benjamin Franklin [quote]"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."<hr></blockquote>
Abraham Lincoln: [quote]This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their Constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it."<hr></blockquote>
<strong>Is that supposed to be an insult? By who's invention?</strong><hr></blockquote>It actually is an insult. It's British.
And, I don't see any incorrect quotes in SJO's post. What, is one word wrong somewhere?
<strong>
My question is, does he think this type of racial profiling is acceptable or not?
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, I think he does. But I also think he's smart enough to know that if he's flippant about admitting it, yahoos everywhere will take it as the green light to firebomb the Pakastani market around the corner "in retaliation for 9/11." I may be giving GW too much credit, but I'd like to think that he knows where to draw the line...
Actually, I think this is a big snafu on the part of the airlines, and shows how disorganized (re: incompetent) they are. They should have had a procedure in place that allowed them to 1) verify the identities of armed, law enforcement agents before they boarded an aircraft, and 2) allowed a flight crew to easily re-verify said agents identity through a central airlines office. ("Hello, Captain Smith? This is airlines security. We have been notified in advance by the Secret Service that Agent John Doe would be aboard your aircraft, and have already confirmed his identity upon check-in. He is sitting in Row 31A. Thank you, and have a nice day.")
<strong>It actually is an insult. It's British.
And, I don't see any incorrect quotes in SJO's post. What, is one word wrong somewhere?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well there is so as homework why don't you check them all out and correct them if they are wrong.
It may be an insult in Britain but it may also go no further. Go to Britain and call a white guy a honkey and they'll have no idea what you are talking about.
Considering the people in Afghanistan are called Afghans NOT Afghanis and the people of Pakistan are called Pakistanis it seems like a simple mistake that NO ONE took offense to but the press Thus and invented insult.
I also think it is horrifying that Americans of Middle Eastern descent are being singled out. They aren't second class citizens and shouldn't be treated like that.
On the other hand, foreigners are completely different. If you are an American citizen, you have rights to not be treated differently than other people. Foreginers, however, can and should be treated differently.
I'm sorry to see that Middle Easterners may be getting more attention than other ethnic groups for deportation, but I think that everyone who isn't here legally should be taken care of and deported immediately. If you're not supposed to be here, now is not the time to come.
Americans profiling other Americans is wrong. Americans profiling foreigners, unfortunately, is needed.
The quotes are, AFAIK, correct. What inaccuracies did you find? (Apologies on behalf of Lincoln and Franklin if you disagree with the quoted sentiments).
[quote]Go to Britain and call a white guy a honkey and they'll have no idea what you are talking about.<hr></blockquote>
Having lived a couple of years in the UK, let me inform you that "Honkey" is a standard insult for a white man.
<strong>Well there is so as homework why don't you check them all out and correct them if they are wrong.</strong><hr></blockquote>I think they're accurate. You said there were all these misquotes, you point out where.
Honkey.
[ 01-08-2002: Message edited by: BRussell ]</p>
[ 01-08-2002: Message edited by: BRussell ]</p>
<strong>
Having lived a couple of years in the UK, let me inform you that "Honkey" is a standard insult for a white man.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well fine then. Fact is there was no insult and none was taken except by the American press.
[quote]Samantha Joanne Ollendale does it bother you that you've misquoted people your reply? I'm guessing it doesn't. Care to correct it?<hr></blockquote>
The quotes are accurate I believe; what would be the point of deliberately misquoting someone when it can be easily checked?
and...re. your assertion, here's another quote from Lincoln, kind of apt perhaps:
[quote]It is an established maxim and moral that he who makes an assertion without knowing whether it is true or false is guilty of falsehood, and the
accidental truth of the assertion does not justify or excuse him<hr></blockquote>