Let me start by saying, I've been listening to a lot of Bill Moyers on my ipod lately so feeling a bit more esoteric than usual...Might I recommend Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason - you can download the podcasts FREE - right here. FREE!!! And it's great.
So, today on the show we talked with Raed Jarrar. (You can read the full story here). Essentially Raed Jarrar was at the gate to board a Jetblue Airways flight to Oakland when 4 officials from the airline or a government agency stopped him and told him he could not board the flight with the shirt he was wearing. The shirt had the words "We will not be silenced" in both English and Arabic on the front.
Raed was simply standing there. He wasn't doing anything strange - like, God forbid...talking on a cell phone, considering brushing his teeth on the flight or having a conversation with another Arab individual. He was standing wearing a t-shirt with Arabic words on it!
I am appalled by this story. Is this what it's come to?? Are we a nation so afraid we are willing to strip someone else of their rights under the auspices of safety? I'm ashamed and appalled.
Going back to the Bill Moyers conversations...yesterday on my walk around Discovery Park I was listening to Bill chattin' it up with with Margaret Atwood. They were talking about the Handmaiden's Tale and whether or not the story was somewhat prophetic...do we live in a country where we could loose site of our foundation and give up our rights or fundamental principles as long as it meant we would be "safe"? Atwood suggested it is happening right now with things like the Patriot Act which went by fairly unnoticed.
I've always thought ...NO WAY! We've learned from our history! We know better, we aren't a nation that gives into fear any longer. But I'm beginning to wonder...
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
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