The $240K T-Shirt

[MA-Caver]

240,000 dollars awarded to man forced to cover Arab T-shirt

Mon Jan 5, 7:22 pm ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090106/ts_alt_afp/ustransportairsecuritymuslimsrights_090106002219NEW YORK (AFP) – An airline passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded 240,000 dollars in compensation, campaigners said Monday.
Raed Jarrar received the pay out on Friday from two US Transportation Security Authority officials and from JetBlue Airways following the August 2006 incident at New York's JFK Airport, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced.
"The outcome of this case is a victory for free speech and a blow to the discriminatory practice of racial profiling," said Aden Fine, a lawyer with ACLU.
Jarrar, a US resident, was apprehended as he waited to board a JetBlue flight from New York to Oakland, California, and told to remove his shirt, which had written on it in Arabic: "We will not be silent."

I agree that it is a victory and a blow for free speech and racial profiling. It is good to see that there are laws in effect that weren't there (or should've been) for the Japanese-Americans (and German-Americans) during WWII protecting Americans who are of Arabic descent.

That the man was cooperative says alot as well and probably helped win the suit. But moving him from the front to the back of the plane is inexcusable. It's almost like Rosa Parks all over again.

Jarrar eventually agreed to cover his shirt with another provided by JetBlue. He was allowed aboard but his seat was changed from the front to the back of the aircraft.

This also needs to be addressed. Denied legal transportation for something that was believed not confirmed nor actually assessed as a legitimate threat!

Last week, nine Muslims, including three children, were ordered off a domestic US flight after passengers heard what they believed were suspicious remarks about security.

If any one of us who is caucasian or any OTHER race, were to do the same would we have been tossed off or denied boarding?


I think that yeah we would probably be asked to cover up a t-shirt that said F-U on it in big bold letters because it does violate decency laws in many states and I guess that would be okay. If I were in the company of kids I wouldn't want myself or anyone else to be wearing something like that.

But in a case where it's in Arabic script (which not too many Americans can read anyway) that states a political thought that could mean a half dozen or more things. Ironically that t-shirt has more meaning NOW than it did before the incident.



When is this country going to get off that stupid high-horse of racism? We were attacked by Terrorist. We were attacked by terrorist who happened to be from the middle east and of the Muslim faith. Does this mean ALL Middle eastern Muslims are terrorist?

What if we were attacked by Koreans? Are we going to do the same to Korean-Americans? Those from Pakistan?

What if they were from say the Congo or Somolia or Kenya? Imagine that scenario folks! How are they going to racial profile then?

 

[The Last Legionary]

God help all the Jethro Tull fans wearing shirts with runes on them should some moron TSA or "airport suckurity guard" think it's arabic. Then again, the IQ's of both groups are about the same I hazard. :lol:

 

[arnisador]

Good for him! What a ridiculous situation--did we learn nothing from interment camps in WWII?

 

[Nolerama]

I'm wearing a t-shirt that says "TSA Personnel Are Under Qualified" in Arabic the next time I fly the "friendly" skies.

It just goes to show my opinion that TSA personnel really are under qualified and lack the proper sensitivity to do the jobs they were tasked to do. I just flew in from out of town, and I totally despise them. They make a mockery out of the security and customer service of the airport; and in reflection the United States as a whole.

I saw one in Philly yell at a woman despearately trying to reach her flight. While I stress that due to TSA presence, I have to waste at least an extra hour of my life waiting in the airport, so they can pull their fingers out of their noses and "scan" the mess out of my laptop. Well, in this situation, this woman didn't have an extra hour. The TSA guys got a little irate with the rushed woman and waited for her to get her shoes back on. They even chuckled a little.

"Excuse me, Miss. We're going to have to search you again."

Come on! They already seached her, and she was well on her way to getting on her flight. They just wanted to be authoritative bullies so they could make themselves feel a tad bit better.

Ever see a happy TSA agent? No.

So yeah. I'm brown. I'd like a pay day. I'd like to protest a nonsensical, bogus "security" force in US airports. I'll wear that shirt with the Arabic script.

 

[Carol]

Went through a TSA check point today with a live animal in my hands (my cat).

They couldn't get me through their fast enough.

 

[Kreth]

Next time I fly I'm wearing my Kid Rock "Mother****er Quite Like Me" shirt. If they even look at me funny, I'm suing. :uhoh:

 

[MA-Caver]

Next time I fly I'm wearing my Kid Rock "Mother****er Quite Like Me" shirt. If they even look at me funny, I'm suing. :uhoh:

But you see, that's what I mentioned in my OP... that shirt would be in violation of obscenity laws where applicable... it would have nothing to do with race, creed or anything like that (unless of course you have a Kid Rock shrine somewhere in your home).
They gave this guy a hard time because he looked Arabic (regardless that he was) and he was wearing a shirt with Arabic script. You could sport "Kill All Infidel Americans Now" on a t-shirt written in arabic script and they'd probably still let YOU through... because you's a white boy.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Wow if that is the case I think people will start wearing arabic shirts while flying. That is an easy way to make a buck.

 

[Kreth]

You could sport "Kill All Infidel Americans Now" on a t-shirt written in arabic script and they'd probably still let YOU through... because you's a white boy.

But I bet if I wore the same shirt in English, with my long hair and tattoos, I'd be volunteering for a full cavity search. TSA is a joke. Your average airport security guard gets minimal training, as evidenced by the fact that they're still getting simulated bombs and weapons through checkpoints when they test. Meanwhile, Joe Golfer has his lock cut off and is missing a $300 driver because TSA had to check his suspicious luggage.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

This is why I don't fly.

 

[arnisador]

Dude, you've got nowhere to go.

I too am very disappointed by the TSA. Bit isn't JetBlue equally to blame here?

How ludicrous to attempt to ban a language...

 

[MA-Caver]

But I bet if I wore the same shirt in English, with my long hair and tattoos, I'd be volunteering for a full cavity search.

Maybe, or they'll ask you to cover the shirt up and sit in the back rows.

TSA is a joke and hopefully this will get a revision (a positive one) in their training and search methods.

 

[tellner]

TSA is pure security theater. It doesn't actually make anyone safer. But it does let the government and the airlines Be Seen to be Doing Something. If someone wants to hijack or blow up a plane a frickin' t-shirt isn't going to make a bit of difference one way or another. The really intelligent terrorist is going to wear one with a big cross, an American flag and "These Colors Don't Run".

We've had seven years of training and have been carefully Pavloved to be terrified at anyone with dark skin or who speaks one of those funny languages from "Over There". This sort of stupidity is just the result of the conditioning which has made us fearful and timid.

 

[arnisador]

The worst part of all this is that as the FBI attempts to hire more language experts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wear on, we miss no opportunity to insult our own citizens and reinforce in many people's heads the notion that the West is perpetrating a war against their culture and beliefs. If a country wouldn't let you fly with an English-language T-shirt on, what would you think about those folks? If it was a week after 9/11 I could understand someone saying it's somewhat insensitive (though i wouldn't agree). But now it's not even in our own best interests to insult our friends and indulge those who ignorantly equate everything Islamic or Arabic with terrorism.

 

[Kreth]

...ignorantly equate everything Islamic or Arabic with terrorism.

Or "looks Middle Eastern." My brother-in-law is from India, and I've seen him get some looks in public, let alone in an airport.

 

[Carol]

Anything close to a middle eastern stereotype. When I was a practicing Sikh, I ran in to grief if I wore my headscarf at the airport...even though what I was wearing was not a hijaab and not covering my face (just my hair). In other words, it wasn't a sterotype, it was nothing that should have been scaring anyone. But security didn't like it at all. One female TSA officer pulled me aside to be individually wanded with a metal detecter. She was so convinced that I must have had metal concealed on my person she wanded me up and down....and when the wand was silent she wanded her own keys to confirm it was working.

 

[Cryozombie]

Or "looks Middle Eastern." My brother-in-law is from India, and I've seen him get some looks in public, let alone in an airport.

People are just mad he's getting all the good jobs outsourced to him.

 

[Kreth]

...she wanded me up and down....

That sounds dirty... :lol:

People are just mad he's getting all the good jobs outsourced to him.

Actually, he's a college professor, among other things.

 

[tellner]

You don't even have to be Middle Eastern. Consider this asshat who is about to lose his job and cost UPS a fair piece of change.

 

[MA-Caver]

You don't even have to be Middle Eastern. Consider this asshat who is about to lose his job and cost UPS a fair piece of change.

You can bet that UPS is going to update it's holiday hiring screening process from now on too.