Let's all hope we're returning to the days when our freedoms are sacred and true victims are awarded their due justice. According to these recent accounts, Muslims are being discriminated against by airlines as passengers get jittery when they see and hear anyone with a strange accent or suspicious looking clothing.Find out what happened to the young man with the Arabic writing on his tee shirt. Or, the group of 9 Muslims forced to leave a plane after one of the passengers thought she heard something suspicious.
QUESTIONS:
- Were these people discriminated against? If so, how should they be compensated (paid back)? If not, why?
- Is it ever okay to give up some rights if it lead to better safety?
1) These people were sort of discriminated against, but it was for safety reasons. In the future, security should not check people based on their race. There are many bad people out there and you don't know who they are.
ReplyDelete2) Sometimes, it is okay to give up rights for better safety and sometimes it is not. For example, security should be allowed to check who seems suspicious. However, they shouldn't be allowed to check them based on their race because that would be discrimination.
-Tiffany 722
I believe these people were discriminated against because the airport security don't have a right to kick 9 people off of a plane just because someone thought they heard something suspicious. These people should definetly be apologized to, and I'm not exactly confident that money will solve that problem. If the people would like their compensation paid in the form of money, then that would be fine. But I think that just buying people isn't the way to solve problems.
ReplyDeleteMariya Klauber 722
I would say that it is okay to give up some rights if it leads to better safety, but not to the point of being taken advantage of.
ReplyDeleteMariya Klauber 722
Deborah Tse Class 721
ReplyDelete1.I think they were discriminated against because they have the same rights as anybody. Just becuase a man is wearing a shirt that no one else can read doesn't mean he shouldn't be allowed to go into a plane. He should get an apology and some money.
Many great points are being made.
ReplyDelete-Tiffany, finding the balance between safety and rights is what's at stake here, you are absolutely right.
-Mariya, you make an excellent point about how money won't solve this problem. And I would agree with you that we should never allow yourselves to be taken advantage of by large corporations or by government.
-Deborah and everyone, how would the founding fathers react to a story like this? Remember, travel back then was also fraught with perils and a lifetime was a lot shorter.
I agree with Mariya. I think that is okay to be suspicious of someone for safety purposes, but it is not fair if someone suspects them based on their race. Nobody knows who is good and who is bad based on their race.
ReplyDelete1. I think that people were discriminated against because of their race and I don't think that is fair. Just because one attack was led by the Muslims, doesn't mean they are all like that and doesn't mean that people of other races can't be terrorists as well. Money might get compensated, but i think that they need to apologize to them, as well. Also, I think that they need to not believe everything they hear from passengers and unless they know a language and are positive that it says something bad on a shirt not to make such a big scene about that.
ReplyDelete2. It is sometimes okay to give up rights because of safety. For me personally I would rather take my shoes off and everything, but be positive that there will not be any terrorists on the plane.
Betty Lazis 722
1) i believe that the man with the tee-shirt written "we will not be silent" is not discrimanated because when he wore that kind of shirt it can be an indirect threat. If people sees anything or anyone suspious, whether they are muslim or not, they have the rights to speak to an authority due to their safety and the safety for others.
ReplyDelete2) Absolutely yes! To make sure the people who lives in the United States are safe and secure you have to give up some rights. People should be aware of what is around their community or enviroment.
TENZING YANKI 704
1. Yes, I think these people were discriminated against. I understand that they wore a shirt that had something suspicious written on it, but the security had no right to
ReplyDeletekick them of the plane like that (for safety reasons. This is why I think that the people should be paid back.
2.Sometimes it is okay to give up rights for better safety, and sometimes it is not. I agree with Tiffany that security should check people that look suspicious, but they shouldn't discriminate them by their race.
Billy Ko 722 (dang it! I can't fix the typo!)
ReplyDelete1. Yes, i think these people were dicriminated against. Someone shouldn't be kciked out just because of what he's wearing. A good way to pay hime back is to apoligize.
2. Sometimes it is okay to give up rights for safety. Sometimes, it may save many lives.
Many of you have identified the need to check people that look suspicious, and that that's ok if safety is improved. Unfortunately, not all people traveling on airplanes see past the color of a person's skin or can even begin to understand their language.
ReplyDeleteMy question is, what are some ways airport security can identify suspicious passengers without looking only at their race or religion for clues?
Airport security can identify suspicious passengers by passengers' suspicious behavior. Also, airport security can identify suspicious passengers with metal detectors that can detect weapons. Also, scientists should try to create a detector that can sense drugs, so that people cannot import drugs to another country or into our country.
ReplyDeleteResponse to questions on "The History Cafe's" front page:
ReplyDelete1) The artcle is written BECAUSE of discrimination. A good compensation is a full pardon and maybe a VIP pass or a free airplane trip.
2) In general, it is reasonable to give up some rights for your own saftey, as long as these right do not take away too much. Saftey should be regarded as first priority.
Response to Mr.Harris's question posted on 1/13/09:
The modern airport security is already efficient. As long as passengers pass the metal detector test, it should be fine. If suspicious behavior is noted, careful watch should be placed on the person on the plane to prevent any incidents, but no major action should take place.
-Michael Lin 722
(My account username is SO original)
1) I think that these people were, indeed, discriminated aganist becuase they were kicked of, or forced to cover an article of clothing becuase of contreversy. I do not think that there is actual proof that the 9 Muslims were talking about security, for example. I agree with Mariya that money isn't necessarily the right way to compensate somebody, it is sort of like bribery.
ReplyDelete2) I think that it is SOMETIMES ok to give up someone's rights if it leads to better safety. But, i do not think that this was the case with the Muslims. There is no proof that they were a threat. On the other hand, if there is a security problem, then it is acceptable to give up someone's rights for the safety of others.
What's clear from this case is that the man was an American and therefore deserving of "due process," meaning that his accusers (the airline, JetBlue) needed evidence that he was posing a danger to the flight before they could discriminate against him. The message on his tee-shirt made no direct threats to the airline or any of the passengers. It's difficult to understand why people felt threatened by his shirt, unless they were threatened by his Middle Eastern background. Either way, could you imagine what might happen if airlines, trains, buses, or taxis demanded that passengers follow a dress code?
ReplyDeleteA dress code for transportation? I think that is ridiculous. People deserve to wear whatever they want unless what that person is wearing something offensive to others.
ReplyDelete1)i think these people were kinda discrimanated because of there religion.i know that muslims were the one who flew a plane into the twin towers in manhatten and the pentagon in washington.but,that still dosent mean ALL muslims are bad
ReplyDelete2)sometimes it is okay to give up some rights but people shouldnt be judge by there race/religion its just violation
"dont ever judge a book by its cover"well the same things go to humans!!
-hamsah saif 704
1. it is mean to kick a man off of a plane if he has Arabic writing on his shirt. though i do understand the after 9/11 many people do not like Muslims but this is not fair. if about 20 Muslims were behind it, it is not fair to be mad at very Muslim. it was rude how he was kicked off the plane for no reason.
ReplyDelete2. i also do not see why they gave the man 240,000 dollars. for all they knew he might have worn the shirt on purpose. isn't it enough that they wrote this article saying its unfair. maybe not, but 240,000 dollars is a lot of money.
1) These people were discriminated for no reason. Sure people have t-shirts in other languages but who says that this t-shirt said anything about the Americans. Maybe it was a humorous tee. He should be able to get free rides on airplanes.
ReplyDelete2) Yes. If it is for the safety of OTHERS then yes. But if it is for the reason of feeling insecure then no.
These people were sort of discriminated against, but it was for safety reasons. In the future, security should not check people based on their race. There are many bad people out there and you don't know who they are. These people were discriminated for no reason. Sure people have t-shirts in other languages but who says that this t-shirt said anything about the Americans. Maybe it was a humorous tee. it is mean to kick a man off of a plane if he has Arabic writing on his shirt. though i do understand the after 9/11 many people do not like Muslims but this is not fair. I think that these people were, indeed, discriminated aganist becuase they were kicked of, or forced to cover an article of clothing becuase of contreversy. My question is, what are some ways airport security can identify suspicious passengers without looking only at their race or religion for clues?
ReplyDelete