Comments on: Bravo to the John Does http://ajcwire.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/ blog of the American Jewish Committee. Articles on Jewish life, current events, and Israel. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:47:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Harlan Mills http://ajcwire.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-245 Harlan Mills Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:02:19 +0000 http://ajcblog.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-245 If you do that which would call to the attention of others you should not be allowed to go on that flight. Look what happened in 9/11. If you want respect, show respect to others If you do that which would call to the attention of others you should not be allowed to go on that flight. Look what happened in 9/11. If you want respect, show respect to others

]]> By: Melvin http://ajcwire.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-244 Melvin Sat, 07 Apr 2007 22:27:14 +0000 http://ajcblog.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-244 Please keep us all apprised of these proceedings. Hopefully Plaintiffs will lose by a motion for summary judgement. Who is plaintiffs attorney? He should be countersued with the plaintiffs for malicious prosecution and hit with sanctions. Please keep us all apprised of these proceedings. Hopefully Plaintiffs will lose by a motion for summary judgement. Who is plaintiffs attorney? He should be countersued with the plaintiffs for malicious prosecution and hit with sanctions.

]]> By: marcelle http://ajcwire.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-243 marcelle Sat, 07 Apr 2007 18:33:20 +0000 http://ajcblog.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-243 have you americans gone soft in the head? of course these types of people must be targeted.what are they doing in a christian country.if their psychopathic faith including their beliefs therein demand collectively their actions,behaviour and attitude towards westerners as per their demonstrations then they certainly need no quarter given them...is there a church in any moslem country ..and any practising christians...they would kill to subdue ..such pacifist mindsets is what got the west in the position it is in now..prevention is better than cure have you americans gone soft in the head? of course these types of people must be targeted.what are they doing in a christian country.if their psychopathic faith including their beliefs therein demand collectively their actions,behaviour and attitude towards westerners as per their demonstrations then they certainly need no quarter given them…is there a church in any moslem country ..and any practising christians…they would kill to subdue ..such pacifist mindsets is what got the west in the position it is in now..prevention is better than cure

]]> By: mattsteinglass http://ajcwire.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-242 mattsteinglass Fri, 06 Apr 2007 05:48:54 +0000 http://ajcblog.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-242 Actually I wanted to add one thing. It has become extremely difficult for Arab- or South Asian-looking men to travel by air over the past 6 years. This is a legitimate grievance which needs to be addressed. It sounds like this particular suit is a poor choice of a means to express Muslim dissatisfaction at the hassles which racial profiling at airports has introduced into their lives. But if we as a nation and we as a Jewish community are smart, we will move to proactively address Muslim concerns on this issue -- by demanding smarter and less bureaucratic handling of the no-fly names list compiled by DHS, for example, or by pushing for better-trained airport security personnel who can handle questioning and inspection of suspicious candidates more quickly. We need to win the Muslim community over on this issue, or at least not let it become an issue that further polarizes Muslim-Jewish relations. There is no downside to letting Muslims know that Jews, of all people, know what it's like to be singled out for suspicion and discrimination in public settings. Actually I wanted to add one thing. It has become extremely difficult for Arab- or South Asian-looking men to travel by air over the past 6 years. This is a legitimate grievance which needs to be addressed. It sounds like this particular suit is a poor choice of a means to express Muslim dissatisfaction at the hassles which racial profiling at airports has introduced into their lives. But if we as a nation and we as a Jewish community are smart, we will move to proactively address Muslim concerns on this issue — by demanding smarter and less bureaucratic handling of the no-fly names list compiled by DHS, for example, or by pushing for better-trained airport security personnel who can handle questioning and inspection of suspicious candidates more quickly. We need to win the Muslim community over on this issue, or at least not let it become an issue that further polarizes Muslim-Jewish relations. There is no downside to letting Muslims know that Jews, of all people, know what it’s like to be singled out for suspicion and discrimination in public settings.

]]> By: mattsteinglass http://ajcwire.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-241 mattsteinglass Fri, 06 Apr 2007 05:40:57 +0000 http://ajcblog.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-241 Extending the lawsuit to target people who informed airline officers of suspicious activity seems absurd. To uphold such a suit would clearly intimidate freedom of speech, not to mention the perverse effects it would have on citizens' communications with their government. It seems wildly unlikely that this segment of the suit will go anywhere. The only grounds one might imagine for such a suit would involve a malicious attempt to cause someone to miss a flight by knowingly making false accusations. That said, the six imams and CAIR may have a case against the airline and the MAC. That depends on specifics of the case which are probably too complex to be summed up in a blog post. I tend to feel that an airline and airport security officials need sufficient latitude to investigate suspicious activity. But it's possible that the imams' behavior was quite innocuous, and that prejudice was involved. That question seems best left to the courts to decide. <em>Editor's Note: MAC stands for Metropolitian Airports Commission</em> Extending the lawsuit to target people who informed airline officers of suspicious activity seems absurd. To uphold such a suit would clearly intimidate freedom of speech, not to mention the perverse effects it would have on citizens’ communications with their government. It seems wildly unlikely that this segment of the suit will go anywhere. The only grounds one might imagine for such a suit would involve a malicious attempt to cause someone to miss a flight by knowingly making false accusations.

That said, the six imams and CAIR may have a case against the airline and the MAC. That depends on specifics of the case which are probably too complex to be summed up in a blog post. I tend to feel that an airline and airport security officials need sufficient latitude to investigate suspicious activity. But it’s possible that the imams’ behavior was quite innocuous, and that prejudice was involved. That question seems best left to the courts to decide.

Editor’s Note: MAC stands for Metropolitian Airports Commission

]]> By: Gayle Parker http://ajcwire.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-240 Gayle Parker Fri, 06 Apr 2007 03:20:18 +0000 http://ajcblog.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-240 This John Doe legislation is vitally important. After 9/11, how could anyone remain mute in the face of suspicious actions by passengers? Deliberately calling attention to themselves by praying aloud in Arabic in a crowded airport, they desired to have all eyes upon them. Then, on the plane they consciously acted in ways to make other passengers afraid. When the incident reached the media's attention, my first reaction was that it was a planned event by CAIR. Premeditation, period. First, this advocacy group for Muslims has a blemished past as an outgrowth of questionaable Muslim organizations and as four of its founders were connected with terrorism. Yes, I honestly find myself hostile to this group. Second, because I like to be abreast of events both nationally and internationally, I receive information from many sources, among which are CAIR's daily reports. With 32 chapters nationwide, almost daily CAIR finds many incidents, from the most minor to some truly major, against American Muslims. However, with the extent of their reporting, we would think that they are the most maligned religious group on the face of the earth. Third, CAIR has been extremely loud and vocal about the distress of the imans, attempting to make them the Poster Boys for Religious Bigotry. Whatever we wish to call the religious/political threat we are facing in America and the West, the bottom line is that we must be vigilant. We must speak up and ignore comments that we are not culturally sensitive. We must use the correct words to describe events and not fear that we will be called bigots. I applaud the passengers who spoke up and expressed their consternation. I pray the America has thousands and thousands more like them. This John Doe legislation is vitally important. After 9/11, how could anyone remain mute in the face of suspicious actions by passengers? Deliberately calling attention to themselves by praying aloud in Arabic in a crowded airport, they desired to have all eyes upon them. Then, on the plane they consciously acted in ways to make other passengers afraid. When the incident reached the media’s attention, my first reaction was that it was a planned event by CAIR. Premeditation, period.

First, this advocacy group for Muslims has a blemished past as an outgrowth of questionaable Muslim organizations and as four of its founders were connected with terrorism. Yes, I honestly find myself hostile to this group. Second, because I like to be abreast of events both nationally and internationally, I receive information from many sources, among which are CAIR’s daily reports. With 32 chapters nationwide, almost daily CAIR finds many incidents, from the most minor to some truly major, against American Muslims. However, with the extent of their reporting, we would think that they are the most maligned religious group on the face of the earth. Third, CAIR has been extremely loud and vocal about the distress of the imans, attempting to make them the Poster Boys for Religious Bigotry.

Whatever we wish to call the religious/political threat we are facing in America and the West, the bottom line is that we must be vigilant. We must speak up and ignore comments that we are not culturally sensitive. We must use the correct words to describe events and not fear that we will be called bigots.

I applaud the passengers who spoke up and expressed their consternation. I pray the America has thousands and thousands more like them.

]]> By: Adrienne Price http://ajcwire.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-239 Adrienne Price Thu, 05 Apr 2007 22:31:35 +0000 http://ajcblog.org/2007/04/05/bravo-to-the-john-does/#comment-239 Yasher koach on your new blog. I look forward to many insightful pieces. The lawsuit funded by CAIR against the John Does appears to be an act of intimidation. In our post-9/11 world we encourage U.S. citizens to be vigilant and every John Doe on that plane appears to have done the right thing. Rep. Peter King sponsored legislation which will serve to protect the John Does, and future citizens from attack if they report suspicious actions. While the legislation passed the House vote, 122 representatives voted against it. Shame on those Representatives who did not support Representative King's new law. Yasher koach on your new blog. I look forward to many insightful pieces.

The lawsuit funded by CAIR against the John Does appears to be an act of intimidation. In our post-9/11 world we encourage U.S. citizens to be vigilant and every John Doe on that plane appears to have done the right thing.

Rep. Peter King sponsored legislation which will serve to protect the John Does, and future citizens from attack if they report suspicious actions. While the legislation passed the House vote, 122 representatives voted against it. Shame on those Representatives who did not support Representative King’s new law.

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