EDITORIAL: Plane truth

[NVMojo]

October 9, 2005

Lorrie Heasley wanted to fly from Reno to Portland, Ore., on Southwest Airlines. She also wanted to make a political statement.

So Ms. Heasley donned a provocative T-shirt featuring pictures of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney along with a phrase that included an F-bomb. She said she wanted to make her parents -- both Democrats -- laugh when they picked her up at the airport.

Problem is, several Southwest passengers complained. And when flight attendants told her to either wear the shirt inside-out or deboard the plane, she chose the latter.

Now she tells the Reno Gazette-Journal that she plans to press a civil-rights complaint against the airline.

more...

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-09-Sun-2005/news/3738819.html

[izzie]

1. Barefoot people can not enter the local store. The women is wrong

She can walk in the air port but the plane has the right to do that. The whole thing is fun but I would not take this to court.Air ports are built with tax payers money.

[beingthere]

3. The first amendment applies

Even when "taxpayers' money" is involved.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Nope. Property rights trump first amendment. Them that owns the press...

The airlines are private property. However, they do operate as common carriers so they can't arbitrarily refuse service to say, everyone with freckles or people in wheelchairs, etc. They have to have a darn good reason like public safety to refuse passage to somebody. I don't think the F-word affects public safety.

[Burning Water]

7. It would, however,

offend a large number of people, especially parents with small children present.

Not that I don't often feel the way the woman does. However, we would get our message across more effectively if we observed the sensibilities of those we are trying to reach. Just my opinion.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Oh I do agree. She's an idiot, but she may have some rights to be one.

[Burning Water]

9. Of course she has the

right to be an idiot. But if she violates the law, she can go to jail. And private citizens and companies are under no obligation whatsoever to either provide her a platform, or listen to her opinions. They also have a perfect right to refuse to provide services to someone who is engaging in disruptive or offensive behavior. Her rights were not violated. Free speech works for both sides of a dispute.

[unblock]

4. private companies can generally refuse to serve anyone

especially if they have a policy and a sign. although, refusing to serve people for reasons of race, religion, etc., can cause big headaches, just ask the folks at denny's.

but in a public place, only law enforcement personnel can interfere with your right to be there, and they obviously have laws and procedures to follow.


of particular concern is the criteria used to determine that the t-shirt message couldn't be displayed. if it appears that the anti-bush message was the reason, then that's definitely a problem. if it's because it included the 'f-bomb' and there were kids on board, then it's probably fine for them to make her conceal the message.

this is what lawyers call "not a good test case".

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. It seems to me that

one place you want folks to be really nice and patient with one another is in a flying tube of metal way up in the sky. Strong politcal messages make folks cranky.

I am not a civil rights expert, but I was under the assumption that your right to wear or not wear something has to do with being in public rather than privately owned areas. But I could be wrong. It's happened!

Now if she were picked up in the park or something, I'd say sue away.

[wakeme2008]

6. lol she is just a loser

It wasn't the fact that the tee-shirt was politicial but used a four letter word on it. She is going no where with this one.