Man Banned From Flight For "Offensive" Anti-Bush T-Shirt

[Jcrowley]

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5333128,00.jpg

Banned for a George Bush T-shirt
By Mark Dunn
December 14, 2006 12:00am

AN Australian was barred from a London-Melbourne flight unless he removed a T-shirt depicting George Bush as the world's number one terrorist. Allen Jasson was also prevented from catching a connecting flight within Australia later the same day unless he removed the offending T-shirt.

Mr Jasson says Qantas and Virgin Blue were engaging in censorship but the airlines say the T-shirt was a security issue and could affect the sensitivities of other passengers. "The woman at the security check-in (at Heathrow) just said to me, 'You are not wearing that'," Mr Jasson, 55, said yesterday.

Mr Jasson, who lives in London and was flying to Australia to visit family on December 2, said he was first told he would need to turn the T-shirt inside-out before he would be allowed to board the Qantas flight.

"I told her I had the right to express my opinion," he said.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20925632-38200,00.html

[spinbaby]

1. I'm with the airline on this one

No one should be wearing a shirt that says "Terrorist" in any context.

[dysfunctional press]

3. completely agree.

nt

[tammywammy]

7. I agree as well

I remember when I was around 6 years old being told to never joke about bombs in the airport. Now it's terrorists, in any context.

And I don't imagine that Austrailia was too worried about it being a slam on Bush, so much as the word terrorist.

[Flarney]

10. That's ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with the word "terrorist."

When did we become afraid of words?

Edit: It's all about context. If the shirt said "I am a terrorist and I want to blow up a plane" that might fall under the "fire in a crowded theater" standard. Calling Bush a terrorist a political statement, and clearly the wearer of the shirt is anti-terrorism, so what's the problem?

[Cronus Protagonist]

15. It's not the words that's the issue, it's CONTROL of people

These are all just excuses to exert power.

[soothsayer]

25. i'm with you!

[n2doc]

40. Agreed.

I wonder if he had gone in to a restroon and returned with the same shirt, except with Hillary or Bill Clinton on it, if he would have gotten the same response. That would be an interesting experiment....

[Deja Q]

12. Agreed.

[earthside]

16. "Political Correctness" Even Here

Wow.

DUers joining the ranks of the "politically correct" and hypersensitive crowd.

Ink on cloth has now become a security risk.

The combination of letters on a t-shirt is now open for contextual review by airline bureaucrats.

See ... we really are further down the road to fascism than most Americans will ever believe.

[dysfunctional press]

24. hmmmm....

:eyes:

[Bonobo]

26. Earthside, you said EXACTLY what I wanted to. Thanks.

THIS is the slow and steady creep of fascism. People's ability to discern what is right and wrong has been seriously undermined. I bet these same posters would never have said that 6 years ago.

[tabasco]

32. Great post !

THANKS !

[Squatch]

23. What, you mean I can't say "bomb" on an airplane?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

30. Of course you can say "bomb" ...

... just expect that there might be a lengthy conversation with TSA thugs before you pick up your luggage.

So don't say it if you need to meet a connecting flight. Or an importand meeting, or a hot date.

Airplanes and airports have been pretty much "joke-free zones" for a long time. 9/11, Homeland Security, TSA, just made it worse.

Regards.

[Squatch]

33. Rent "Meet the Parents"

[northofdenali]

45. Amen, JustABozo -

I remember in the '70s it was very dangerous to use the word hijack. Don't dare greet a friend with the name that way! And this is serious - a friend was hauled off by security guards when meeting another friend whose name was, of course, Jack. Ridiculous, but true.

Regarding the fellow's shirt, I also agree that this in no way is a "security issue". It's a political issue, and Quantas et al should be admonished.

[Roland99]

27. Why not? We're that afraid of a damn word now?

I sure hope there's no band out there called "The Terrorists" or something like that.

[shain from kane]

36. Muad 'Dib

[A Simple Game]

47. Yes, now there is a word that can kill! n/t

[shain from kane]

49. Fear is the mind-killer.

Paul: *Silence*! I remember your Gom Jabbar, now you remember mine. I can kill with a word.

[A Simple Game]

50. I'm past due to read Dune again.

Have read it four or five times and know I will enjoy it more the next time.

[Javaman]

35. So now Terrorist has become the new N word.

I weep for our present and future.

[leftofthedial]

44. bullshit

the word does no harm.

we've already surrendered far too many liberties just to preserve the charade of "terrorism" for the authoritarians.

this T-shirt issue is about politics, not safety.

[gollygee]

2. I wonder if it's just the use of the word "terrorist"

they don't even like jokes about bombs and terrorists. If he'd worn a shirt with a photo of Osama bin Laden and the word "terrorist" it could also have caused him trouble.

If the actual reason was because they didn't want him saying something negative about Bush, then I agree with him. But if they just don't allow jokes about terrorism at all, then it seems fair enough to me.

[dysfunctional press]

4. it's the word "terrorist".

it's in australia- why would they care what anyone thinks of bush?

[gollygee]

19. There are pretty strong opinions over there about Bush

I have family there and have visited there pretty often. There are lots of opinions but mainly anti-Bush from what I saw. The corporations might be pro-Bush though since Australia's PM is very behind Bush.

[dysfunctional press]

22. regardless...

it's the word "terrorist".

[gollygee]

37. Well, yeah, I think so too

I can't imagine any shirt with that word in any context being allowed.

[opihimoimoi]

5. Its gone INSANE.....HYPER SENSITIVE and Counter Productive..we are BOTH

[LynnTheDem]

6. Can't have TRUTH depicted on one's clothing!

Now had he worn a "bush = #1 SuperHero" t-shirt, that woulda been fine.

[malaise]

8. BIngo

and that would have offended even more people.

[verse18]

14. I'd be offended.

I wouldn't want to get on a plane with someone in a "bush = #1 SuperHero" t-shirt.

[RealAle]

11. Are you kidding me?

Can't wear a T-Shirt with the word Terrorist on it? As if a real terrorist would wear one like a uniform. If were so damned "terrorized" that a t-shirt scares us then they have won.

[sinkingfeeling]

18. Right on and welcome to DU!

[A Simple Game]

48. And an honest terrorist would tell them if someone else had

packed their luggage for them.

Welcome to DU RealAle.

[gratuitous]

13. Well, you know how a word can bring down a plane

"Let's see, handgun, pass; blackjack, pass; brass knucks, pass; box cutters, pass; knitting needles, pass; 'terrorist' printed on a shirt?! Just a second there, buddy. I'm going to have to ask you to step out of line!"

[Bill McBlueState]

9. what a crock

A Virgin Blue spokeswoman said the airline had a policy to ban offensive clothing and bare feet. "Most people use common sense and don't go out of their way to offend people," she said.

But there's no evidence that anyone actually was offended.

And besides, where is this "right not to be offended" enumerated anywhere?

A stranger sitting next to me on a recent flight to Hawaii crossed herself when the plane took off. It offended me that she thought our safety was dependent on the whim of a sky-being instead of the skill of the pilot.

Should I have gotten to have her tossed off the plane under this "nobody should ever be offended" paradigm?

[Der Blaue Engel]

31. If Muslims aren't allowed to pray on planes

why should Catholics be allowed to?

[Norquist Nemesis]

17. Turn it wrong side out, then hit the head once the plane's up

and turn it right side. :evilgrin:

Dunno. Sounds to me like the guy was looking to get some attention. Putting up a stink about his 'right to express' his opinion says to me that he wore the shirt with the intent of getting a rise. Now, he's getting his 15 minutes.

[Bluerthanblue]

20. is 'free speech' part of the Brittish equilivent of our constitution?

seems to me, the REAL meaning of 'free-speech' has been so warped by things like 'burning flags' and 'artwork'- that actually using words to express opinions (what I have always understood as 'speaking') has been out-lawed except when used to defame those this nation chooses to call- 'evildoers'.

The t shirt speaks the plain unadulterated truth-
If that offends people, then perhaps they need to seek ways to change the truth-

"Terrorism" is manipulating innocent people through violent acts, or threats of violent actions- and that is * in a nutshell- which is where the poor man lives.

[Ezlivin]

21. What if it read "Bush is an Errorist"? Would the missing "T" matter?

[Roland99]

28. heh...that reminds me of Frank Caliendo's impersonation bit of Clinton

Where he goes on that Clinton could convince someone that he wasn't there.

"After all, isn't 'here' just 'there' without the 't'?"


:D

[pagam]

29. Cool shirt!!!!!

Where can I get one?????

[Ezlivin]

39. It's available at CafePress

http://www.cafepress.com/bushisanerror/664981

[tabasco]

34. Off the plane pal ! We know in our minds what you are thinking

and it is bad!

[4morewars]

38. That's my new flying shirt !

Fuck these nazis !

[Dinger]

41. Wonder How "Worst President Ever" Would Go Over?

You know, the ones on Bartsop?

[devilgrrl]

42. What's not true about the t-shirt?

:?

[rock]

43. "Tim Burr! You old rascal"

"Hi Jack!"

[Cha]

46. Nevertheless, thanks, Allen Jasson

for spreading the word that, indeed, the bushit is "WORLD'S NUMBER # 1 TERRORIST"!