Flight 327

Rachel Lucas offers some excellent commentary on Flight 327.  Go read all her posts in the "Gimme Valium" series right now.

This whole "Flight 327" thing should drive us all into some serious introspection:  what would you have done if you were in Annie Jacobsen's seat?  I'm semi-observant and obnoxious enough and my voice carries well; I'd like to think that I'd have been spouting out a very loud running Keith Jackson-esque play by play commentary regarding the goings-on in the cabin.  What would I have done if I were travelling with my wife and children?  Would I have been more vocal, or less?  And why? 

If there were Air Marshalls on the flight, what were they doing?  The in-flight magazine is not that interesting.  Picture all the sheeple, talking in hushed tones and passing notes, waiting for someone (else) to Do.Something.  Are we still so deeply embedded in political correctness that the "Todd Beemer"-type personality is rare?  Where is the man (or woman) who would stand up and say "Hey! WTF are you people doing?  Sit down or we'll kick your ass"?  To continue in the line of thinking that Rachel explores, prior to 11 September we had no frame of reference, no hard reasons to overcome our political correctness to question 14 Arab-looking men merely on the basis of their Arab-looking-ness.  We have such a frame of reference now.  I agree with her: the next time I get on a plane and see a congregation of Arab-looking men, I'm going to be singing like a canary, and not worry about who I piss off.

Go read Rachel's posts, follow the links and sit down and do some serious soul searching.
 
I'm actually waiting for the left to bring Flight 327 up as an example of GWB's failure to do something about terrorism at home.  It is an election year, after all.