Disgusted

I have just read "Don't Travel During Ramadan." It was written by Aditya Mukerjee. (Twitter: @chimeracoder) I found it first reposted on Wil Wheaton's tumblr page. After reading it, I have this to say:

I am disgusted.

I am utterly, thorough, infuriatingly, disgusted.

Let me tell you why:

1. No one should be detained without food and water, especially if they have not been charged.
2. Proper treatment of a human being does not go out the door because they do not look like a WASP. 
3. Chemical testing seems to need improvement.
4. No one should be detained for that long. 
5. TSA agents need better education in spotting "terrorists." 
6. Apparently so do the NYPD.
7. And the FBI. 
8. Our post 9/11 security measures are a disgrace. 
9. The idiotic terror we American allow ourselves to feel and be threatened with ever since 9/11.

Yes 9/11 was terrible. Yes it was horrible. And guess what? The world did not end. However us behaving like freedom lovers was reduced. 


And finally, this story made me think: There but for the grace of God go I.

See many years ago, I went to pick up a friend at the airport. I don't remember why but as I got out of the car, I stuck my hand in my pocket. Whoa! I had a .357 slug in there. See it was hunting season and I had worn that coat when I went hunting the weekend before. I immediately counted my lucky stars and put my round in my car. I mean, if I had tried to go through security I would have been pulled aside. Though my guess is the security people, who also lived in a hunting area, would probably have understood it still would not have been a happy moment for any of us.

Now let's jet over to today, post 9/11. Had I tried to walk through any kind of security with my hunting and target practicing jacket, there would have been gun shot residue (GSR). And then there would be terror and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth and HYSTERIA and nasty behavior on the part of the security team. Or so I am guessing. And I am pissed because lots of us will have GSR on our coats or clothes because we like shooting tin cans in safe firing ranges and why the heck is everyone just so damn hysterical and NASTY about this anyway? I don't like it. It smacks of bigotry, fear, and ignorance and I'm not a fan of any of those.

So yes, I am disgusted. And after my ranting I know why: No one should have so much power over another that they can detain them, deny them food and water, not press charges, and treat them so obnoxiously. If you don't think that could happen to you, think again.

Now to go write a few letters to some elected officials.