Airline passenger suffers real consequences because of unrealistic fears

Popehat today is upset about "a perfectly innocent woman being hauled off a flight, handcuffed, jailed, strip-searched, and grilled for hours — because some... ninny on the plane thought she and the two dark-skinned people sitting next to her were 'suspicious', and because 'better safe than sorry' has become a higher value to law enforcement than probable cause or reasonable suspicion or due process or common freaking sense, and because we’re too cowed as a people to say anything about it."

Popehat provided a link to a blog post put up by the woman in question. She's an Arab of Saudi descent, married to a Jewish physician who is, according to her blog, doing a residency in emergency medicine in Toledo. Her first-person account is well worth reading. (Here is a link to the AP account of the event.)

Worth reading also, particularly in light of the above, are Professor George Anastapolo's articles currently running in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, "Making sense of the current state of affairs." In tonight's installment (subscription required), Anastapolo writes:

[T]he most troubling aspect of our security measures lies in what they reveal about, and do to, the American character. Indeed, there may even be something demeaning about a determined program of public announcements which insist, again and again (for years now), "If you see something, say something." What is generally seen (and heard) is a "something" which consists of a steady promotion, in effect, of fearfulness — and much should be said about that!

John Kass referred, in his column in Sunday's Tribune, calls it "the Fear Industry." He wrote:

You want proof of how well the Fear Industry is doing? Just think of all the cameras on the light poles in your central business district. Or watch the parade of crotch pat-downs at the airports, the weak smiles of the patted, smiles of the helpless. Think about what that does to a people over time.

Remember right after 9/11, when people were writing and saying that, if we allow fear of terror to alter our lives, the terrorists will have won? Remember?