Suitably Flip

Freedom of Bandwagon-Hopping T-Shirt-Wearing

Rock on, Spirit of Australia:

Qantas is refusing to let an Australian man board a plane from Melbourne to the United Kingdom because he insists on wearing a T-shirt depicting US President George Bush as a terrorist.

Alan Jasson, 55, says he wants to wear the T-shirt, but Qantas says written or verbal comments that could cause offence or threaten security will not be tolerated.

Mr Jasson says he is being denied his right to express his political views.

"I have a right to my political views and no one can take them away from me," he said.

Mr Jasson says the ban on his T-shirt is outrageous.

What a jerk.  His reasoning is so asinine, it barely warrants giving the counter-argument.  Even so:

If among his enlightened political views were the idea that the United States should not "bomb" Iran (or, for that matter, that we should "bomb" Iran), it would be just as improper to make such an utterance while aboard.  (Nor, as Greg Focker learned, could he recount his days as a "bomb"adier.)

If Jasson believes it's his specific viewpoint being silenced, why doesn't he try boarding his next Qantas flight with a t-shirt depicting an anonymous terrorist, or just the word "Terrorism" printed on it.  If the flight crew notices it and still lets him on, then we can concede him the point.

Until then, he's just a loudmouth who's hungry for a little attention and desperate to play the trampled citizen.  And a jerk.

(HT: Fark)

Comments

Freedom of Bandwagon-Hopping T-Shirt-Wearing

Rock on, Spirit of Australia:

Qantas is refusing to let an Australian man board a plane from Melbourne to the United Kingdom because he insists on wearing a T-shirt depicting US President George Bush as a terrorist.

Alan Jasson, 55, says he wants to wear the T-shirt, but Qantas says written or verbal comments that could cause offence or threaten security will not be tolerated.

Mr Jasson says he is being denied his right to express his political views.

"I have a right to my political views and no one can take them away from me," he said.

Mr Jasson says the ban on his T-shirt is outrageous.

What a jerk.  His reasoning is so asinine, it barely warrants giving the counter-argument.  Even so:

If among his enlightened political views were the idea that the United States should not "bomb" Iran (or, for that matter, that we should "bomb" Iran), it would be just as improper to make such an utterance while aboard.  (Nor, as Greg Focker learned, could he recount his days as a "bomb"adier.)

If Jasson believes it's his specific viewpoint being silenced, why doesn't he try boarding his next Qantas flight with a t-shirt depicting an anonymous terrorist, or just the word "Terrorism" printed on it.  If the flight crew notices it and still lets him on, then we can concede him the point.

Until then, he's just a loudmouth who's hungry for a little attention and desperate to play the trampled citizen.  And a jerk.

(HT: Fark)