Sunday, August 15, 2010

Nevada Jack's Sunday Morning Rant



While Sage is heading off to church, I thought I'd get a few things off my chest. Sorry, like Sage, I'm gonna keep my chest hair there!




We've gotten sick and tired of hearing about Steve Slater this week. In case you missed it, he was the JetBlue Flight Attendant who cursed out an unruly customer over the airplane’s intercom system, then announced he was quitting, pulled open the emergency door to the plane and slid down the inflated escape slide, purportedly with a beer in each hand. We hope when he receives his last paycheck, in addition to all those fines he’s going to have to pay, JetBlue will also deduct from his salary those two beers—at the outlandish price the airlines now charge customers… Who in the world wants a drink bad enough that they'll pay five bucks for a can of watered down Bud-lite? But that's another issue. What we're really angry at is in the way Mr. Slater has become a sort of anti-establishment folk hero and many bloggers have taken up his cause as he gives new meaning to the country song, “Take this Job and Shove It.”

Both Sage and I are anti-establishment types, but we don’t see Mr. Slater as a hero. As part of a flight crew, he was responsible for the safety of those on board and he deserted his post. In the military, that’ll get you shot. He certainly put his own needs and desires over that of those he was called to protect and serve. And furthermore, if the passenger wasn’t doing what she was being told to do and was aggressive toward him with a lethal weapon (and over loaded carry-on bag), as a member of the flight crew, all Mr. Slater had to do was to call security. Instead of throwing a fit, he could have had the angry customer removed from the plane, in handcuffs. But he didn’t. Maybe he thought this stunt would draw a lot of attention, which it certainly did, but in my opinion, the stunt was irresponsible.


We're not sure why we got so worked up over this; perhaps it has to do with a trend we see where we focus more and more on our needs and less and less on others. It’s like we’ve all become petty little gods. We think only of ourselves and our immediate wants; we look to satisfy our short-term desires and forget about everyone else or what’s needed long term good of society.


A second thing that has gotten us all worked is the anger over Obama for speaking in support of building a mosque in New York City, a few blocks from ground zero. When Sage first heard this story, it was being reported that they were building the mosque at ground zero, the site where Muslim terrorist killed thousands of people. That made him angry, even though it seemed that they might have a constitutional right to build there. But then, when he heard that it was not at the actual ground zero site, but two and a half blocks away, he felt betrayed and misled. I reminded him its not the first time that right-wing bloggers betrayed him by misreporting the facts. These folks are after Obama now, because he says they have a right to build there, which isn’t anything more than “defending the constitution,” and I think there was something in his oath of office that alluded to that being one of his tasks. Like Sage, I’m sick and tired of all these right-winged talking heads spouting off at the mouth on this one. If zoning ordinances allows for a religious building, then it seems to me that they should be allowed to building their mosque or community center. If zoning ordinances don’t allow any religious buildings, then that would be another story. Whether it’s in good taste or not to build that close to Ground Zero is another issue, but good taste isn’t a constitutional requirement. If it was, they would have kept a ban on lite-beer and wine-coolers when they repealed of the 18th amendment.

17 comments:

  1. At the risk of stirring up the ire of all Americans. I would have to say POTUS should have the nous to keep his nose well out of a State and even a City matter. He could easily have batted it back with a comment that it was a matter for City Hall or Albany.
    On the Air Steward, honestly it's a total wonder to me that more of them do not wig-out. Bad pay, bad conditions and an ever present danger of dropping out of the sky. He is hardly a bus conductor, but that's how his employers think of him.

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  2. Absolutely with you on the Jetblue guy. I refuse to even learn his name. As for the "Mosque," which isn't just a mosque, I'm in agreement with you, although I think it is in bad taste and the muslim people themselves should decide not to do it.

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  3. i am with you on both counts...this guy is definitely not a hero, but i guess we are all looking for someone to justify our own actions...it does not surprise me the way words get twisted either for similar reasons...

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  4. i'm with you as well - we didn't hear over here in germany of the flight attendant but we heard about the mosque on ground zero.
    i liked that you let the bear talk for you...

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  5. I agree about the JetBlue guy. While I totally understand where he would feel like losing it completely, he could have sent so much better a message by handling the situation differently. Whether he cared to retain his job or not.

    As far as the right wing...well, I just say let's keep giving them the rope. They look more and more idiotic the more latitude they're given. Come election time, I'll be voting exactly as I did last time. While not perfect, Obama has made strides no other president has since...well, certainly before my time! ...and the constitution is the constitution, whether we personally feel it applies appropriately to a given situation or not.

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  6. Like Vince said, the current occupant tends to stick his voice where it doesn't belong. Henry Louis Gate Jr. comes to mind. I'm in favor of the mosque and all the other businesses that will be going into that building. I hope it shows the bigoted segment of the Muslim world that we aren't like them.

    As for the airplane guy, why can't something like that happen on one of my flights. I'm tired of boring flights....... I take that back. On second thought I love boring flights!

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  7. I'm having a weird sense of deja vu. :-)

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  8. You're all riled up Jack - and I agree with you.

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  9. "Showing unusual restraint, John kept his comments to himself."

    Great post per usual!

    John

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  10. I agree on both subjects! He is not a hero... I think people are praising him because in their minds it justifies some of their unprofessional behavior.

    As for the "Mosque"... I can't believe the USA president said what he did outloud to the public. Not surprised he feels that way though. Our country is sad shape with poor leadership in my opinion.

    Great post!!!
    ~ Coreen

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  11. I tend to see the mosque as a provocation, given its proximity to Ground Zero. When one looks at the financial backing, it certainly becomes curiouser and curiouser.

    Cheers.

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  13. OK, I know you're right about the flight attendant. But I admit there is a small part of me that has thought about going out in a blaze of... something. You know, when the time comes. Not that I'd ever actually do it.

    So the right intentionally misrepresented the facts to try and incite anger? Next you'll tell me they have their own "news" network.

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  14. I totally agree with you (I mean Montana Jack) about the anger over Obama and the Mosque--I think the anger should be over how long the rebuilding is taking
    I don't think Obama is perfect. I get angry at him on a regular basis. But then I remember who was president before him and.....
    But as a person who takes Spirit Air on a regular basis I should hate Slater because the attendants on the worlds worst airline act like they're doing you a favor by showing up for their job. But the passengers are worse!

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  15. Yes - misplaced anger, for sure. And that Slater guy deserves to be fired. :)

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  16. The older I get the more anti-government I become. As for Mr. Slater I'd say he's a better self-promoter than most of us; of course it was a selfish thing to do, that's the way he planned it. The tragedy is so many people, and so much media are making a big deal of it so I will agree with you Nevada on this one, he more than deserves any adverse consequences coming his way. If this is the worst thing that has happened to him in his career as flight attendant I'd say he's lived a charmed life ... I work with people 24/7, if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen.
    Now as far as our president - keep out of our daily affairs, of course the Muslims have a 'constitutional right,' I agree. But there is such a thing as sensitivity ... even the moderate Muslim community is opposing it, but it's our issue, Mr. President, there are far weighter concerns I would think your valuable time is better spent on .... so please leave us alone. I don't care which side of the aisle the criticism is coming from, you deserve it, learn from it, that's what we try to do here in the heartland. Oh, by the way Mr. President, I am praying for you that God will give you 'true success,' for then the whole country will profit also.

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  17. Oddly enough, I haven't read one article on this Steve guy...

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