Comments for Stories from the Heartland

Comment on Oh, February! by Shoshana Hebshi

Shoshana Hebshi — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:19:23 +0000

I know at least one person who loves snowy, cold winters too. Actually, I know two people. They are both from Minnesota.

Comment on Oh, February! by Rob Berkers

Rob Berkers — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:30:31 +0000

Living in The Netherlands (and never call my country “Holland” ), we have what they call a sea climate, which would mean gentle winters. But these “gentle winters” are cold enough for me.
Oh yes, I do enjoy the first snow which turns the countryside into a magical wonderland, but after some days it starts to annoy me and the longing for some more warm weather becomes very strong.

Can you imagine that there are living beings that really enjoy the cold temperatures and the snow? Well, I do know one at least one…. unbelievable!

Comment on Step Two: The Lawsuit by Shoshana Hebshi

Shoshana Hebshi — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:59:59 +0000

Yes, pure theater. All the men and women merely players.

Comment on Step Two: The Lawsuit by DJC

DJC — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:45:01 +0000

Yes: I got in touch with my Congressional representative, the wonderful Bella Abzug, and told her the whole story. She pursued it with the relevant authorities. They denied everything, and there was no further to take it.
That wasn’t the last time I was searched and detained at a US airport; and though I’ve traveled to the old Soviet Union and socialist Eastern Europe, all over Western Europe, Africa, the middle East, and Israel, I’ve never been so badly, rudely, or arrogantly treated as at US airports. It’s been … educational.
None of it is as grossly racist and stupid as how you were treated. But all of it, including your treatment, makes me angry. And it’s all so pointless, because none of this makes the slightest difference in domestic security: it’s pure theater, enacted by ignorant, petty people for the benefit of other ignorant, petty people.

Comment on Step Two: The Lawsuit by Shoshana Hebshi

Shoshana Hebshi — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 22:33:09 +0000

That is an incredible story. Did you do anything about it after it happened?

Comment on Step Two: The Lawsuit by DJC

DJC — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:13:57 +0000

Shoshana, what was done to you and the two men is a disgrace.
In the 1970s — the Nixon era and a bit later — I sometimes had long hair and a beard, and was repeatedly stopped and searched before getting on domestic flights. I was strip-searched (as was my girlfriend) and detained incommunicado for 4 hours on entering the USA from a trip to Europe. That time, the young border officer who guarded me while they searched my friend quietly told me “I wish I could help, but they’re only doing this because you’re young and because of your appearance”.
Prejudice and paranoia have a life of their own.

Comment on Some real Shock and Awe: Racially profiled and cuffed in Detroit by greg

greg — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 04:03:58 +0000

@Julianna, I am happy (or sad) to say that NONE of the Founding Fathers would have ANY respect for you at all. None. They would regard you as just exactly the type of tool those who are corrupt and who seek power would welcome. Franklin himself would no doubt be contemptuous of your attitude…you are the epitome of the type of unamerican element that is going to ruin this great nation. If you want a police state and to disrespect the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence because you are too weak, too small minded, too self-centered to understand and appreciate what those documents mean to America, then move somewhere else and make room for a real American who will not betray everything the Founding Fathers created.

Comment on Some real Shock and Awe: Racially profiled and cuffed in Detroit by Randy

Randy — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:27:00 +0000

Well the problem with your logic Larry, (Americans are JUSTIFIABLY leery of Arab types), is that she is a American, (born and raised), and she speaks fluent english so you must be speaking of her biological appearance because her culture is 100% USA.

How can an American do any less then mind their own business on their flight home in their “assigned” seat?

The height, width, depth and length of the reaction from law enforcement that was applied to a person who wasn’t reported in any wrong doing was unreasonable to me even if the law allowed such treatment.

I don’t see law enforcement as the victim in “this case”. Each case is different.

Randy

Comment on Some real Shock and Awe: Racially profiled and cuffed in Detroit by Larry Clone

Larry Clone — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 19:03:33 +0000

We can only hope this Shoshana character cried “racial profiling” when the FBI openly admitted to racially profiling the Beltway Sniper as “a lone white male in his 30s,” because I didn’t hear a peep out of our contingent of liberal American journalists at such fine outlets at CNN, MSNBC, and elsewhere.

Frankly, lady, Americans are JUSTIFIABLY leery of Arab types and those from other countries soaked in Islam. Your father happens to be a from a country which is a hotbed of religious fanaticism – and yes – terrorism.

I’d suggest you make aliyah and move to Israel if you dislike it here, but I think you are well enough informed to know you’d be treated far worse there as you would be in Saudi.

Bottom line here: American safety outweighs your sense of being offended. Always has, always will.

Frankly, we wouldn’t have had this hijacking/bombing problem to begin with if we retained our white-only immigration policy. When we started opening our gates to third world toilets with third world toilet cultures is when we began having problems. You can cry ‘racist’ about that until you turn blue and try to drown it out with loud, shrieking kumbayas… But it’s still the truth.

Comment on After the Post by Shoshana Hebshi

Shoshana Hebshi — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:45:40 +0000

Thank you Jan. I also hope there is good to come out of this. We must find a balance.