9/11

[Isabella]

Originally Posted by mystree66

Had to put the smileys in for you Isabella..

Thanks mystree66. I love the smileys.

[Isabella]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

Hey Isabella, don't think you are the only "suspicious looking" lady! Last time I was at the airport with my husband and 11 year old son we got stopped and had to step aside and be frisked. Why? Because I didn't realize my driver's license had expired and DMV didn't send me a notice to renew it. So I guess that tipped everyone off that maybe we had a bomb or weapons or something. Go figure! It was embarrassing and my son was scared, but we "dangerous" folk managed to board the aircraft anyway!

Twinkle, Don't mess with the DMV!!!!!

[dullnboring]

Originally Posted by UB50

There was a piece on a local news station recently about Muslims in the local area (Los Angeles). It may seem amazing to many, but a lot of people convert to Islam. The woman they interviewed on TV had converted to Islam and she looked like a typical perky American girl -- kind of like Katie Couric. There are blonde, blue-eyed Muslims. Red haired ones too! Even Asian Muslims! In fact, the TV station mentioned that Islam is the second largest religion in the world.

The largest Muslim country on Earth is Indonesia. The second? India. Most Muslims in the U.S. are not Arab, but rather African-American. There are 40 million Muslims in China. There are so many misperceptions about Islam as a religion and Muslims as a people.

Anyway, I don't think you can judge a book by it's cover -- hence the security checks.

I have flown some 10 times or so since 9/11 and like MoMark, I am ALWAYS one of the few to be "randomly" searched. I'm not sure why. It doesn't matter how I dress or how well-groomed I am or my demeanor. No matter what, I'll inevitably hear an "excuse me sir, could you step over here please?" I don't have a problem with it. It's no skin off my back but it's just a bit baffling and I wish I knew what it was, what signals I was giving off that have caused me to consistently be searched and questioned more thoroughly than others. I'm a big guy (6'5) and have been told that in spite of the fact that I'm a friendly nice guy, I have an intimidating "look" to me but I don't feel like that's reason enough for it. I have a somewhat ambiguous name though where people can't tell whether or not it's Eastern European, Jewish, or Arab, so maybe that factors into things somehow. I'm not sure. Again, it's not a big deal to me as I've come to expect it and it's turned almost into a joke between me and my friends. I will say however that while I am the one who is always searched, I still find airport security to be incredibly lax. Perhaps there's much more going on behind the scenes than we know about but from my perspective, there seem to be not as many security precautions as I'd have thought/hoped after 9/11.

By the way, did anyone watch the documentary on 9/11 last night? I can't remember what station it was on but it was about two French documentary producers who had been following a "newbie" firefighter in New York City for two months prior to 9/11. I think it might have been a repeat, but it was the most fascinating documentary I've seen in a long time.

I caught that. It was some gripping television.

[whitney]

My husband always gets the thorough check...maybe because he has very black hair, a close clipped black beard?? For whatever reason, I am glad when I find security doing a good job. I wish more was done. It seems that in some of the international airports we have been through that security was tighter, but it might have been the particular time we were there. I remember how tight it was in Rome when there had been an attempt to kill the pope (way back when!). I hope security gets tighter, we need all the protection we can get.

[Isabella]

If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,

From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there’s pride in every American heart,
and it’s time to stand and say:

I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

[whitney]

Thanks, Isabella....a good ending to this 9/11 anniversary. And thoughts to carry with us......