so, we should worry about this man?
Sep. 22nd, 2004 08:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
slipstreamsurfrhrmm.. Maybe I'm missing something.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=4&u=/ap/20040922/ap_on_re_us/plane_diverted
according to this news story, a London to Washington DC flight was diverted to Main today because while it was in flight, Yusuf Islam was on board. Usuf Islam is better known in the states by his stage name. Cat Stevens. Cat Stevens is on the federal watch list. They said that they'll put him on the first available plane back to London.
How is Cat Stevens a threat to our country, our government? Sure, in the far distant past of the late 80's he supported the Ayatollah Khomeini's death sentence against Salman Rushdie. Since then he has spoken out against the Sept 11 attack, and even the seizure in Beslan, Russia. He's on record as saying "No right thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action: The Quran equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity."
Maybe it's a mistake in the list. Much like the mistake that caught Ted Kennedy recently. But, unlike Mr. Kennedy, Cat Stevens can't just ring up the Department of Homeland defense and say, "Hey, you've made a mistake, take me off the watch list"
This on the same day as the announcement of a new government program to have the airlines turn over passenger data to run through a government built database of individuals we should be worried about. This is bothersome, worrying.
Who watches the watchers?
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=4&u=/ap/20040922/ap_on_re_us/plane_diverted
according to this news story, a London to Washington DC flight was diverted to Main today because while it was in flight, Yusuf Islam was on board. Usuf Islam is better known in the states by his stage name. Cat Stevens. Cat Stevens is on the federal watch list. They said that they'll put him on the first available plane back to London.
How is Cat Stevens a threat to our country, our government? Sure, in the far distant past of the late 80's he supported the Ayatollah Khomeini's death sentence against Salman Rushdie. Since then he has spoken out against the Sept 11 attack, and even the seizure in Beslan, Russia. He's on record as saying "No right thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action: The Quran equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity."
Maybe it's a mistake in the list. Much like the mistake that caught Ted Kennedy recently. But, unlike Mr. Kennedy, Cat Stevens can't just ring up the Department of Homeland defense and say, "Hey, you've made a mistake, take me off the watch list"
This on the same day as the announcement of a new government program to have the airlines turn over passenger data to run through a government built database of individuals we should be worried about. This is bothersome, worrying.
Who watches the watchers?
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meow
Date: 2004-10-07 03:30 pm (UTC)that's it.
and, i don't know who's watching the watchers, i feel like this administration has used the whole 9/11 thing as an excuse to begin policies like those of that paranoid FBI guy, was it j. edgar hoover? the one that wiretapped and had files on every celebrity, politition, CEO, and anyone else who blipped the radar.
we are becoming the land that Orwell predicted.
now, that's really it.
i love the cat.
Re: meow
Date: 2004-11-17 02:34 pm (UTC)The guy you are thinking about was Senator Josepth McCarthy in the 1950's. And yes, I agree, there does seem to be a bit of McCarthyism about.
Thanks for stopping by!
Re: meow
Date: 2004-11-17 04:41 pm (UTC)i look a bit like maureen...
Re: meow
Date: 2004-11-17 04:43 pm (UTC)Re: meow
Date: 2004-11-17 04:44 pm (UTC)but hopefully you're a much better character than Brian!
Re: meow
Date: 2004-11-18 06:29 am (UTC)yeah, my wife calls me a character allright. ;)