The "Other"

Well, the end result of Republican policies and rhetoric:

A federal jury has ordered American Airlines to pay $400,000 to a computer consultant who was pulled from a flight at Logan International Airport because of security concerns, then denied reboarding even after he had been cleared by State Police.

"I felt like I was being treated like a terrorist and there was no way I could prove I didn't do anything or say anything at all," said John Cerqueira , 39, who grew up in Fall River and now lives in Miami. "I'm grateful to the jury for sending the message to American Airlines that just the use of the word security isn't an excuse for unlawful behavior."

Cerqueira, who was born in Portugal and is a US citizen, was returning to Florida after spending Christmas with his family when he boarded a non stop flight to Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 28, 2003. But before takeoff, Cerqueira said, the flight crew called police because of concerns about two Middle Eastern passengers who were seated beside him .

Cerqueira said he didn't know the men, who were Israelis, but believes he was taken into custody with the men because he looked like them.

This, sadly, is not an isolated incident, and even more sadly, underscores American's incipient racism. What's amazing is the arrogance of American Airlines' reaction:

A spokesman for American Airlines, Tim Wagner , said the company would not discuss the case, but released a statement saying, "While we respect the jury system, we disagree with this verdict. This decision is simply not supported by the facts or the law. We will evaluate our legal options."

Obviously, the decision is supported by the facts and by the law. Poor, pissed-on AA.

On the "racism" issue, I want to point out one thing: people are, I think, inherently "racist" in a sense, to the extent that I suspect it's hard-wired. Among social mammals one finds a deep sense of "us" and "other." It's particularly blatant among wolves and our own close relatives. The disturbing thing here is that our ideals say we shouldn't behave on those impulses, that it is not OK to cater to that innate distrust of the other -- if someone is to be denied the benefits of membership in our society, there must be a solid, rational reason, not one that takes its genesis from our "baser" instincts, but those who would cater to those instincts are developing not only a strong following (not a surprise, really -- in any group, there are those who have nothing but baser instincts) but seeking to justify their agendas in the law.

Which makes politicians such as Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, James Dobson and Donald Wildmon about the lowest scum you can find.

Of interest in this light is the series "Eliminationism in America" at Orcinus. A chilling portrait of the worst we can offer. Here's a link to the latest, which will give you links to the earlier installments.

Neiwert (I believe it's Neiwert, since it's uncredited and it's his site) notes one thing that struck a chord in me:

I also would sometimes hear black leaders and community members in Seattle talk about the somewhat hidden, institutionalized nature of racism in places like the Pacific Northwest, where people can be nice to your face and not so nice in action. And they would sometimes phrase it in stark terms, usually something along these lines:

"I would rather deal with Southerners, where the racism is up front and in your face, than people in places like this, where it's all nice and hidden."

I've run into the same thing with anti-gay prejudice, which, I suppose, is one reason I take social liberals with a grain of salt. I think they truly do believe what they're saying as long as it's an abstract concept, but when it comes closer to home, they're still closet bigots.