The latest claim to harassment by airport security comes from Nancy Oden, a US Green Party official and “all-around firebrand.” According to this story and interview, and this story as well, Green was effectively bushwhacked at Bangor airport. The Man knew she was coming, and had already decided to bar her, since she’d written an inflammatory article.
“I walked into the Bangor airport. What I saw was National Guard folks all over carrying machine guns… The atmosphere was very tense… This was Thursday… I went over to the American Airlines ticket counter way down at the end. Nobody else was there, except the clerk. I gave him my name. He didn’t even ask for photo ID. It was almost like they were expecting me. He put it into the computer. He stayed on the computer a long time, like 10 minutes.
“He put an S on the boarding pass, for search. He said, ‘You’ve been picked for having your bag searched.’ … I said to him, ‘This wasn’t random, was it?’ He said, ‘No you were in there to be searched, no matter what.’ I went over to baggage to put my bags through the X-ray and then went into the boarding area.
“There was this National Guard guy there. He yells over at me, so everyone can hear, ‘Bring your bags over here.’ You know how they are when they’re all puffed up with themselves. He said, ‘Hurry up,’ so I slowed down some more.
The whole story reads as … far too pat. Far too appropriate to the message Oden wants to portray. The brave dissenter, victimized by The Man, who is so terrified of her message that they’ll do anything, no matter how blatant, to stop her. Frankly, my bullshit-meter is spiking up near 11.
If this really happened, as described, then my apologies, and pardon me while I pack the car for Canada. But, frankly … I think Oden is out to score points with her constituents. Heck, from the reaction of the Green hierarchy, I think it’s a desperate attempt to gain attention.
To which I say, “For shame.” There are certainly enough reasons to disagree with US policy on things, and mechanisms by which to do so. To trump up something like this is to take on the aspects of those you claim to despise — deceipt, calumny, and manipulation of public opinion.
(Via InstaPundit)
UPDATE: An InstaPundit reader confirms this vast government conspiracy to quash internal dissent!
But now, thanks to Nancy Oden, it’s all clear: it was my youthful protest votes for the Green Party that did me in. Big Brother can’t keep track of known terrorists within its borders, but they’ve got records on all the third-rate activist-wannabes out there.
(Via InstaPundit)