Just in case I go missing...

In case you missed it, I was recently almost ejected from a Southwest Airlines airplane (while still on the ground... no worries) for wearing a T-shirt the captain didn't like. I plan to push this as far as it can be reasonably pushed. I have given this letter to many friends and gotten many responses back. I am in the process of getting in touch with the ACLU and we'll see where this goes. If you know of anyone who would be interested in reading this, please send it their way or send them my way. I sat in silence and endured a bit of humiliation but I plan to bring it back tenfold through telling my story. I hope this helps people understand that the basic freedoms we so deeply value are being stripped from us. These new discriminations aren't being used to find and catch terrorists, they are being used to keep opinionated people like me from voicing their opinion in too public a venue. I'd love to hear your thoughts, for or against.

[I'm kidding about going missing, by the way...I hope]

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Customer ServiceSouthwest Airlines
P.O. Box 36647-1CR
Dallas, TX 75235-1647
Attn: Colleen Barrett, President

Ms. Barrett:

On June 6th 2007 I boarded Southwest Airlines flight 1917 from Phoenix, Arizona to San Diego, California at approximately 3:30 local time. As I boarded, a flight attendant (who would later reluctantly identify herself only as “Donna”) saw that I was wearing a T-shirt that bears a stylized picture of George W.Bush and the words, “International Terrorist.” She looked at me in disbelief and exclaimed, “I can’t believe you are wearing that shirt!” to which I replied, of course I am. I always wear this shirt when I fly.” As I seated myself in the exit row she continued her comments, saying, “And I’ve got you sitting there? I don’t think so!” and stormed off towards the back of the plane saying something further I could not understand. She returned momentarily and asked, “Is that George Bush on your t-shirt?” to which I replied, “Yes, ma’am, it is.” She left in a furor saying, “Yeah, I thought so,” and signaling franticly to someone in the rear of the plane. After another few moments the captain of the flight (who refused to reveal his name) came to my seat along with 2 flight attendants and spoke over the gentleman in the aisleseat to say to me gruffly, “Sir, you need to change that shirt or de-board the plane.” I responded politely, “I don’t think you can do that, sir,” and he said, “We can and we’re getting ready to take you off the plane.” He thrust his finger at my shirt, “That has the word terrorist on it and it offends the crew and makes people uncomfortable, especially since 9-1-1. Now take it off or turn it inside out.” I asked, “Free speech doesn’t count on airplanes?” and the captain replied, “Not on my plane. Change it or we’ll take you off this plane.” Shocked, I thought it better to deal with this later in writing and so asked, “If I turn this inside out, may I have the crew’s names?” To which the captain replied coarsely,“You’re not getting anything! Now change it or turn it inside out or get off.” He was noticeably agitated and was fumbling with something at his belt as he threw glances back and forth between me in my seat and a gathering group of people at the front of the plane. I looked around at shocked passengers’ faces wondering what to do and one flight attendant said,pointing at the captain, “It’s his flight and he calls the shots.” I thought briefly and decided not to push the issue at that time. I had been accosted by a noticeably agitated captain in plain public sight and wanted nothing more than to end the humiliation I was feeling. I humbly turned my shirt inside out. A few minutes later a woman approached my seat identifying herself as some form of customer service representative. She informed me, again in the form of a public scolding, that my shirt was considered “inappropriate” and that I was to keep it inside out the entire duration of the flight. After the crew had dispersed from my seat, a fellow passenger leaned over the seat behind me and asked jokingly, “So does that mean we’re all safer now that your shirt is insideout?”

I am a decorated veteran of the US Army. I gave nine years of my life and served my country proudly so that men could not do to other men what was done to me on that flight. I was forced to choose between my principles and going home to see my family. I was publicly accosted and made to hide my stated opinion because your flight attendant and captain did not agree with my view. The fact that I was sitting on that plane was proof that I had gone through airport security and found to pose no threat to the safety of any person and yet your crew used the tragedy of September 11th as a public excuse to force me into compliance with their personal opinions. I was publicly humiliated, scolded and threatened for words printed on a t-shirt. The crew claimed safety as the reason for their action and yet I would ask how much safer everyone was with my shirt inside out? Ludicrous.

I cannot express to you the complete and utter humiliation I felt at this incident. I am absolutely appalled that this happened, period, much less on a Southwest Airlines flight. I have flown Southwest for many years now because you have always been the most friendly, had the best service and offered the best fares. Now after this humiliation at your crew’s hands I am faced with never wanting to fly your airline again. I cannot adequately express the shame, disgrace and embarrassment of being so rudely confronted in my seat on a full aircraft! Aside from their blatant disregard of my constitutional rights, your crew did not even have the professionalism to take me aside or in any way attempt to keep the matter discreet. Even still as I type this letter my stomach is in knots thinking about this incident. I am furious at the treatment I received at the hands of your crew. It just wasn’t right, no matter how you try to look at it. I demand a personal apology, not from Southwest Airlines, but from the Captain and the flight attendant responsible. I hope that this incident will be reflected on that captain and flight attendant’s records; else they continue to freely exercise such poor judgment and unprofessional behavior towards others. Further, I hope that you would issue a written apology to every passenger on that plane for having forced them to witness such blatantly un-American and unprofessional treatment of a fellow human being, much less a paying customer. If behavior like this is tolerated by such a reputable business as Southwest Airlines then where does it stop? I am in the process of obtaining legal advice and wait to hear from you as to how Southwest will handle this egregious violation of my civil rights.

I thank you kindly for your immediate attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Michael Parker