Comments on: I really don’t want to get political . . .

Comment on I really don’t want to get political . . . by: Epigone

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:59:59 +0000

“We shouldn’t do things just because they make us feel all warm and comfy and good about ourselves, we should do things that are actually going to be effective, and that don’t have stupid loopholes in them.”

There are good reasons to do completely ineffective just-for-show things. Inspiring confidence in the unthinking masses isn’t all bad. And what if we don’t currently have anything effective to do? If politicians do nothing, they feel like they’re not doing their job.

Comment on I really don’t want to get political . . . by: Gabriel

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:59:59 +0000

You know thas funny?

I was just trying to think of a way to turn a pop tart into a bomb… I mean, when you toast those things, that filling gets pretty darn hot…

But yes, I agree… There are so many of these stupid “banned” items, that it makes no sense. I heard a report (or read one, or somethign like that) about a guy on a flight to Portland who took an empty soda can, and carefully and quietly twisted-ripped it in half, and then folded the pieces into a pretty strong and sharp “knife”… he showed it to the stewardess (in an attempt to show the airlines where they were making mistakes, NOT to take over the place), who with the help of others, wrestled him to the ground, and then had him arrested and banned from that airline…

Now… Does it make sense at all to punish those who helpfully point out our shortcomings?

See ya…

Comment on I really don’t want to get political . . . by: Kathy

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:59:59 +0000

We have discussed this at length and I agree with you. If they are banning lighters it is just right to ban matches after all the light too. And, it seems the only time they ban anything someone has to get hurt or crazy enough to hurt others.

Comment on I really don’t want to get political . . . by: Tabitha

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:59:59 +0000

i think you are partially correct bill. it seems like only after something goes wrong do they start to ban something. i mean, look at the bus and train systems. there isn’t crazy security governing what you can and can’t take on the bus, there aren’t metal detectors or anything like that at all. i think it is partially because nothing has happened yet to cause people to be afraid to walk down to the corner and take the bus to PSU. but once there is a coordinated terrorist attack on the bus system of a large, important city and something like the movie “speed” happens and enough white people get killed, then something drastic will be done. i’m not saying this is right or wrong, i am just saying that seems to be the pattern.
so as soon as someone pulls a mcgiver and creates a bomb out of some pop tarts and a plastic straw, those will be banned on airplanes as well.
“sorry kiddo, the bomb response unit will have to take that pop tart away before you can board the plane.”

Comment on I really don’t want to get political . . . by: Thabo

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:59:59 +0000

Well, maybe the justification is that lighters contain fluid that is explosive, and can explode from striking another object. Have you ever tried throwing a lighter hard out of a third story window? Makes a pretty nice little firecracker. So maybe you could stick one in a dude’s mouth and jack him really hard in the jaw and that could conceivably kill him. Then again that would probably just burn his mouth up and piss him off. I agree, seems like a pretty unlikely candidate for a terrorist weapon. The thing is, for a terrorist weapon to be effective, it has to strike fear into the heart of the person you want to force to do something, and lighters arent’ very intimidating.