Woman booted off U.S. flight over T-shirt mocking Bush

Woman booted off U.S. flight over T-shirt mocking Bush, Cheney and Rice

RENO, Nev. (AP) - A woman was booted off a Southwest Airlines flight for wearing a T-shirt that bore an expletive and images of President George W. Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Lorrie Heasley of Woodland, Wash., said she plans to press a civil-rights complaint against the airline over Tuesday's action at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, halfway through Heasley's scheduled trip from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon.

"I have cousins in Iraq and other relatives going to war," Heasley told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "Here we are trying to free another country and I have to get off an airplane . . . over a T-shirt. That's not freedom."

Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said several passengers complained about the shirt.

Heasley, 32, a lumber saleswoman, said passengers began complaining after she and her husband, Ron, moved to the front of the cabin in Reno.

She agreed to cover the words with a sweatshirt, but when the sweatshirt slipped while she was trying to sleep, she was ordered to wear her T-shirt inside-out or leave.

She and her husband left. They arrived home in a rental car Wednesday afternoon.

McInnis said Southwest rules allow the airline to deny boarding to any passenger whose clothing is "lewd, obscene or patently offensive."

But Allen Lichtenstein, lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union in Las Vegas, said it "might be problematic" that the airline "changed rules in the middle of a flight."

Heasley said she has been in touch with ACLU lawyers in Seattle, and wants Southwest to reimburse her for the last leg of the trip.

That's just stupid.

I'm already placing bets on one of our resident republicans to post something about "She shouldn't have been wearing it."

Clearly overlooking the fact that she was removed due to a garment.

-AC

I can see the problems it could cause- but I think those are stupid.

It's a tricky one I suppose. She should be able to wear it.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
I'm already placing bets on one of our resident republicans to post something about "She shouldn't have been wearing it."

Clearly overlooking the fact that she was removed due to a garment.

-AC

I'm a Dem and I think she should not have been wearing the shirt. When Clinton was president I was really bothered by all the bad things that Republicans said about him, now it's the Dims that are being the hypocrites. People who hate, should shut up!!!

She should have taken the shirt off.... 😆

The fact that democrats had to deal with years of republican whining about Clinton being in office is probably why they're getting payback now. The fact that the republicans support a retard just gives it umph.

-AC

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
The fact that democrats had to deal with years of republican whining about Clinton being in office is probably why they're getting payback now. The fact that the republicans support a retard just gives it umph.

-AC

So, the next Democrat president, no matter how good he/she is, will have nothing but hate and lies to deal with. When will it stop? We need to stop now.

If it said what I think it said (Meet The F*ckers) then I don't blame the airline for trying to make her cover it up. She chose to get off the plane, she could've just complied.

SpellJammer almost fealt pity for her untill he read she got lawyers from the ACLU. Did she sign the contract in blood or what?

It seems like whoever's president, their party and its followers are idiots. Consequentially, the opposition's party and its followers are idiots, too. And vice versa to that every 4 or 8 years.

Ah...Sometimes it feels good to be neutral.

Originally posted by Spelljammer
SpellJammer almost fealt pity for her untill he read she got lawyers from the ACLU. Did she sign the contract in blood or what?

Probably. She also had to check the little box 'would you be willing to play the race card?'

Anyway... it's a pretty stupid affair. Let people wear what they want unless it's REALLY offensive. And from what the story said I don't think it was that bad.

i think it's hilarious (or a little pathetic... not completely settled on one or the other yet) that the American government can go to war with other countries in order to help people attain freedom.... but even though there is (supposedly) freedom of speech and expression IN the USA, things like this still happen

maybe they should agree on what FREEDOM actually means before they try to impose it anywhere at home or abroad

Originally posted by Scoobless
i think it's hilarious (or a little pathetic... not completely settled on one or the other yet) that the American government can go to war with other countries in order to help people attain freedom.... but even though there is (supposedly) freedom of speech and expression IN the USA, things like this still happen

maybe they should agree on what FREEDOM actually means before they try to impose it anywhere at home or abroad

Let me ask you a question, since it was the airline company's decision to disallow profanity.

If you believe that's B.S. (pun intended), then I want you, for your next 100 posts here at KMC, to post nothing but uncensored and vulgar profanity. When a mod warns you, ignore them. After all, it's your right to say whatever the f*ck it is you want to say, right? See what happens, and then you and Slipknot compare results.

Originally posted by Echuu
Probably. She also had to check the little box 'would you be willing to play the race card?'

Anyway... it's a pretty stupid affair. Let people wear what they want unless it's REALLY offensive. And from what the story said I don't think it was that bad.

today we are dealing with Terrorism, Hurricanes, Gas prices that are double what they were 3 years ago...and people on plane are complaining about a woman's shirt? doesn't really seem like a big issue if you ask me. I got the answer..if the people on the plane didn't like the damn shirt..then don't look at it..is that really so hard to do?

Originally posted by botankus
Let me ask you a question, since it was the airline company's decision to disallow profanity.

If you believe that's B.S. (pun intended), then I want you, for your next 100 posts here at KMC, to post nothing but uncensored profanity. When a mod warns you, ignore them. After all, it's your right to say whatever the f*ck it is you want to say, right?

No, there are clear rules when you join KMC ... something about it being PG13 or something... basically we agreed to a certain level of conduct for the privilege (not the right) to post here.

If the woman was wearing an orange top, and got kicked off the flight because people said it was offensive, would you be defending them?

This is just stupid... Freedom of speech my ass. Free country my ass, you are free to do whatever you want as long as you don't talk about *long list of things you can't talk about*. Yeah sure the US is free, if this is how people are treated then something is just seriously wrong. I hope she sues them for all they have.

Originally posted by Scoobless
No, there are clear rules when you join KMC ... something about it being PG13 or something... basically we agreed to a certain level of conduct for the privilege (not the right) to post here.

If the woman was wearing an orange top, and got kicked off the flight because people said it was offensive, would you be defending them?

So the color orange has about as much meaning to society as the verb usage of the word "f**k?"

Okay, new experiment. Tomorrow wear a shirt all day - walking around town - that's orange.

Now on Sunday, wear a shirt that says, "F**k your Momma" all day. Make sure you go to City Hall and talk to some judges , where I'm sure there are no explicit rules about profanity. Report results on Monday.

Originally posted by botankus
Let me ask you a question, since it was the airline company's decision to disallow profanity.

If you believe that's B.S. (pun intended), then I want you, for your next 100 posts here at KMC, to post nothing but uncensored and vulgar profanity. When a mod warns you, ignore them. After all, it's your right to say whatever the f*ck it is you want to say, right? See what happens, and then you and Slipknot compare results.

Exposing vicious profanity and vulgarity to people on a public forum is a greatly different to wearing a t-shirt bearing a swear.

You don't have to look at the shirt, nor is it directed at anyone, or insulting anyone. People use profanity here all the time. If it's not aimed, it's not harmful.

-AC

"There ought to be limits to freedom." George W. Bush, 1999

Obviously wearing a t-shirt on a plane that uses profanity and criticizes the President is beyond those limits. But Dick Cheney can say "Go **** yourself." to a Senator in the Senate building and not suffer any repercussions.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Exposing vicious profanity and vulgarity to people on a public forum is a greatly different to wearing a t-shirt bearing a swear.

You don't have to look at the shirt, nor is it directed at anyone, or insulting anyone. People use profanity here all the time. If it's not aimed, it's not harmful.

-AC

Okay, fine, but I have one question.

How would you know that you would prefer not to look at the shirt? 😂

Originally posted by xmarksthespot
"There ought to be limits to freedom." George W. Bush, 1999

Obviously wearing a t-shirt on a plane that uses profanity and criticizes the President is beyond those limits. But Dick Cheney can say "Go **** yourself." to a Senator in the Senate building.

Of course he can, he's pro Bush.