Republicans oppose no-fly lists for disruptive passengers cuz "Freedumb"

[Nevilledog]

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Helen Kennedy
@HelenKennedy
Now these Republicans are sticking up for and trying to protect the asshats who disrupt flights by yelling and attacking flight attendants. The bar sinks ever lower.

washingtonpost.com
Eight Republican senators say they oppose ‘no-fly’ list for disruptive passengers because it would...
The senators argued that the Transportation Security Administration "was created in the wake of 9/11 to protect Americans from future horrific attacks, not to regulate human behavior onboard flights.”
8:05 AM · Feb 16, 2022

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/15/eight-republican-senators-say-they-oppose-no-fly-list-disruptive-passengers-because-it-would-equate-mask-opponents-terrorists/

No paywall
https://archive.fo/8MFXO

A group of Republican senators is pushing back against efforts to create a federal “no-fly” list for unruly passengers, arguing that doing so would essentially draw an equivalence between terrorists and opponents of mask mandates.

The eight Republican senators voiced their concerns in a letter Monday to Attorney General Merrick Garland. They noted that, according to Federal Aviation Administration data, the vast majority of reports of unruly passengers have been related to the mandated use of face masks amid the pandemic.

“While we strongly condemn any violence towards airline workers, there is significant uncertainty around the efficacy of this mandate, as highlighted by the CEO of Southwest Airlines during a recent Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing,” the senators wrote. “Creating a federal ‘no-fly’ list for unruly passengers who are skeptical of this mandate would seemingly equate them to terrorists who seek to actively take the lives of Americans and perpetrate attacks on the homeland.”

The senators argued that the Transportation Security Administration “was created in the wake of 9/11 to protect Americans from future horrific attacks, not to regulate human behavior onboard flights.”

The eight Republicans signing the letter are Sens. Cynthia M. Lummis (Wyo.), Mike Lee (Utah), James Lankford (Okla.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Ted Cruz (Tex.), John Hoeven (N.D.) and Rick Scott (Fla.).

*snip*

[Wounded Bear]

1. They won't be satisfied until they can open carry their guns on flights...

[SoCalDavidS]

9. I Can See That Happening Much More Than I Can ANY Sort Of Gun Control nt

[Wounded Bear]

11. Sadly, you're probably right...nt

[Botany]

2. "They" want the chaos, the disease, the social unrest, and those pissed off white people who ...

....watch Fox and read that Russian crap on Facebook to be out there and stirring up shit to get
headlines a la the Canadian Truckers. And in stirring up this shit the economy gets hurt, or more
people get C-19, or people's lives are disrupted then that is just a bonus because "they*" are
planing on blaming it all on Biden anyways.


Sens. Cynthia M. Lummis (Wyo.), Mike Lee (Utah), James Lankford (Okla.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Ted Cruz (Tex.), John Hoeven (N.D.) and Rick Scott (Fla.) are actively working to make Americans to hurt ... rinse lather and repeat.

[lagomorph777]

3. Better alternative to the no-fly list:

An airlock with a trap door in the floor.

[NCDem47]

4. They were given permission by The Orange One to be raging assholes

They don't want to slither back under their rocks.

Civility and respect (at least to others) is OVER for them.

[global1]

5. They Won't Be Satisfied Until A Plane Goes Down Because Of One Of These Unruly Passengers....

The other day - I thought I read here on DU - that a disruptive passenger had to be subdued by other passengers because he tried to get into the cockpit and one of the exit doors. i believe the plane had to land mid-flight so this person could be taken off the plane.

This is not about 'mask mandates' - this is a safety measure. I don't want to be on a plane with a person that could bring it down because they have some 'anger management' issue that they can't control.

I say if such a person has even one incident on a plane that puts other passengers in danger - then they shouldn't be allowed on planes in the future.

Maybe such a deterrent like this would make others think twice before they overreact and get unruly on a plane.

What do these Senators want. A plane to go down killing all its passengers before any deterrents are put into place. They are making this a political issue - instead of a safety issue.

Whatever happened to 'Safety First'. We need to be pro-active and that's what this 'no-fly' ruling is about.

It's really getting so hard to be a rational thinking human being in the United States these days.

Everything is turned into a political issue. Us against them. Them against us.

What happened to them and us to get to this point?

[MiniMe]

6. I can't wait for one of these "disruptors" to be on a flight with one of the asshat Senators

Maybe Carnival Cruise? Or Rick scott? Please make it happen

[marmar]

7. Now if the disruptors take a knee during the national anthem that's another story.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Unruly passengers but the flight crew and other passengers at serious risk.

It is unconscionable to encourage the disrupters.

[Deuxcents]

10. This is messed up..rather the senators are..

This “was created in the wake of 9/11 to protect Americans from future horrific attacks, not to regulate human behavior onboard flights”. What else could it be called if passengers threaten the safety of the flight in midair over masks than a terrorizing human behavior? Am I nutz or is this doublespeak out of Orwell’s 1984?

[Biophilic]

13. No, it's a perfect example of doublespeak. Good grief.

[Sneederbunk]

12. Why can't the major airlines come together and create own no-fly list?

Why must there be a federal law?

[Mr. Ected]

14. Apparently, it's time to disband DHS then

The Department of Homeland Security was formed in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as part of a determined national effort to safeguard the United States against terrorism. ...

See? Two can play this game.

[Efilroft Sul]

15. The most recent newsworthy case of air rage involved a passenger trying to storm the cockpit.

Yeah, not like 9/11 at all.

Seriously, fuck these guys.

[Turbineguy]

16. They would.

Chaos is good.

Perhaps a no-fly list penalty is a bit harsh. How about they just pay for the costs of diverting the airplane in addition to, say, $500 to every passenger for inconvenience?

[DFW]

17. Then let them start their own air line

RNA (Republican Nut Air).

Unlimited alcohol is permitted, both prior to boarding and after take-off. Flight attendants will serve any alcoholic beverage requested with no limit to quantity. But the flight attendants are all ex-Special Forces vets with black belts in martial arts, all authorised to use lethal force on any passenger whose unruly behavior puts the safety of the flight in peril. Sole judges of when force, including lethal force, is warranted, rests with the flight attendants. Sadistic tendencies no hindrance to getting hired. Passengers must submit valid Republican Party registration in order to receive a boarding card.