The United Airline assault on a passenger is just another symptom of authoritarianism [View all]

[nadine_mn]

All reports show these facts are not in dispute:

1. United Airlines needed to get 4 of their staff to their destination but the plane was full (not over-booked)
2. UA asked for volunteers, first offering $400 and a hotel stay - no one took it
3. They upped the offer to $800 - again no one took it
4. Manager came on and said the flight would not leave until the staff could board, and they would have a computer select 4. A couple was selected first and they left. The 3rd person selected was the man who refused to leave.

They asked him to leave, he said no. He was told security would be called and 3 security officers ended up approaching him, talking to him and then the 3rd officer physically removed him - by dragging him.

This is not ok.

I don't how else to say it - but this is not acceptable in a free society. But somehow, we have become used to it and expect it. So instead of looking at ways to deescalate a situation we blame people for not following orders. Well if they had only listened, they wouldn't have gotten hurt. What? We see this again and again - police using lethal force at a traffic stop when there was no physical threat to them, peaceful protesters being tear-gassed. We have become dulled into handing over basic privacy rights and expected to do whatever someone in authority tells us to do - or expect VIOLENCE in return.

Violence is not ok.