Interest and Perspective

Jason:

Thanks very much for your reply. I do have a few comments on your form letter. I am getting my information from an account Mr. Jarrar wrote at OneWorld.net and so I apologize for any inaccuracies in my facts, which I have admittedly learned about from an interested party.

You imply that a t-shirt with Arabic script is "offensive or vulgar," and that security concerns and "sensitiv[ity] to the concerns of all of [y]our customers" require you to take the action you did. So your trying to pawn your company's decision off on other parties, presumably the government, given the OneWorld.net account, appears disingenuous. Your company must not assist the government in violating civil liberties.

I understand that an Inspector made the initial request for Mr. Jarrar to remove his shirt. However, the inspector informed Mr. Jarrar that JetBlue customers were complaining, so presumably the government was assisting the airline staff at the staff's request.

Also, your agent was also present and assisted the government agents. I would like to commend your agent for the apparently kind way she found another shirt for Mr. Jarrar to wear, although requiring him to change shirts is itself offensive and vulgar.

Finally, your agent put Mr. Jarrar in the back of the plane, adding insult to injury. I understand that she probably did this at the behest of the complaining customers, but doing so certainly shows those complaining customers that they were justified and that your company treats some people differently than others. If I found crying babies offensive and vulgar, I'm sure you would not accede to my wish that you put them in the back. In the same vein you should not accede to customers complaining of a shirt that itself expressed Mr. Jarrar's viewpoint that free speech is valuable.

Thanks for your time.

******