I Guess It Pays to Learn a Bit About Other People

nnm5029 says:

I think the passengers and crew members reacted in a manner that most would. This may mean that we are not in tune with other cultures and religions, but we should this as a lesson of how we need to look for a better understanding of others. I cannot say I would have been comfortable with what the young man was doing. I have never encountered someone who wears tefillin when praying. I don’t blame the employee for taking the actions that he or she did. They are responsible for the safety of hundreds of passengers. If the attendant had ignored the actions of the young man and he was actually doing something dangerous then more blame and accusation would fall on the attendant.

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aps5121 says:

To start off, this was a very interesting article. I believe there are two different ways to interpret this. However, either way each side displays a degree of ethnocentrism. On one side, the boy was seventeen and traveling with his sister, not a mob of terrorist-like people. It is almost embarrassing that they landed the plane just because they "thought" he was suspicious. Who knew that if one was praying it would be considered suspicious? Also, the boy was Jewish. Not some foreign religion that is not common the United States. The pilots and flight attendants should take more of an initiative to know some customs and norms of the main religions in our country due to the whole September 11th attack. They could have avoided this whole problem or even just questioned the boy if they had some type of knowledge. Additionally, I do not see how one goes from being not that concerned to landing a plane over this issue. When I say this I am referring to the time when the boy claimed he wasn’t stopped throughout the bag and security checks. He was wearing the same material around his body which is what the pilot and flight attendants claimed to have made them curious. If he appeared so dangerous, why wasn’t he stopped earlier? Maybe the US does not want to put any blame on them. Rather, it is easier to blame the male for dressing obscurely in the airport and plane. Even though they tried to do this, it still negatively reflects back on our country demonstrating racism and confusion to indifference. It shows the insensitivity the US has to religions that are practiced here in our own country.
But then there is still the argument that this is part of the procedures America takes when flying. It seems as though many people are afraid to fly anywhere because of the September 11th attack and the other plane crashes. So in a way, I guess they are trying to tighten security. If they didn’t do this, I am sure there would be many people who would say that the airlines were not doing their job and not protecting our country. No, I do not think they should have gone to the measure of ending the flight. I think they could have avoided this whole situation if the US airlines were not ignorant of others’ religions, as I stated earlier. I am not saying they should study every religion in the world but perhaps the main ones that are practiced in this country. Both sides of this story require some adjustment, whether it is them learning the religions to avoid situations like this and/or the United States’ airline travelers not demanding the level of security they do.

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kme5086 says:

I feel there are two ways to look at this scenario. On one hand I would be scared if someone pulled out straps and wrapped them around his fingers and arms. I would think it was a suicide bomber praying in the last minutes of his life. I am not like this because I am racist but just because I was not knowledgeable of other cultures such as these Jewish traditions. I would also be scared because of the events of September 11th. I know it was nine years but it was a tragedy that is still burned into the memory of most Americans. If I was on that plane I would rather take the precautions than have another attack. It probably would not have been a problem if he would have told the people on the plane what he was doing before he started. Or, if he just waited until he got in a more private place. This situation goes both ways. This Jewish boy could have been more sensitive to the fears and thoughts of Americans who have seen such tragedy before. But also, Americans should be more sensitive to other cultures and traditions. It’s kind of sad that some people cannot even practice their religion in front of others without casting a fear in them. It is not our fault though. If something bad, such as an attack on another country, happened that country would be just as sensitive as we are. Our fears are a side effect of our past and are inevitable. On the other hand, if I was in his position, I would feel persecuted. Performing something as sacred as a prayer to him, and being interrupted because people aren’t knowledgeable is disrespectful. In a day and age where America has become a melting pot, I would expect more people to know more about other cultures and religions. Most people feel like they are intruders but it is people like him that make the United States so diverse. We are to be a country that is free to all. Free to study what you like, live where you want, speak the way you want, eat what you want, and believe what you want. We should not be able to interfere with someone’s life as those pilots and attendants have. I understand they were doing it for the safety of others as well but couldn’t this problem be resolved if we all were more educated about the people we live “with.” I feel awful that two young Jewish kids at that age had to experience the United States in such a horrible way. I feel we should all learn something new about every culture/religion whenever we can

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slimshady62 says:

Although this article was an interesting read, I really didn’t see it as THAT big of a deal. The Jewish guy (and any Jews on the plane) could definitely make a case for the attendant being prejudiced or way too naïve but at the same time she was just being precautious, and I think the fact that it happened to be tefillin makes it seem like Anti-Semitism at work. However, I doubt the flight attendant really feels that way. Overall, the thing to see is that some people are not as educated in such religious practices and therefore, whether fair or not, come across as pretty ignorant. If only they had all taken Soc 119.

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kap5271 says:

This incident exemplifies a dilemma in today’s society. Should we lean towards tolerance or security? On one hand we live in America, the place where all cultures, religions, beliefs, and ideas are accepted. Although this may not be the reality, this widespread social tolerance is something Americans typically strive towards. We aspire to be knowledgeable and accepting of all. At the same time, there are thousands of cultural and religious practices out there in the world. It would be very difficult if not impossible to be knowledgeable about each and every one. Therefore, we remain ignorant about others to some extent. We fear the unknown. That is where safety comes into play. It is very difficult to be accepting of all cultures and practices when some of those practices are very dangerous to us. Most likely someone who lost a family member in 911 would not be very open to seemingly strange behavior on an airplane. So how do we do solve this conundrum so that we can be tolerant and safe? There is no one answer. However, an important lesson to take away would be the importance of becoming more educated and cultured.

Coming to Penn State enhanced my thinking academically as well as socially and culturally. I come from a predominantly white upper-middle class suburban town. I can count the number of black kids in my grade on my hand. I would certainly not consider myself a racist person; I have many ethnic friends who I love to death. However, there are a few slightly racist ideas my community socialized me believe over the years. It is hard to think differently when people have been saying and embedding those ideas into your mind for your entire life. Coming to Penn State has shed me of the close-minded thoughts. Here at Penn State I have met people from all walks of life. I now have friends from Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, Venezuela, China, London, New Zealand, and Korea. Each of them has given me a preview into their culture and beliefs. Being surrounded by people from all across the world has helped me to grow and think differently. As cliché as it sounds, the college experience has helped me to find myself. Nonetheless, the more I learn, the more I realize how much more I have to discover. There is so much knowledge out there. It’s just a matter of whether we are willing to acquire it or not. In my opinion, the best way to eliminate that ignorance is to experience the culture hands on. I would love to travel to as many places as possible to learn more about different cultures. So far I have been lucky enough to travel to Mexico, Honduras, and London, and some of my most cherished life experiences have been while in those places. After graduation, I hope to travel the world, join the Peace Corps, and teach abroad somewhere. In fifty years from now I hope I can call myself a cultured individual.

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aam5215 says:

I found this article to be extremely interesting. I am Catholic, and so is the majority of my family, so I am not familiar with the Jewish fate. I have never heard of teffilin before, and I am not aware of the Morning Prayer rituals that the Jewish do. I tried to compare it to the Rosary Beads of the Catholic fate and how many people hold them in their hands while they pray. This article was able to teach me something about the Jewish religion, and helped me to learn about their culture and how they practice it.
By the looks of the picture, the seventeen-year-old boy does not look dangerous. The teffilin is in plain sight and he does not appear to be trying to hide it from anyone. If someone really suspected that he had wires to a bomb or something of the sort hooked up to him, why would he not try and hide it. I do not think he would have made it so plainly visible on his outfit if his intentions were to harm others. In addition to this, he was also with his younger sister on the plane. It is one thing for people to allow themselves to die in an attempt to kill others, and it is another to put a family member at risk. This is another concept the pilot should have taken into consideration. Why would he try to blow up a plane his younger sister was aboard? Along with this, the boy was able to make it past all of the airport security without being questioned or told to remove the teffilin. The passenger who took this as a threat didn’t wonder how they were the only one to suspect him of causing harm, and the trained airport security didn’t?
If I was this boy, I think I would be very offended by outcome of this fiasco. He was doing absolutely nothing wrong and was just trying to practice his religious beliefs. I would be furious if someone accused me of doing wrong for holding Rosary Beads on a plane. This had to be such an embarrassing experience for this boy for all of the commotion that came of him trying to practice his religion. He had to be worried as well as embarrassed that he caused an entire plane to land. Along with this, his younger sister had to be scared seeing the pilot and security talking to her brother. What I find to be the most ironic about this situation is that the boy was simply trying to practice his religion, and got accused of trying to blow up the plane. He was trying to pray and was accused of trying to kill. I find this to be a little disturbing that our society always suspects the worst in people.

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kme5086 says:

I feel there are two ways to look at this scenario. On one hand I would be scared if someone pulled out straps and wrapped them around his fingers and arms. I would think it was a suicide bomber praying in the last minutes of his life. I am not like this because I am racist but just because I was not knowledgeable of other cultures such as these Jewish traditions. I would also be scared because of the events of September 11th. I know it was nine years but it was a tragedy that is still burned into the memory of most Americans. If I was on that plane I would rather take the precautions than have another attack. It probably would not have been a problem if he would have told the people on the plane what he was doing before he started. Or, if he just waited until he got in a more private place. This situation goes both ways. This Jewish boy could have been more sensitive to the fears and thoughts of Americans who have seen such tragedy before. But also, Americans should be more sensitive to other cultures and traditions. It’s kind of sad that some people cannot even practice their religion in front of others without casting a fear in them. It is not our fault though. If something bad, such as an attack on another country, happened that country would be just as sensitive as we are. Our fears are a side effect of our past and are inevitable. On the other hand, if I was in his position, I would feel persecuted. Performing something as sacred as a prayer to him, and being interrupted because people aren’t knowledgeable is disrespectful. In a day and age where America has become a melting pot, I would expect more people to know more about other cultures and religions. Most people feel like they are intruders but it is people like him that make the United States so diverse. We are to be a country that is free to all. Free to study what you like, live where you want, speak the way you want, eat what you want, and believe what you want. We should not be able to interfere with someone’s life as those pilots and attendants have. I understand they were doing it for the safety of others as well but couldn’t this problem be resolved if we all were more educated about the people we live “with.” I feel awful that two young Jewish kids at that age had to experience the United States in such a horrible way. I feel we should all learn from this and put ourselves in their shoes and learn something new about every culture/religion whenever we can. It would make us all better people.

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krf1234 says:

When I first read this article, it made me angry. I thought this boy is just practicing his customs and people think he is a terrorist. After continuing to read the story it made me think. It made me realize that we have so much to learn about one another's cultures. I am Jewish, and there are many parts of Judaism that I still do not understand. If this is who I associate myself with, and I do not know all the customs and rituals, how is someone from a different culture supposed to know? I consider myself to be from a relatively diverse neighborhood. I lived in an area of people from all races, ethnicities, cultures, and religions. I grew up in an area where we may have not known a great deal about each other's backgrounds, but we knew enough to understand. I guess it was the naive part of me that thought most people grew up in similar areas where there was diversity. I will never forget the day I was sitting in my English 15 class and we broke up into small groups to discuss a chapter we read about the comparison of Jews and other groups of people. As we were discussing I said that I was Jewish and the people in the group gasped and said "you're Jewish"? It was if I were an alien from another planet. I was then met with questions such as "Why are Jews so cheap"? and "Do you really have horns"? At first I laughed because I thought, they cannot be serious right now, but they were; they were dead serious. It is things such as the tefillin incident and my English class that make me realize how far we have to go. We get so involved with ourselves that we forget there are other people in the world who have this rich interesting culture. I think it is time we start to take advantage of it.

On the other hand, I understand the flight attendant's response. After thinking back to that English 15 class I realize that not everyone will be so knowledgeable about everyone else's culture. Since September 11, there has been this fear distilled in us about flying and the constant threat of a possible terrorist attack. We are at a time in our history, where every little thing can be a threat so I understand the reasoning behind the flight attendant's decision. If I had been on that plane sitting next to that seventeen year old, and I had never seen tefillin before either, I think I would be scared too. We are at a point where we have to take every precaution to prevent a catastrophic event. While on the one hand this incident makes me a little upset, I understand the need to protect our country and us. This incident shows that we need to focus on learning more about other cultures, and not focus so much on ourselves.

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cmaverick says:

This article is quite interesting. It’s easy to get angry over this matter but it’s also not too hard to sympathize with the issue. Like other native New Yorkers, I’m not surprised when things like this happen because unusual ritual prayers happen all the time within the New York metropolitan area. However, when it’s done on a plane, I can agree with the perspective from the flight attendant and say it looks very suspicious and shady from the naked eye. From reading the article, I admire how the whole situation was taken care of really well. The flight attendant’s curiosity and sudden panic seem normal, which led to appropriate actions from the cockpit crew in the air and police authorities on the ground. One can say that “that’s extreme,” but what can you do? We live in a post-9/11 world where anything and, possibly, everything can seem abnormal and fishy. And when you’re in New York, anything can happen these days. Anyway, the Jewish boy explained himself to the authorities, the police let him go, and he was on his way to Louisville with his family. I thought the grandmother of the boy took very appropriate actions towards the media as well by not exposing his grandson to news reporters.

From reading this article, I feel that the whole situation was centered on the boy and his family’s belief system. Everything seemed to fall into place and actions were taken in a very peaceful and gracious manner. Does this situation say anything about the Jewish faith? It can in many ways; first off, everyone’s learned something new about orthodox Jews: prayer. It can be argued that the majority of Jewish people don’t practice their faith as intensively as the aforementioned boy, but we at least know the minority of those in faith that do in such a manner. Sometimes we have to learn from situations that make us uncomfortable and think hard, but that’s okay! That’s just the way life is; we’ll be given curveballs, but everything happens for a reason and at the end of the day, a lesson is revealed and we move on with life from that experience. Another thing from this article that can be taken is the Jewish faith’s calling to live for God. I’m not a Jew (rather, I’m a Christian), but from what I know about the Jewish faith, God is a God who unconditionally loves and calls his people to live peacefully amongst everyone else. I think this article portrayed a good example of what the Jewish faith, as well as other particular ones, should authentically look like. This was a situation that could’ve gone wrong from a misconception, but actually, for once, went right.

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jdh5097 says:

I can relate to this story with a personal experience. Back in 2002, only a couple months after 9/11, my entire extended family was going on a trip overseas together. This obviously necessitated a long plane ride that involved flying for many hours over the ocean (a terrifying experience for a person that isn't completely comfortable with flying). While waiting in the terminal before takeoff, a few of my family members wanted to take pictures to chronicle the beginning of a trip that no one would forget. However, the employees of the airport forbid the taking of pictures within the airport. This alone led to a sense of uneasiness within the group. The very heavy presence of armed military officials with big guns didn't help the cause either. The icing on the cake was the group of people praying very animatedly right next to the window. To this day I do not know what religion they were, but it seemed foreign to me and that was that. Here I was, a relatively ignorant 13 year old, months after the terrorist attacks, and a foreign group of obviously religious (and, at the time, dangerous) are going nuts praying right next to the plane. At the time, Muslim was a feared religion and linked with the terrorist attacks. Looking back, it is completely ridiculous that I was afraid of these people that were simply praying towards the rising sun (I believe this is an Islam religious practice). But it is quite representative of the things that Americans go through when they are dealt with a situation that they are unfamiliar with. They react with fear and trepidation to anyone that isn't Christian, may be from the Middle East, or is doing something that is out of the ordinary. Recently I watched a video of an old white woman on a plane talking to herself and generally acting like a lunatic. Her actions were greeted with sideways glances and bemused looks, mostly because of how ridiculous she was acting. However, it would be interesting to see how people on the plane would have reacted if it had been a young Arabic man. It is the sad truth that they certainly would not have taken videos and laughed. I would be willing to bet that many would have asked the flight attendant to handle the situation, and perhaps it would have ended similarly to Flight 3079. My father makes an interesting point when we go to airports and are reminded of the current situation. He makes the claim that people that look Arab should be profiled and checked more cautiously than white people, and I agree with him. It isn't out of malice or stereotyping, it is just the truth. If you had to choose between two people and label one person to be anti-American and willing to do something destructive because of these feelings, you would be hard pressed to find a person that would say, "I think the white person hates America." Hate might be a strong word, but it is widely understood that America is on shaky ground abroad. Therefore, while some may call it racial stereotyping, I believe it is just being realistic about the situation. By checking someone more carefully, it isn't giving them a middle finger and accusing them of being a terrorist. It is simply a reality of the times and, I believe, a necessary step in national security.

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thebathingape says:

This situation, as it turned out, was in many ways and for many reasons unfortunate. This is a 17 years old kid we’re talking about. However, both perspectives are easily understandable. I think Lt. Frank Vanore was completely correct in saying that, “It was unfamiliarity that caused this (misunderstanding).” Yes, it is a daily morning ritual, which I fully acknowledge and respect, but on an airplane, an environment that has unfortunately become prone to terrorism (in many forms) and where “in-flight thinking (and judgment),” as the flight attendant stated, is clouded… to say the least, I can understand a passenger’s concern and declare it perfectly legitimate. Especially, post 9/11. So, it is not surprising that some ordinary actions or rituals may attract unnecessary attention from others.

Honestly, I don’t feel like it is my place to pass judgment on him, but I feel as though it is partially the kid’s fault. Has he never flown to visit his grandmother before? Is he unaware of 9/11 and how it has affected flying? I mean, he had to have thought twice about praying while on the flight. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. I’m not saying the kid shouldn’t pray or that he should be ashamed of the ritual by any means, but I think he has to take some of these things into consideration. He had four hours after sunrise, there had to have been some time to pray before arriving at the airport or even boarding the plane. What about prayer rooms? (Though I doubt there are any at LGA). Either way, this entire incident could have been avoided.

Further, as the article mention, it is unrealistic to make everyone aware of the common Jewish practice. With the exception of some, to the “naked” eye and average person, it may look like the person/passenger is strapping themselves with explosives, not that it is correct to assume so. In that situation, when an individual carries out such suggestive/controversial action(s), race and/or ethnicity (I feel) mean very little. What I’m trying to convey here is that the man could have been from anywhere and have had any color of skin – black, white brown, yellow, whatever and the reaction (from the flight attendant and other passengers)would have been the same. In other cases, I think it would have definitely mattered. i.e. Much of the suspicion prior to boarding, during security checks and at the flight gate, is directed at minorities and people who “look” physically similar to previous assumed terrorists.

And as I’m sure many have acknowledged, handcuffing the kid and his sister is a little uncalled for.

Overall though, the entire incident is definitely interesting and makes you think at least about how little we actually know.

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cjg16 says:

I thought this article was interesting. I guess I had never understood how much more cautious people have become on the plane itself. Sure we go through tons of security now and almost everyone gets wanded to make sure there's no metal on their person, but I haven't heard of a plane being landed for a 'suspicous' looking person who wasn't actually doing something disruptive or dangerous. It's kind of crazy how much has changed over my lifetime. I remember when I was younger and traveling by plane, we'd walk through the metal detector with our coats, shoes, belts, whatever on and could get pocket knives, knitting needles, and other pointy objects on the plane. Now a days when I go through airport security I feel like I'm stripping off a whole layer of myself just to make it onto the flight. Don't get me wrong, I like the feeling of security you get from going through the whole process, but as my father points out each time we travel, there's always something weird in either his bag or my mom's that slips by the radar and is only realized after the fact.

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emb5240 says:

( this is post #2 it is all one but the computer is telling me it is too long) Camp was a regional practice that I did not understand. I only knew one girl who went to camp for the summer and while I had been to sports camp for a week I did not understand why parents sent their kids to camp at such a young age for the entire summer. She said that everyone in her town sent their kids to camp and it was weird if you did not go. The differences continued down to our family views and our dress. I did not get way American apparel was so stylish and she thought I looked ridiculous in my colorful preppy wardrobe. I was shocked at the way she back talked to her parents and she was shocked at how obedient I was. I think it was a surprise to both of us that we became very good friends despite our differences.

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emb5240 says:

( post #4) I do not understand fasting 4 a whole day, going to camp, spending the entire day in your room, or the attraction to ammine. However not sitting or sleeping for 46 hours, worrying about weight, campting out for football tickets, sports, internships, basketball games, community service clubs, j crew and so much more is strange to others. I think we should all make more of an effort to understand others cultures and the lifestyle choices them make.

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donkeykong5093 says:

As i read the article i believe it was human nature for the flight attendant and crew to overreact a Jewish boy with black straps connected to a black box. America in the past has faced the issue of terrorism after the incident of 9/11 all of America security over airport has been top notched. America's political,crime, and his security systems has been on the watch for anything suspicious. Like earlier comments said before, anything that looks strange or represent something that can threat lives of american citizens would signal American authority to take action to prevent any harm. I think the boy has the right to show his beliefs and practice them but he must be aware to where he should practice them.

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Lyons2010 says:

This article brings up many issues, the most important of which, in my mind, concerns how the passengers on the plane acted and how the Jewish community reacted as a result. I have many a time seen people pray using tefillin and I can attest it is not the most normal looking practice to observe. It is rather obscure to see an individual wrapping “unknown material” around his arms which have little boxes on the end, and since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, anything that is seen as out of the ordinary on an airplane needs to be handled with caution and immediacy. I do not blame the flight crew for acting in a precautionary manner because in the hypothetical case that the praying boy was a terrorist, a lack of action would result in the death of hundreds, possibly thousands.

Not only did the flight crew act appropriately, but I was impressed with the way the Jewish community handled the situation as well. Looking at it from an objective eye, the flight team had a right to be suspicious and wasn’t acting out of anti-Semitism, but out of a genuine concern for safety and life. One gets the sense from the article that had it not been a Jewish kid, but a Muslim kid performing an uncommon religious practice, the flight crew would have handled the situation the same way. The Jewish community could have handled this by overreacting and making a big deal out of all of it, but instead they see the rationale behind everyone’s behavior and agree that everyone acted in an understandable manner.

For the reasons mentioned above this article makes me hopeful for two things. First off and most realistically, I am hopeful that potential terrorists will see the recent actions taken by this flight crew and be further deterred to not use airplanes as vehicles for terrorism. This is not the first instance where individuals on a flight band together to prevent what could be a catastrophic event, and seeing this terrorist may be more reluctant to try anything where the unpredictability of the individuals on a flight might impede their goals. Secondly, I am hopeful that other religious communities will follow the Jewish community’s lead in reacting rationally to a religious issue. As other people have commented, had this been a Muslim student in the same situation it is unlikely that the Muslim community would have reacted with such objectivity and acceptance. I am not saying it is impossible that they could react in this fashion, just unlikely due to prior incidents.

Another point I feel needs to be addressed is the unintelligent actions performed by this Jewish kid. I have nothing against praying on a plane or being religious, but there is an appropriate way to do so and an inappropriate way to do so. If this student felt so compelled to pray he should have requested the attention of the flight staff and informed them of his intentions so as not to surprise or spook anyone. While it is a bit inconvenient to do this, he should have known that by not he risked frightening other passengers and causing a disturbance. Since no one was hurt and no one was offended, this article is probably not going to be globally significant news; however, I am hopeful that the actions taken by the flight crew and the response given by the Jewish community lay the foundation for future actions and reactions taken if similar instances reoccur.

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igg5003 says:

There are many intricate subgroups to every religion. There are those who do not fully observe heir religion or follow of the beliefs and then there are those who very strongly believe in their religion. In the middle, we can find people who are a mix of both forms. In the religion of Judaism, the Orthodox group is very observant of the Jewish rituals. This includes not using electricity on Sabbath, keeping kosher, and praying everyday (For men, it's praying everyday with tefillin). There are extremists in all religions and most of us aren't aware of their practices and rituals. Most people are only aware of their own culture. For example, what they do or eat every day. However, all of us are different. When you find someone doing something that isn't familiar to you, you may think it's weird or out of the norm. I agree with our professor, there is a lot going on in the world that can be so normal for one group and extremely bizarre for another. There are many cultural practices around us that we do not understand and cannot make sense of. It is easy for us to judge something we are unfamiliar with; it's human nature. We are quick to judge people. Unfortunately, judging or seeing something we are unfamiliar with often leads to fear. On that plane, many people feared this passenger who was simply praying with an object that was unidentifiable to most. It's human nature to jump to conclusions. In this case, the flight attendant went to the pilot because she was unfamiliar with the Jewish rituals. In less than thirty minutes, the plane was on the ground and this Jewish passenger was coined the "disruptive" and "suspicious" passenger. I agree that it was unfamiliarity that has caused fear in the flight attendant and pilots. However, in this day and age, did the flight attendant react in a correct manner? It is terrible that the acts of "911" have created such an anxiety when it comes to flying. We are all a lot more aware of our surroundings when we are about to get onto a plane. Unfortunately, it is true; in-flight thinking is colored by the knowledge that passengers have hidden bombs. The acts of "911" gave the judgmental human race more reasons t discriminate. We now have "random" security searches when we go through airport security. But how random are they? My white friend, who almost looks Muslim because of her dark skin and hair, is always "randomly" screened when we go through security. In this day and age, we fear the unknown. This article just goes to prove what “911” has done to America as a whole; it has permanently made us discriminate.

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Amanda5116 says:

This story was a little bit scary to me. When I first read Sam’s post I looked up what teffilin was. I wanted to know a little bit more about it and what it looked like, and I still have to say I agree with the choice to land the plane in Philadelphia. I live in Bergen County, New Jersey which is 15 miles outside of New York City. So I have always been very active in visiting the city a lot and feel like it is almost a second home because my boyfriend lives there. Although I was in eight grade when the attacks on the World Trade Center occurred it still feels so fresh. The teachers were not allowed to tell us what was happening. Kids after kids were being called down to the principles office being sent home from school and picked up from one of their parents. Living in a suburb of New York City, a majority of our parents work in the city making this event hit even more close to home. I remember my close friend’s father worked in the towers and as she was leaving to go home she leaked to us that two planes crashed into the Twin Towers. I really didn’t understand what she was saying until I went home to be with my family. My mom, dad, and two siblings were all sitting in my family room watching the news. We watched the planes crash into the buildings over and over and that image still resonates. I think the reason why the young Jewish boys praying caused the planes to land was because our country is still in a fearful mode. The bombers took our own planes and flew them into our own buildings. Just on Christmas there was a bomb attempt. Our country is at war. So I think we have a lot to be fearful of and have a right to be overly cautious. Since this young man is from White Plains, NJ, not too far from the city, I am sure he felt the impact the 9/11 attacks. I just think out of a respect to your country and your fellow passengers that you hold off on your praying until you land. I understand people pray for many reasons but I am sure the boy knows that this type of praying may come off a little weird and suspicious to people who are not Jewish. I think it was very insensitive and a bit selfish of him to put the passengers in the situation. Not even because he was strapping leather bands around his wrists and head similarly to a bomb, but because he was praying in a manner that most people are unfamiliar with in a pubic venue.

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Barbie215 says:

After reading this article I realized that I don’t know as much about the world as I thought I did. I was born and raised Roman Catholic but I went to a Byzantine Rite Catholic Ukrainian all-girls high school. Byzantine just means the Eastern Orthodox Church so the practices are very different from what I was used to growing up. Needless to say, going from elementary school to high school was a huge shock when it came to religion. However, if I had not gone to this school I would not know what I know about religion now. My high school broadened my horizons and taught me that there are more beliefs in the world than I was ever aware of. The great thing about my high school was that every year we learned about a different religion, with senior year being dedicated to Judaism. As a result, I am very aware of the Tefillin and what it means to the Jewish community. Last year I actually had the opportunity of sitting in on a mass at a synagogue and I got to see a Tefillin first hand, which was pretty cool. By starting out this blog response with saying I don’t know as much about the world as I thought I did, I meant that it never hit me that people in the world didn’t know what that young man was doing on the plane. Sometimes I tend to forget that everyone gets their education differently and a lot of people never even had a single theology class in their lives. But after thinking about it, if I never took that class in high school I probably would have reacted the same exact way that the flight attendant did. It is a scary thing to see a complete stranger strap things to his arms and head when you’ve never seen anything like that before. I’m not sure how I feel about what happened in this article though. I almost feel as if it was a little bit of an overreaction. One thing that could have been done differently would be that the flight attendant could have gotten more people’s opinions before getting worked up too quickly. However, at the same time it definitely makes me feel safe knowing that the United States is really cracking down on airline safety. After all the bad things that have happened on airplanes in past decades, it is understandable why the airline would take the situation very seriously and divert the plane to Philadelphia. It’s just a shame that the poor kid only wanted to perform his daily prayer and it was taken as something very different by those around him. I guess it just goes to show you how unaware people in the world really are when it comes to understanding people who aren’t exactly like them.

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clj5090 says:

What happened on the plane and at the airport is not surprising. At all. I think it was a really stupid idea for the boy to wear such things while traveling on a plane, especially in todays society. We are all paranoid when it come to traveling by plane. After 9/11, it seems like the minute people see something "out of the ordinary" they panic. I can't deny that I would have felt a bit uncomfortable and worried. It is not something that a majority of people have even heard about, including some jewish people. The thing that shocked me the most was how understanding both sides were. The grandma and the boys Rabbi were understanding of how odd this practice is to people. They even said it would have been a wiser choice to have waited until he got off the plane to put those things on. They are aware that this kind of practice is not very common in many areas around the United States. I would have thought that it would have brought about a huge controversy. I understand that it is protocal to do the things the security and police did, but I feel they took it a little too far by putting them in handcuffs even if it was for just a few minutes. In doing so, it made them seem like criminals and that they did something wrong. I have no problem with people following their religion very closely but to wear something that could come across as wires that may potentially be bombs on a plane, seems a little unreasonable and that boy was not thinking clearly about his actions. A lot of people in America are not very diverse in their understandings of other religions than our own. When we see things that are unfamiliar to us, we automatically think that it's not right or it makes us feel uncomfortable as I had said before. Religion is a topic that never has an answer as to what is right and wrong. It is hard to convince people to believe what you believe but the least we can do is understand other religions and realize that we have the right to believe, follow and practice whatever religion we choose. Im not really sure how I would have acted in this situation if I were those kids. I don't think I would have been so understanding and calm as the boy was. It almost seems that this is not the first time he has had a mishap when he uses the teffillin and prays. This situation just proves how skittish our country has become and maybe if we all have a better understanding of race and religion, we would not have these problems and we can truly become a "United" States.

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shamrock87 says:

The airlines should not have been so quick to judge since 911 I could see why they would react the way they did. They should have asked the guy what he was doing first, rather then just assuming he was a terrorist or something. I think that we need to look into these issues first and just stop assuming everyone is a terrorist that doesnt look or dress normal. It is always other cultures that we often think to be terrorist just because they dress different or wear different types of clothing. We probably look and they probably feel the same way towards us when were in their country.

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jayhawks03 says:

I actually came across this article in the news headlines as soon as it happened, and admittedly had no idea as to the nature or practice of using a teffilin. After doing some mild research and looking at various images, the panic that occurred on the flight seems very reasonable. The device is not your average rosary or cross, and surely would not spark one to think of a religious item at first glance. In wake of the horrors that have faced airlines in the last decade and recently in the last month, there is no question that seeing such an item on an airplane would cause panic. While skimming though the responses to this article, it seems that the vast majority of people understand the reason for the alarmed passengers and can relate to the thought process that this item provoked. Although this is true, it seems many people also feel that this is due to a lack of ethnic knowledge on the part of the American people, and that we should be more aware of various ethnic, religious and cultural practices. This idea, on the other hand, is quite absurd.
Just one month ago (almost to the day), the infamous “Christmas Day Bombing Attempt” ignited what had been a relatively dormant stretch of terroristic attempts on airlines. That said, there is no surprise that air travelers have been, to say the least, “extra observant.” Coming from someone who was flying out of the country on Christmas Day, I can say that I was extremely uneasy on my flight home after learning of the attempted bombing (which was also an international born flight). I admittedly “sized up” other passengers and questioned their habits and practices while waiting in security lines, but who wouldn’t? When you fly, you put your trust not only in the hands of the pilots, but also in the hands of your fellow flyers; as a passenger, I feel I have the right to be inquisitive about my fellow passengers and their actions. There is no doubt in my mind that, had I seen a young male with a teffilin on the plane, I would have been extremely suspicious and called attention to the flight attendant. A teffilin has the appearance of potentially being an explosive device, hands down. Do I think people are rude or ignorant for not knowing of the practice of a teffilin (or any other uncommon practice)? Absolutely not. I realize that the Jewish man involved in the incident went through some harsh treatment until the matter was cleared up, and given that he was innocent, it is unfortunate. However, one cannot hold the passengers responsible for not knowing of the practice of using a teffilin. Truth be told, what convoluted thought process would trigger this man to use this uncommon item on a plane filled with justifiably suspicious people? This is undoubtedly a sign of one passenger’s idiocy, not of other passengers’ ignorance.

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Yushi says:

That's true– although we are all called human beings, we still have a lot differences– and this differences divided us into different groups. The thing is who made the rules? The rule/law maker might not be as considerable as they should have been like. There might be miscommunication and misunderstanding among different groups. So things like the Jewish boy faced happen. This story taught me to be ready to accept others ideas/opinions when there are misunderstandings.

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ajb81 says:

I agree with the flight attendant’s actions, even if they were a little extreme. You have to be cautious when dealing with airline travel because of the ways it has been attacked by terrorists in the recent years. It is unfortunate that no one knew about the ritual prayer with the teffillin but to be honest I did not know about that, and if I was a passenger on that plane, I probably would have been frightened by that sight as well. I like how the family understood the authority’s actions and did not make a big deal out of it. They knew it is not a well known practice and did not get overly sensitive about it which is very impressive these days.

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jontroy88 says:

After reading this article I was not surprised that the plane diverted to Philadelphia. In today’s times, especially on airplanes, we cannot be too careful of the people that go on to airplanes. If the flight attendants did not know what the guy was wearing then they made a decision to land quickly just in case. It was just to be cautionary, which I respect that decision. However, I have no idea what tefillin is but if I saw someone that was wrapped in it I would be a little worried especially on a plane. The teen did what he thought was acceptable and that is fine. He did not cause any harm to anyone, maybe get to Kentucky a little later but that is about it. It is crazy to think how this is so out of the norm for us and to him it was something he did normally.

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