A prayer and some wingnuts

I was visiting CiF for a weekly dosage of adrenalin and all I got was a tepid article by (who else but) inimitable Brian Whitaker, titled A wing and a prayer. Unlike most of the other prose by BW, this one does not have much to recommend or to get pissed off about. Although the subject by itself is interesting: an Orthodox Jewish man was removed from an Air Canada Jazz flight in Montreal last week for praying, Brian's discourse on the subject is so limp and politically correct that it could serve as a nice sleeping pill.

Aside of an aviation-related blooper ("safe flying relies on aerodynamics, not magic or divine intervention"), there is nothing of special interest in the article itself. Of course, Brian should know by now that his safety depends not on aerodynamics but on that semi-drunk technician that replaced a widget in the plane before his flight, or on the pilot who may be too preoccupied by his marital problems to notice that he missed the right turn on the taxiway... Anyhow, tepid, and the only commendable feature of the article is the absence of a (surely deserved) critical aside addressing the Zionists. Seems like Brain is mellowing lately.

What is really of interest are the comments by the assorted wingnuts inhabiting the shady world of the Guardian fans. The microcosm of this exceptional fauna deserves a scientific study, I am more than sure. See a few examples.

A person who needs to doubt everything:

MonsieurDupin

"safe flying relies on aerodynamics"

Yes, but what does aerodynamics rely on?

A warrior against Islamophobia, seeing it everywhere (it is sooooo Guardian):

AlexCleaver

Brian, you missed the key point. Read that spokesman's quote again. The problem, in their eyes, was that they believe the man was Muslim. They are apologising for having mistaken him for a Muslim. It was a straightforward Islamophobic act.

A straight shooter of the more militant habits (needs to grow up indeed, but...)

GrowUp

I'm grateful to the crew of the airplane for evicting this religious nutjob.

Probably the best and funniest case of a wingnut is these series. May change your whole outlook on religion:

Terl

Anyone ever notice how the motions a Hasidic Jew makes while praying look sexual? That is not an accident.

This story is corroboration of my claims. A Hasidic Jew is a religios person. A Hasidic Jew makes sexual motions while he prays. Therefore, there must be some connection between sexual motions and religion.

The sexual motions the Hasidic Jew makes stimulates his body so that he reaches a religious state. Or if you are, Shia Muslim I think it is, you can hit yourself with a sharp piece of metal until you bleed to reach that physical and mental state. Or you can be an atheist and reach the exact same state through biofeedback or meditation.

Now the one who wants to grow up, but obviously can't, is really warming up, and the real perpetrators in this case (who but) are named:

GrowUp

He wasn't kicked of the plane for being nervous. He wasn't praying because he was nervous. He was going through his religious programming in a rote manner inappropriate under the circumstances and disrespectful of the other passengers. The gentleman was sitting in the seat of a flying airplane not standing in front of the Wailing Wall.

Some Jewish groups have offered sensitivity training to the crew. Thanks but no thanks. They can offer some sensitivity training to Prime Minister Olmert instead.

And finally, to counter the crowd of the defenders of Islam, another warrior weighs in:


KCharlesSimmonds

Hi Brian,

"Planes are kept aloft by aerodynamics, not divine intervention."

However planes occasionally crash due to "divine" intervention, don't they? Allllahul'akbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!

Fascinating, isn't it? I hope you have enjoyed the flight of the wingnuts...

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