Slog - Comments on They Be http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are Officially not terrorists... ...tourists. They were software consultants in town for a weeklong business conference — not terrorists planning an attack to cripple the country's largest ferry system. Last summer, the FBI launched an international search for two men after crew members and riders on a Washington State Ferry reported their unusual behavior — namely that they were taking pictures below deck, in areas that don't hold much interest for most tourists. A ferry captain snapped their photo, which was passed along to the FBI. Turns out the men, both citizens of a European Union nation, were captivated by the... Copyright 2008 Tue, 06 May 2008 11:37:43 -0800 Tue, 06 May 2008 16:13:40 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by COMTE Terrorists, tourists; if you say them with a Texas drawl, they both sound pretty much the same.

]]> COMTE http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015867 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015867 News Tue, 06 May 2008 11:57:23 -0800 Comment by PJ Interesting that it's so acceptable to call someone a "fucking hick," despite the passionate feelings they possess about the prejidices of other people.

]]> PJ http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015872 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015872 News Tue, 06 May 2008 11:58:46 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Chances are the next attack will be through the unguarded port at New Orleans, given the state of disrepair there thanks to Kaiser Bush.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015877 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015877 News Tue, 06 May 2008 11:59:21 -0800 Comment by Emily Yeah, because that ferry captain had no right to take a photo of some people.

]]> Emily http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015898 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015898 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:05:08 -0800 Comment by Rotten666 Fucking Hick? Nice. So we can make fun of people and call them names? What about spooks and fags? Are they fair game?

]]> Rotten666 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015948 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015948 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:24:08 -0800 Comment by Fnarf He's a fucking hick because he thinks that even dark-complected white people like this are "different" and probably terrorists. That is as un-cosmopolitan, and thus "hick", as you can get.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015969 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015969 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:29:11 -0800 Comment by ecce homo I hope that ferry captains cease being vigilant in the pursuit of security on the ferries.

Come on, it is SO hickish to be concerned about people wanting to blow them up.

Way to make me side with Bush types, Chuckles.

]]> ecce homo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015988 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015988 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:33:56 -0800 Comment by MR. Language Person sheesh, I'm becoming a right-wing apologist on the board. Ok, he's a hick...OR MAYBE... After years as a captain, and after years of seeing people take pics of the view, and never the ferry, it looked strange to see people taking a lot of photos of the ferry, so he simply reported it on to people who could judge whether or not there was anything there. It's not like he held them or attacked or anything else. He simply said here, Mr. Expert, maybe I'm paranoid, but these guys took pictures of my ship. Should I be worried? THey looked into it, and no. No need to be concerned.

]]> MR. Language Person http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015995 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1015995 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:35:50 -0800 Comment by leek Well, come on now. If it was a white family with wee blond children along, demonstrating the exact same behavior, ain't no way no one would be concerned. Clearly these guys' presumed race had something to do with the suspicion.

It remains a tough decision, though, what should be done in a situation like this. Even if I felt suspicion, I would probably feel too ashamed of myself for my racial profiling to report it. But what about the situation where there was something to be concerned about? Ferry boom, and it's all my fault.

]]> leek http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016005 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016005 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:40:21 -0800 Comment by Rotten666 Good god. For once I agree with ecce home. Too bad there weren't any racist hicks hanging around those pilot training schools in 2000. Those racist non cosmopolitan hicks could have saved us a lot of trouble.

]]> Rotten666 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016008 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016008 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:41:36 -0800 Comment by Reverse Polarity (A) The entire suspicion, investigation, and news publication of two swarthy men was grossly racist and reprehensible.

(B) Yes, the captain is a fucking hick.

(C) Despite all that, anyone can take a picture of anything on a ferry, so why not the captain? I don't see anything wrong with taking the photo. It was the reaction to the photo that was reprehensible, not the photo itself. The fear of taking photos is part of what caused the suspicion in the first place. If not for all the ridiculous suspicion, these guys could look like a Bainbridge Island gay couple.

]]> Reverse Polarity http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016017 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016017 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:43:10 -0800 Comment by Dan Ravaged @2, @5...oh, I can't list them all...

You're surprised? This is typical Stranger bullshit: Bigotry by those who claim to despise bigotry.

It's not surprising that Charles wrote "fucking hick." Savage does this kind of thing weekly. And shit rolls downhill, from the "editorial director" to everyone below him.

The Stranger's intolerance of Republicans, Christians, hicks, Southerners, etc. (I am only one of those, by the way) is shocking, particularly from a paper that so vehemently preaches tolerance.

Of course, Savage and the staffers won't respond to any of our complaints. They'll keep charging ahead with blinders on.

]]> Dan Ravaged http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016022 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016022 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:43:49 -0800 Comment by MR. Language Person @9. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that were the captain's thought process.

]]> MR. Language Person http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016026 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016026 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:44:31 -0800 Comment by Rotten666 @9 of course race has something to do with it. When blond haired, blue eyed Norwegians start crashing planes into neighborhoods, I will sure as shit report them if I see them doing something fishy.

]]> Rotten666 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016035 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016035 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:47:40 -0800 Comment by MR. Language Person @14

So Oklahoma City, Colombine, Nazism, etc, etc, never happened?
THAT is a problem

]]> MR. Language Person http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016045 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016045 News Tue, 06 May 2008 12:51:12 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi @10,

Concerns were reported to the FBI by "racist hicks" about suspicious activities at those piloting schools. It was the FBI's fault for not doing a damn thing about it.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016098 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016098 News Tue, 06 May 2008 13:10:57 -0800 Comment by Rotten666 @16 Duly noted, I was trying to make a point. And I agree that the FBI deserves much of the blame for not doing anything about it.

]]> Rotten666 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016109 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016109 News Tue, 06 May 2008 13:17:58 -0800 Comment by Andy Niable It looks like the Office of Tourism was a bit premature in aborting their planned "Say WA!" slogan to promote the state.

]]> Andy Niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016116 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016116 News Tue, 06 May 2008 13:20:32 -0800 Comment by dawn but **IF** they DID manage to blow up a ferry or two, the public would be up in arms for not catching them before hand.

black, white, yellow, green or polka-dotted.. i don't care.... profile all you want... i take the ferry at least three times a month, i don't want to be treading water in the Sound after that fucking thing goes down.

]]> dawn http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016157 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016157 News Tue, 06 May 2008 13:40:48 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Lots of people take tons of photos on and of the ferries. And those guys are not "middle-eastern". The suggestion that the captain was "being vigilant in the pursuit of security" is laughable on the face of it.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016175 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016175 News Tue, 06 May 2008 13:50:09 -0800 Comment by john cocktosin I'm assuming that Charles is assuming that the captain is a white male, because only white males are capable of racism and bigotry, right?
What if the captain is an Islamic, transgender half-African half-Aleutian Islander?

]]> john cocktosin http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016210 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016210 News Tue, 06 May 2008 14:01:15 -0800 Comment by Fnarf He didn't say "white". He said "hick". If you don't think a person of color can be a hick, you're a boob.

Seriously, people: there is a cosmopolitan reaction to seeing people who look like this (let me guess, are you French?) and a hick reaction (they might be terrorists). If you are cosmopolitan, you are accustomed to seeing people who -- gasp! -- wear turtlenecks and stuff. If you're a hick, you don't.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016254 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016254 News Tue, 06 May 2008 14:11:47 -0800 Comment by bobcat AMERICA FUCK YEAH

America...
America...
America, FUCK YEAH!
Coming again, to save the mother fucking day yeah,
America, FUCK YEAH!
Freedom is the only way yeah,
Terrorist your game is through cause now you have to answer too,
America, FUCK YEAH!
So lick my butt, and suck on my balls,
America, FUCK YEAH!
What you going to do when we come for you now,
it’s the dream that we all share; it’s the hope for tomorrow

FUCK YEAH!

McDonalds, FUCK YEAH!
Wal-Mart, FUCK YEAH!
The Gap, FUCK YEAH!
Baseball, FUCK YEAH!
NFL, FUCK, YEAH!
Rock and roll, FUCK YEAH!
The Internet, FUCK YEAH!
Slavery, FUCK YEAH!

FUCK YEAH!

Starbucks, FUCK YEAH!
Disney world, FUCK YEAH!
Porno, FUCK YEAH!
Valium, FUCK YEAH!
Reeboks, FUCK YEAH!
Fake Tits, FUCK YEAH!
Sushi, FUCK YEAH!
Taco Bell, FUCK YEAH!
Rodeos, FUCK YEAH!
Bed bath and beyond (Fuck yeah, Fuck yeah)

Liberty, FUCK YEAH!
White Slips, FUCK YEAH!
The Alamo, FUCK YEAH!
Band-aids, FUCK YEAH!
Las Vegas, FUCK YEAH!
Christmas, FUCK YEAH!
Immigrants, FUCK YEAH!
Popeye, FUCK YEAH!
Democrats, FUCK YEAH!
Republicans (republicans)
(fuck yeah, fuck yeah)
Sportsmanship
Books

]]> bobcat http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016346 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016346 News Tue, 06 May 2008 14:52:38 -0800 Comment by Justy Sorry, but the taller guy looks like a terrorist right out of central casting. If you visit a country that has been attacked by terrorists who look just like you do, you're bound to run into few difficulties.

]]> Justy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016376 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016376 News Tue, 06 May 2008 15:10:41 -0800 Comment by Catalina Vel-DuRay I think they're hot!

]]> Catalina Vel-DuRay http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016503 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/what_they_are#c1016503 News Tue, 06 May 2008 16:13:40 -0800