So I was a little shocked when I read the article to find
out that the offensive t-shirt contained a pro-choice message, which read, “If I wanted the government in my womb, I’d
f*** a senator”. The woman in
question was apparently returning from a pro-choice rally in Washington D.C.
Much controversy has arisen regarding whether or not the airline has the right to censor what passengers wear. A spokesperson for the airline said, “The only reason she was asked to cover up her t-shirt was the appearance of the ‘F-word’. The pro-choice message is irrelevant to our policy and had to bearing on our decision to ask her to cover up”.
We recently discussed censorship in class and what speech is considered “protected” under the First Amendment. So my question to you is, “Do you think the airline should be allowed to censor what passengers wear? If no, why not? If yes, what kinds of messages should be censored?” Answers are due no later than Wednesday, June 6th, 2012.
I think that's ridiculous to be honest. even though it did have the f word on it I doubt any kids on the plane would even pay attention to it and the adults should just get over it. that's one of the biggest problems in America to me is that we censor things simply because it offends us personally. it's immature. keep your rosaries off my ovaries!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rachel, personally the air lines have no right to censor what the passengers wear. True it is offensive, but people today use the F-Word more than the words yes, and no. Any form of mainstream radio that you listen to has some form of cursing in it. Plus, if they want to complain about a shirt like that, then how about shirts that say something offensive and points to a women's breasts, or one with nude people on them, if they are not going to complain about clothing like that.
ReplyDeleteThe first amendment only provides protection from the government censoring your words, it has no bearing on what an airline can prevent you from doing. If the captain said cover it up or take it off, then you must do it if you want to be on the plane. Also, it was a lame political point to try and make. Not everyone needs to be beat over the head with other's political beliefs. She didn't comply with the captain's wishes, so she doesn't fly.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that airlines have the right to censor what the passengers where. I think it is crazy that the lady had to change or she wouldn't be able to fly. It is your own right to wear whatever you want to not an airline. You pay a lot of money to ride on a plane so you should be able to wear what you choose.
ReplyDeleteWhat guidelines was this captain following? I think its absurd to ask for the shirt to be removed. Was the captain personaly offended by his own beliefs? Passengers should be removed by their ACTIONS not by their dress attire. Would he have asked a man to remove his turban before fying? I think not.
ReplyDeleteNo an airline shouldn't be able to censor what you wear, regardless of the words on the shirt, Even if it was for the kids on the plane. You have the right to wear what you want and regardless if someone is wearing a shirt that says Fuck or if the child hears it on tv or the radio or where ever, you can't censor them from everything and they are going to hear it regardless or see it. We allow our kids to watch shows like south park and other shows that involve the same language, yet you don't see the gov blocking what we see on tv or what we read or see in the media. It's part of our society.
ReplyDeleteI do not feel that the airlines should have the right to censor somebody due to what they wear or say. the government should be the only one who would have the power to do so. With how much cursing and obscenity is on TV, radios, and the internet anymore, a shirt really shouldn't matter. probably ten to one the captain just got pissy about what the message said and decided to be asinine about it by using his power as a captain.
ReplyDeleteI think that she would have gotten a free flight first class for this on top of a her flight refunded and first class home. This shirt said nothing inappropriate or obscene. It just was expression that was actually hilarious. No vulgar language so she was not in the wrong. They need to be held countable for this and she has the right to wear that shirt! I feel truly feel unset on her behalf and would have got irate with the airline if I were there myself. She was under her first amendment rights and her shirt was clean. She should sue.
ReplyDeleteI think that she had her rights taken away from her by asking her to remove the shirt or remove herself from the plane. I have never heard of this happening before and i don't really understand why this was such a big deal. The only thing i can think of that would make this an issue is if there were younger children on the flight and the word "f***" was visible and exposed to them and another passenger was bothered by it. However, you are sitting down most of the flight usually and your shirt would not be seen by many and shouldn't cause a problem. Someone should never be asked to remove their shirt and be punished for it. I don't think she was breaking any laws.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the airline should have any part in censoring a passengers choice of clothing. If anyone were going to question something a passenger was wearing, it should be the TSA. The woman's shirt was in no nature a threat to society, a threat to national security, or anything of that nature. I think the airline completely overstepped its boundaries in asking this woman to change her shirt. I also don't believe that this is the first person that has ever worn a shirt with profane language on a flight. I personally feel that this shirt was offensive to someone individually, whether it be the pilot or some other passenger, I think it was based on personal values rather than the air carriers values. One of the wonderful freedoms we have in this country is freedom of speech and the woman had every right to wear what she so choose. There are certain regulations on a persons freedom of speech but in this incident nothing was questionable enough to make the woman be asked to change.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the airline should have told her to change or cover it up. I mean if the F word is so offensive they should tell everyone on the plane that if they hear the word you will be asked to leave. I highly doubt the pilot was personally offended, he was probably just afraid their would be other passengers offended, so he asked her to cover it up. I don't think he had any right to tell her to do so. And frankly i think the shirt is funny, so of course my beliefs are going to be biased. lol
ReplyDeleteI think the Airline has every right to tell her to cover up her shirt. The airline is a business, and I believe each business should have a say in what image is portrayed. Nothing against the prochoice campaign, but can you imagine how a mother who was flying with her small children would feel exposing them to something that crude? It's not as if they were coming against the campaign itself, just the graphic nature of her t-shirt.
ReplyDeleteYou can't censor what a person can and cannot wear if that was so then there would be a lot of t-shirts and outfits banned for some reason or another, besides I don't think a message on a shirt is going to start a riot on the plane, airline staff please protect from the real issues that are actually life-threatening events
ReplyDeleteFree speech is our right. Saying whatever you want is not. There are threatening words and there is vulgar speech which should be censored. These are usually not tolerated by nearby people. I think the airline did the right thing by making her change it or at least cover up the "u" and the "c". The phrase is not offensive to me; the F word is. Being a parent, I don't want my children exposed to that. Other things that aren't vulgar that should be censored as well, like bomb and hijacker messages, especially on planes.
ReplyDelete