TSA apologizes.. agent pulled Native American woman's braids and said "giddyup"

[Demovictory9]

TSA issues apology to Native American woman who had braids pulled by agent
Tara Houska ‘humiliated’ by TSA agent who ‘snapped my braids like reins’ during screening at Minneapolis-St Paul airport

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/18/tsa-native-american-woman-braids-airport

?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f7aecf1bdd0317fe1c33aad4ce26581e

The federal Transportation Security Administration has apologized to a Native American woman who said an agent at Minneapolis-St Paul international airport “pulled her braids” and said “giddy up!” when she took a flight from there this week.

“The agent said she needed to pat down my braids,” tweeted Tara Houska, an indigenous rights advocate and attorney. “She pulled them behind my shoulders, laughed and said ‘giddyup!’ as she snapped my braids like reins. My hair is part of my spirit. I am a Native woman. I am angry, humiliated. Your ‘fun’ hurt.”

Houska, who is Ojibwe, added: “When I informed the middle-aged blonde woman who had casually used her authority to dehumanize and disrespect me, she said, ‘Well it was just in fun, I’m sorry. Your hair is lovely.’

“That is NOT an apology and it is NOT OK.”

[alittlelark]

1. WOW - that is sooo many flavors of F'ed up.

I hope there is a lawsuit.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

3. I don't think a lawsuit would teach ...

Maybe the perp should have to spend some time being taught, by Ojibwe, why she was wrong. Expand her cultural horizons and scope of empathy.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. Asking Native people to justify their humanity to her would be cruel.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

10. I was thinking that forcing her to look beyond her nose would be good.

[Maru Kitteh]

19. That might best be accomplished by forcing her to take and pass an NA studies class

at a local college. The woman's tribe shouldn't have to be forced to explain to this stupid fucking bigot how they are actually human beings too.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

20. makes sense

I'd ask 'em if they want first try at her, though.

[UniteFightBack]

2. They shouldn't be doing that to anybody. Completely unprofessional. nt

[3catwoman3]

4. What the HELL is the matter with people?

I am daily horrified by the decline in civility sinceTrump was installed in the WH.

And that it was done by a woman really surprised me. Maybe it shouldn’t, but it did.

[getagrip_already]

5. They know better than to say "giddayup", it's not how they are trained...

Last edited Sat Jan 18, 2020, 06:44 PM - Edit history (1)

They are trained to say "let's go expletive-deleted", or in rare cases, "move you ass expletive-deleted". We will evaluate our training and improve.

That is our commitment to the real american people

[cyclonefence]

7. stop that right now

go stand in the corner and think about what you did

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. You could make your point without actually using a serious slur.

[getagrip_already]

11. apologies there.. it was just what they think.....

I do tend to shoot myself in the foot. I'll edit the post.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. Thanks for reconsidering. I really appreciate it.

[Hekate]

6. Where does TSA find these people?!

Damnation they are an embarrassment to the nation.

[ManiacJoe]

14. Minimum wage and poorly trained.

Quite easy to find.....

[Hekate]

16. When TSA was first set up I predicted a bad outcome for both public and workers...

Perhaps someone has much more up-to-date info, but back at the beginning several things were seared into my consciousness: the system was farmed out to private firms, workers were excluded from government civil service classifications, and workers were forbidden to form unions. Oh, and salaries were low and training was minimal.

That told me that from the very beginning workers were going to be treated as disposable units with a badge and a uniform, NOT as individuals with important and respected functions requiring training and deserving worker protections.

The most obvious example is the X-ray machines. Those are our fellow Americans standing all day next to that equipment. If I as a passenger object not just to the intrusion but to the exposure, what about them? Safe, the government and their employers say? Sez who? Who checks? The union they are forbidden to form? The Civil Service they are not a part of?

Shoddy beginning -- shoddy results.

[ManiacJoe]

21. Unfortunately, nothing of substance has changed.

[Initech]

17. With the Trump administration in charge, these assholes are a dime a dozen these days.

[DFW]

24. They find them right here:

Although, much to my surprise, a woman in our Dallas HQ told me her brother was head of the TSA at the El Paso airport. She sent this video to him, and he showed it to the TSA team at the El Paso airport, and they laughed their asses off (so she says), so they can't all be insensitive louts.

[lpbk2713]

13. These assholes need to decompress every now and then.

The power seems to be too much for them.

[BuffaloJackalope]

15. Sadly, it seems the TSA actively recruits these types of mycetozoa.

[dustyscamp]

18. TSA needs to hire smarter agents

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/airport-worker-fired-slipping-you-ugly-note-traveler-n1043561

[Flaleftist]

22. So the agent is an idiot, that doesn't mean race is a factor.

[NCLefty]

23. Trump voter. n/t