Talking Points Memo was the first account I've seen of this story, but I saw no coverage here. I want this community to get in front of this story, lest you hear about it at Christmas dinner from your GOP cousins.
This story NEEDS to come out and be nationally debunked. Over and over. It's exactly the type of story that gets circulated by emails, low-tier right wing radio hosts and scared, uniformed xenophobes and becomes fact. This is their standard M.O. [Or Sarah Palin says it, and it becomes gospel] It's classic--it plays like a greatest hits to the wing nuts rabid minds:
-Racism
-Christian superiority
-Hero worship [and sought after celebrity status]
as TPM reported...
Guy sends an email to friends and family recounting his single-handedly thwarting a potential terrorist plane hijacking at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport by man-handling a group of Arabs in "full attire" and tossing them from the plane. The email goes viral on the right-wing interwebs, even ending up on Glenn Beck's Project 9/12 website.
First the Pushers. These are the media outlets that should be held accountable for broadening the lie. Typically, you expect the NY Post, The Sun or Washington Times. But I guess even this was just too much.
We have Debbie Schussel who has breathlessly been posting headlines with images meant to further scare and divide. This post was at 4:35PM yesterday. It has not been updated.
Earlier today, I told you about Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson, another passenger on AirTran Flight 297 from Atlanta to Houston on Tuesday, November 17th, on which passenger Tedd J. Petruna encountered and helped foil eleven Muslim men who were apparently engaged in yet another Islamic terrorism dry run.
And with what we have come to expect from the fringe [though now mainstream] Right. From her website:
Disgusting.
Now we move on to a Senior Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson who was present on the plane, though after the initial incident. He boarded flight 297 and states "Although my seat was 22D I moved to the back of the plane to gain a better view of any actions that might take place in front of me."
He then says:
"Some of the Middle Eastern men were in the Business Class area and the remainder was seated in the back of the plane. They spoke only Arabic and I did not understand what they were saying although a strange burst of laughter would erupt as they spoke."
Thanks, Doc. But according the to AirTran press release [and point by point debunking]:
There are no reports of any passenger standing up in a threatening manner. At NO time was there any physical altercation between passengers. Upon returning to the gate, the individual on the phone and his party were asked to de-plane and did so in full compliance of Crew Members’ instructions.
And a passenger sitting one row behind them says on record to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution the men were Spanish.
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Got that so far? Spanish. Normally dressed. Not shouting. Not using the word "infidel dog." Not standing and screaming. Not planning a dry run.
Back to Dr. Robinson on the Steve Gill show, a syndicated radio show broadcasting out of Nashville. Gill has been pushing this as much as Schlussel. Here's an interesting exchange:
Robinson: Well, it’s true that the uh, these are abnormal actions that anybody should be making. I mean, we’ve had ministers wives thrown off planes for less than that. Um, so
Steve Gill: Exactly. Christian minister’s wives.
Robinson: Yes, yes.
I have NO idea what story he is referring to. Could it be this one? Because wasn't that just a case of Mrs. Joel Osteen being enraged at a flight attendant and being kicked off the flight to their ski trip? I mean, that's what the FBI told me.
Anyway, back to our hero in this saga. Tedd Petruna. Family man. Christian. White. Shucks, he was just doing his part. He even tells us so in his long-winded, race-baiting first person account:
I'm telling this to you because I want you to know... The threat is real. I saw it with my own eyes." [emphasis mine]
And now the debunkers, thankfully:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a terrific run-down and blows everything out of the water with their headline:
AirTran 'hero' wasn't on plane, airline says
And the lead:
It's a little easier to understand why a man who claimed to have thwarted a potential terrorist attack on a plane has not answered repeated requests to tell his story.
He was not on the plane, according to AirTran Airways.
You read that right. HE WASN'T ON THE F*@KING PLANE!
The pushback from this coward, Petruna, after basically being called out as a crook? Well he won't even speak to the AJC. Won't return calls or emails. Hmmm.
You haven't seen him on Hannity or heard him on Rush, have you? Probably not--He's a cowardly chicken-hawk who wanted his moment basking in the glow of that h-word. Hero. All the better if it's fightin' off 'dem brown Moslems! I'm starting to editorialize here, but the population of men like Mr. Petruna is broad and deep. Hell, half of them think they'll be raptured before the full-on jihad even gets going. Some even want to see Jews return to Jerusalem to quicken this end of days [See: Sarah Palin talking to Barbara Walters] I'm wandering...
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So does this Petruna character even get to see him on the tee-vee! I mean, you don't throw off 11 terrorists without somewhat of a hero's welcome, right? Beyond the "I Like It" clicks I'm sure his Facebook post was getting. Well, not exactly. You see, he didn't want to appear on the news story. He just wants it to all go away, Backwards B Obama Girl-style.
But first, he has this to say:
"I'm glad it got out. Due to personal and financial reasons, I can't speak about this."
If he does have a family, I don't want this man fired. But I'm glad his he feels he needs to STFU or he'll hear about it from someone in position to actually do something about it. Like, fire him.
Well now, he DOES start to walk back some of his account. This is what KHOU had to say:
"He admits he never personally saw anyone watching pornographic videos."
Thanks, Tedd. You have dishonored your fellow Americans. And you have dishonored your fellow Muslim Americans. Some of whom actually HAVE been thrown off planes because of backwards, racist, fear-mongering muck like you.
This one on New Years in Washington.
This one in Denver. A doctor and two friends returning from a medical conference.
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Go crawl back into your hovel, Mr. Petruna. Just go away. I know this was your moment to bask in the sun and you took it. But you weren't even on the plane. And you sent out your dishonest, racist garbage. First to family and freinds. I bet you must've felt like a real man. And now radio hosts and national voices will be forced to issue retractions. Unless you're Steve Gill, aforementioned radio host. Then you can just put thison your site. [I am not making this up]
Tedd Petruna may have an explaination [sic]...perhaps he took an earlier flight and got to Atlanta in time to board Flight 297. I talked to him earlier this week and will call him today to get the "rest of the story." In the meantime here is his original account!
Wow. That was easy! And refreshing. Did you even notice that back there? When the facts change, er, um...Go look at the original account! Nah, don't believe the media. Don't believe the airliner. Don't believe anyone that's telling you different. Bury your head in the sand. And go back to the original lie.
I wanted to end with how Dr. Robinson finishes his diatribe. With this prescient observation:
"As long as there are those who would claim Jihad as the proper way to solve ideological differences between religions, countries and civilizations, "intimidation" and "threats" will continue to be the initial instruments of force used against peace‐loving people....[snip]
It’s time we deal in reality and speak honestly and accurately about the facts in each situation. Face it, you cannot prevent someone from getting their feelings hurt when you speak the truth."
Amen to that, Doc.