The Chris Moeller Archives

The same day, roughly a thousand miles away, as red, white, and blue flags waved in the breeze from sea to shining sea, Shoshana Hebshi, a married mother of 6-year-old twins was being pulled off of an airplane by an army of police at the Detroit airfield, in handcuffs, headed for a prison cell, a long interrogation, and a strip search. Why was this suburban mom, who was returning home from her sister's birthday party in California, targeted for removal from the plane? Her future lawsuit against Frontier Airlines and the state will likely help illuminate.

Hebshi is also a 35-year-old graduate of Iowa State University, a long-time resident of Des Moines, and a blogger. (Aside: Shit, who is she reminding me of? No, it can't be me. I'm 36.) Hebshi, who recently moved to Ohio, made the mistake Sunday of "flying while brown." And doing so on "Patriot Day." Hebshi's father is Arabic, her mother is Jewish. By the decision of the airline's ticketing system, she happened to be seated next to two men of Indian descent. Come on, airplane patriots, Indians are most likely Hindus, or even Christians. Learn to tell your brown people apart.

Fortunately, because Hebshi is a blogger, she can tell you the full story in all of its frightening detail. She said that during her detention, she was inspired by the experiences of Malcolm X to share her story. She wanted to use her forced solitude, as he did in prison, to work for "social change and personal betterment." Well, there you go. Color me mistaken. At least we know there is one brave American that is refusing to live in fear. It's just unfortunate that it's her broken government and her racist fellow citizens that Shoshana Hebshi needs to fear.