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//"The student acknowledged that a few of the vocabulary words, including "bomb" and "terrorism," may have alarmed authorities, but he also said he needed to le

//"The student acknowledged that a few of the vocabulary words, including "bomb" and "terrorism," may have alarmed authorities, but he also said he needed to learn them in order to understand the news of the day in Arabic-language newspapers." How is this about arabic then? He would have been detained if he were muttering those words in any language.

pyre 17y ago
He didn't mutter the words though. They just happened to be on flash cards. Should I be detained just because authorities find the word 'bomb' or 'terrorism' on an object in my possession? I guess I can't take a newspaper through screening then, huh? Do you really think that he would have been detained if the words 'bomb' and 'terrorism' had been in French-English flashcards? One would hope that they would apply these things equally, but I have my doubts.
- padmanabhan01 17y ago
  If those words were just 2 out of a million, like if he had a dictionary or newspaper etc, why is the article even mentioning it? The special mention of those words in the article makes it look like he was muttering them or trying to memorize those words in particular etc
  - pyre 17y ago
    Where does the article make the suggestion that he was muttering the words 'bomb' and/or 'terrorism?' Even then, why would someone be walking through an airport saying "bomb" or "terrorism" disjoint from any sort of context? (And how does that necessarily make them any more or less dangerous than anyone else? When was the last time that an actual terrorist was caught because they said, "bomb," and someone tackled them?) As to trying to memorize the words, yes that is the point of Arabic-English flashcards, but how does one become dangerous (or a terrorist) because they are trying to memorize the words "bomb" or "terrorist?" Am I now dangerous because I've just admitting to knowing both of those words (by virtue of using them in this comment)?
    - Hexstream 17y ago
      "Am I now dangerous because I've just admitting to knowing both of those words (by virtue of using them in this comment)?" In the current political climate: Yes.
- dustingetz 17y ago
  obviously the guy had his rights violated, but your ridiculous comparisons aren't helping anything.
smokinn 17y ago
Nowhere does it say he was saying the words "bomb" or "terrorism" out loud in an airport. He had flash cards. That's it. You're not allowed to scream fire in a crowded building but you're certainly allowed to have a book in which one happens to be described.

pyre 17y ago

He didn't mutter the words though. They just happened to be on flash cards. Should I be detained just because authorities find the word 'bomb' or 'terrorism' on an object in my possession? I guess I can't take a newspaper through screening then, huh? Do you really think that he would have been detained if the words 'bomb' and 'terrorism' had been in French-English flashcards? One would hope that they would apply these things equally, but I have my doubts.

padmanabhan01 17y ago
If those words were just 2 out of a million, like if he had a dictionary or newspaper etc, why is the article even mentioning it? The special mention of those words in the article makes it look like he was muttering them or trying to memorize those words in particular etc
- pyre 17y ago
  Where does the article make the suggestion that he was muttering the words 'bomb' and/or 'terrorism?' Even then, why would someone be walking through an airport saying "bomb" or "terrorism" disjoint from any sort of context? (And how does that necessarily make them any more or less dangerous than anyone else? When was the last time that an actual terrorist was caught because they said, "bomb," and someone tackled them?) As to trying to memorize the words, yes that is the point of Arabic-English flashcards, but how does one become dangerous (or a terrorist) because they are trying to memorize the words "bomb" or "terrorist?" Am I now dangerous because I've just admitting to knowing both of those words (by virtue of using them in this comment)?
  - Hexstream 17y ago
    "Am I now dangerous because I've just admitting to knowing both of those words (by virtue of using them in this comment)?" In the current political climate: Yes.
dustingetz 17y ago
obviously the guy had his rights violated, but your ridiculous comparisons aren't helping anything.

smokinn 17y ago

Nowhere does it say he was saying the words "bomb" or "terrorism" out loud in an airport. He had flash cards. That's it. You're not allowed to scream fire in a crowded building but you're certainly allowed to have a book in which one happens to be described.