Flying with Meaningful Water

September 6, 2006 5:37 AM

I am flying soon. I would like to bring a bottle of water to security, a nice plain Muji style bottle, with a custom label on it. What should be pasted on it for this lame, meaningless, nearly silent protest? What will not get me violated or detained, but will clearly state the idiocies of fear we are now enduring? Or is this horrible, this idea?
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat to travel & transportation (69 comments total)

I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve. I doubt any security personnel will give the bottle a second look other than to chuck it in the bin.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:40 AM on September 6, 2006

I think it's horrible, this idea. The people who would be confiscating your water bottle are not the people making these policies. They're not scared of your water; they're just doing their tedious and stressful job.
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:43 AM on September 6, 2006 [7 favorites]

I would say there is no custom label you could do that would that you would consider a harmless yet meaningful protest that security would not. For example, a single worded label that said "not dangerous" would surely get you into at the very least the kind of hot water where you will spend a great deal of time in the airport security offices. In contrast, a cleverly made label mimicking a real label (picture an reproduced evian label with the brand name changed to something clever), will probably just not get noticed at all, making it a waste of time.
posted by poppo at 5:44 AM on September 6, 2006

I also don't think the TSA agents most likely to interact with this bottle of water will care.
posted by n'muakolo at 5:53 AM on September 6, 2006

While I understand your point, I absolutely concur with thirteenkiller, although I'd have used the word 'adolescent' rather than 'horrible' to describe your idea. Unless I was feeling grumpier, then I'd simply say 'stupid.'
posted by mojohand at 5:55 AM on September 6, 2006

You're yelling at the clown head with the speaker in it at the drive-thru because you got some bad cheeseburgers. This is horrible, this idea.
posted by dong_resin at 5:55 AM on September 6, 2006 [2 favorites]

Put another vote on the "great sentiment, horrible idea" pile.

Back when I was stupider younger (and the Unabomber was big news) I thought it would be fun to very clearly and deliberately label a box "NOT A BOMB".

Afterward I realized that everyone was only trying to do their jobs and they don't need a smart-ass causing trouble. (The package, me and the recipient all got thoroughly opened and rummaged through.)

Spend your energy campaigning for/against someone or sending your money to a group that will do it for you.
posted by Ookseer at 6:03 AM on September 6, 2006

I did acknowledge the meaningless of this. The question is how to do something meaningless that is, well, slightly meaningful. Even if only to acknowledge the additional labor that the agents are going through (though it might have allowed them to get a friend a job).
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 6:15 AM on September 6, 2006

I believe that the United States Bill of Rights contains a "4th Amendment" that borrows liberally from the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and seeks to establish security from blanket searches and seizures.

I believe that translating that clause into an Arabic and placing it onto a label would be most effective.

You could also fill your rollaboard with corkscrews, blades, and scissors up to but not exceeding 4 inches, safety razors, and toy replica weapons. Because they are apparently okay.
posted by meehawl at 6:18 AM on September 6, 2006 [1 favorite]

naivE
posted by RufusW at 6:20 AM on September 6, 2006

My SO flew the other day. She brought a name-brand disposable bottle of water with her, on the theory that she could drink while waiting in security line, dump it out if there was any left, and carry the empty water bottle on the plane, where she could refill it on the plane.

Security snatched the empty water bottle away from her and threw it away, saying, and I quote, "That's defeating the purpose."

Irony is already dead, submitter. You can't kill it again.
posted by jellicle at 6:22 AM on September 6, 2006

A better idea would be to guzzle it down at the security checkpoint, then loudly belch.
posted by Gungho at 6:24 AM on September 6, 2006

Arabic would get me detained, I think. My intial idea was a kind bottle with a label along the lines of

"I am a nice bottle. Please keep me for non-flight purposes. I may be used for shampoo, glass cleaner, olive oil, and many other fluids. I am benign and an excellent example of minimalist design."

muji bottle of choice
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 6:25 AM on September 6, 2006

You'll get a lot further with a written letter of disgust to someone able to change policies. That is, you still won't get anywhere, but it will still get further. Because your water bottle stunt won't make it even that far up the chain without you landing in a prison.

So, write a letter and sign it. Reply to the reply sent to you.
posted by shepd at 6:28 AM on September 6, 2006

i personally dont really get this protest. i feel these rules arent so much about fear and cowardice as they the about protection. sure, we used to be a lot less paranoid have a lot more trust of each other, but things change. if islamic extremists hadnt tried to kill people with bombs in their shoes we wouldnt need to take off our shoes. if they hadnt tried to kill people with liquid explosives in a water bottle we wouldnt need to throw away water bottles. that being said, you could do a doctor bronners type label except say BUSH IS A COCKSUCKER! AMERICA IS FASCIST! instead of PEACE FOR ALL! 1 love!!
posted by petsounds at 6:32 AM on September 6, 2006

Why not leave it empty and put a message in the bottle? (that can be read from the outside)? Tell everyone who asks about your message in a bottle. Start a flickr group and spread the dissent.
posted by greedo at 6:34 AM on September 6, 2006

Certainly, greedo, this would be pointless without a nice flickr image.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 6:53 AM on September 6, 2006

slightly meaningful.

You're done. More has been achieved by asking about the plan here than could be by executing said plan. And bonus - you've also achieved your secondary goal of promoting the term "muji bottle".
posted by scheptech at 6:56 AM on September 6, 2006

The question is how to do something meaningless that is, well, slightly meaningful.

This isn't even slightly meaningful.

You might as well paste "I am doing this to annoy you, TSA drones" on it.

If you want something slightly meaningful, carry one around at work with the 4th Am. in Arabic or something like that.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:58 AM on September 6, 2006

Put your effort into supporting reasonable politicians.
posted by LarryC at 7:06 AM on September 6, 2006

I think the 4th amendment in Arabic is a bad idea. How bout in English so that people can, you know, read it?

Arabic itself, regardless of meaning, makes such a statement in these xenophobic times that it wouldn't matter what it said at all.
posted by hermitosis at 7:17 AM on September 6, 2006

Put your effort into supporting reasonable politicians. - LarryC

That bears repeating.
posted by raedyn at 7:21 AM on September 6, 2006

One more "no" vote, and please consider poppo's thought that anything meaningful enough to make a statement might land you in hot water if the level of paranoia at the airport is high enough. This will not only be seriously inconvenient to you, but also to the airport security personnel and quite possibly the other passengers on the flight if they end up detaining you and have to pull your bag.

I completely agree with your sentiments, but it's quite possible that the security staff and other passengers do too, so I'd direct your energy to those who are actually responsible for the rules.
posted by lalex at 7:24 AM on September 6, 2006

There are a lot of things in this country to be upset about.

Not being able to carry your fancy "muji style" water bottle through airport security isn't one of them.
posted by GregW at 7:25 AM on September 6, 2006 [1 favorite]

Don't you have anything better to do than annoy a near minimum wage person who's just trying to feed their kids? They don't make the rules, their bosses don't make the rules. The politicians do. Go annoy them, repeatedly, loudly and a lot. That will do much more good.
posted by defcom1 at 7:49 AM on September 6, 2006

Although there's no way that this will do anyone any good, if it makes you feel better: Fourth Amendment Shipping Tape. And hey, at least your fellow passengers may come away a little better educated than they were before.
posted by Amy Phillips at 8:08 AM on September 6, 2006

Why not a t-shirt which reads something like: "This body carries ____ lbs. water." (Insert your weight -- is it about 70%?)

"I am 121 lbs. of water."

Or a word problem:

Water weighs 8.345404 lbs/gallon. 70% of human body weight is water. You weigh "x" number of pounds. How much water are you carrying? (Show your work.)
posted by Dick Paris at 8:21 AM on September 6, 2006

"DANGER. Contains high levels of HYDROGEN"

Like this.

Oh, and skip the protest. It contains high levels of twee.
posted by Phred182 at 8:30 AM on September 6, 2006

There are a lot of things in this country to be upset about.

Not being able to carry your fancy "muji style" water bottle through airport security isn't one of them.


Security checkpoints and the ever-more-hysterical rules regarding security checkpoints (and the way these rules are used to distract us) definitely make my list of things to be upset about ...

(But agree with the bad idea comments. I like the Fourth Amendment shipping tape -- maybe check your luggage with that?)
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 8:32 AM on September 6, 2006

Flying the day after the liquid ban came into effect, I overheard one baggage screener ask his supervisor, "How much longer are we going to have to do this?" so it seems unlikely that they need convincing of the futility of their job or that, once convinced, they can do anything to change their job.

If you want to educate your fellow passengers of your point of view, you're better off wearing a clever t-shirt at the mall or on the street.
posted by cardboard at 8:46 AM on September 6, 2006

Security checkpoints and the ever-more-hysterical rules regarding security checkpoints (and the way these rules are used to distract us) definitely make my list of things to be upset about ...

This complaint strikes me as rather spoiled and childish, or perhaps made by someone accustomed to taking their freedom and protection from violence for granted. America has been spoiled in this way for a long time (try flying in Israel..) The new rules may well be ill-designed and ineffective but believe it or not they were put there not to inconveinence or 'distract' you, but rather as an attempt to keep you (and the hundred or so other people on the plane) as safe as possible.
posted by petsounds at 9:28 AM on September 6, 2006

sorry didnt mean to sound like such an asshole
posted by petsounds at 9:45 AM on September 6, 2006

I think the point of my action, which I described myself as "lame, meaningless, and nearly silent" is that it is futile. But it seems no one else believes futility is all that is left. I have doubts that anything we do in politics will be valid anymore and we are on a permanent Toynbee style fall in which minor gestures toward the decline are source of pleasure.

I am tired of people taking drama for statistics, and theater for safety. We are inconvenienced by a strategy of protection that would only have value it time worked backward. A train is blown up and we have bag searches on our subways. A hotel is hit and we guard hotels. A shoe is stuffed with explosives and we take off our shoes. This is a best a lack of imagination, at worst a distraction from true threats. How easy it would be to make us cower at the simplest acts and object. A terrorist takes to the sidewalks of New York in an SUV and we fear walking, he sticks a razor in an apple and we tremble at fruit like a parent on Halloween, he destructs in a security line and we run from security itself. And all along these reactions keep us moving to rage and counteraction, emotionally justified wars, and greed-justified profits.

And real concerns, well fuck them. Our infrastructure crumbles, our world heats up, our people die for lack of health care, and children become ill from lack of good nutrition. So, yes, a fancy (but truly the opposite of fancy if you knew much about design) water bottle being confiscated from me before I step on a plane matters. And the lack of voice I have matters to me. I know I have become powerless in a country that feels its government is no longer it's tool but a burden on the one hand and testy father on the other.

But fuck it, you know. Perhaps I will make my Jump to Conclusions Mat for this modern world and it will be printing with a single target, labeled simply "Panic!"
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 9:51 AM on September 6, 2006 [3 favorites]

"hair gel and an ipod"

(ps - forgive the errors and obvious frustration of the post above. written in a burst without a mood for revision)
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 9:57 AM on September 6, 2006

I understand the sentiment Kingfisher. I'm actually surprised at the animosity towards this suggestion. Sure -- supporting "sane" politicians is a good idea. But I was doing that back in 2000 and things seemed to have only gotten worse. I feel like all the "it's a stupid idea" answers are missing Kingfisher's bigger message; how do we show our dissent to hopefully prevent further restrictions? I thought it was bad enough when they took away scissors, but now no water either? At what point will folks say, "You know, that's actually too far for me..."
posted by Bear at 9:59 AM on September 6, 2006

I just don't get what this action will prove to anyone, unless you simply crave being a "rebel" in some small and meaningless way.

So you have your water bottle in the security line, presumably displayed prominently so that the other passengers can be aware of what you're up to. They will be thinking not, "Wow, finally someone to stand up to the MAN," but "Look at that moron trying to bring a bottle of water through security."

You get to security, they take the bottle from you and pitch it, probably never readining your oh-so-clever retort to the system. You then go on to board the plane, while getting funny looks from the rest of the passengers.

Way to make a difference.
posted by GregW at 10:04 AM on September 6, 2006

I can imagine that if you went somewhere like this (found via a Google search - I'm not affiliated...) and had the 4th amendment printed on it, and bought 1000 of them and gave them away, it might be a worthy amount of protest effort.

I don't think that just one would be worth the hassle you'd receive.
posted by tomierna at 10:07 AM on September 6, 2006

Yes, Bear, here is where I whip out a Herzog quote: "You are all wrong."
(Well not all of you, but damn near close.)
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 10:08 AM on September 6, 2006

Fine, go ahead and do it. Take your water bottle, refuse to throw it away. And report back on how it completely revolutionizes airport security. Do it, I dare you. Just don't call us for bail.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:10 AM on September 6, 2006 [2 favorites]

What will not get me violated or detained, but will clearly state the idiocies of fear we are now enduring?

Well, bringing a banned item is not this. How about a T-shirt? You may not have time to get this printed:

----------- -------------- -----------------
Front of shirt:
This is my airplane t-shirt.

[picture of bottle with "Futile Protest" printed on it.]

Overbearing yet superficial security procedures make me thirst for more intelligent intelligence.

Back of shirt:
[sad face]
----------- -------------- -----------------
posted by desuetude at 10:23 AM on September 6, 2006 [1 favorite]

The point was that it won't do a damn thing. It's a bottle in a carry-on, not waved around, that gets pulled, read or not, disposed of or in best circumstances kept, and utterly nothing happens. I get on the plane and things go on as they were. It is futile, meaningless, absurd, tiresome, a waste of labor.

And in the context of this pointlessness, what is the best message, even if it goes unread? I imagine many posters would suggest "I am a bottle; my owner, a fucking asshole." but that conveys no new information.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 10:34 AM on September 6, 2006

How about "I have no respect for the people behind me in line who may or may not be delayed even longer by my meaningless stunt."
posted by punkrockrat at 10:35 AM on September 6, 2006

I get your idea, it's witty and such, but all you're doing is making it more of a pain for your fellow travelers. I'm really sick of people who don't know the rules or are trying to get around the rules making me wait in line an extra half an hour every time I fly. I mean, I agree that the rules are stupid, but if everyone followed them, things would take a lot less time. Gr.
posted by echo0720 at 10:40 AM on September 6, 2006

Not bad, punkrockrat, I like it. But does it overlook the time lost by taking off belts and shoes, emptying pockets, pulling laptops from bags, having toothpaste plucked from the carryon of someone unfamiliar with the new rules, or the time we spend checking bags or buying new items to replace the ones we could not bring?
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 10:41 AM on September 6, 2006

I'd like to thank the conventional wisdom in this thread for persuading me to "Lie back and think of America" as it were. Not.

Every little bit counts. The high school kid serving fountain drinks in a drug store in South Carolina in 1962 didn't have much control over the lawmaking process there either.
posted by Octaviuz at 10:43 AM on September 6, 2006

The high school kid serving fountain drinks in a drug store in South Carolina in 1962 didn't have much control over the lawmaking process there either.

Because not being allowed to carry liquids on a plane (where juice, water, coffee, and soda are provided free) is the direct equivalent of segregation.
posted by GregW at 10:47 AM on September 6, 2006 [1 favorite]

How about this? Don't fly.

I'm not trying to be a smartass, here -- I'm completely serious. Don't fly. If you disagree with the policies imposed on you in a particular context, your best protest is to simply avoid the context. Yes, it is an inconvenience, but your money is the loudest voice you have in this fight.

If enough people stop flying, eventually the airlines will figure out that it's because the security procedures are unacceptable to the general public. They'll lobby congress, and either the rules will change or the airlines will continue to suffer (or, more likely, our elected officials will hand over a pile of cash so the airlines can weather the storm).

I realize this sounds extreme, especially if you need to get across the country -- or worse, if you need to get to another country. But there are alternatives. It's all going to come down to just how outraged are you?
posted by jknecht at 10:47 AM on September 6, 2006 [1 favorite]

"I believe that the United States Bill of Rights contains a "4th Amendment" that borrows liberally from the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and seeks to establish security from blanket searches and seizures."

Unless it's an international airport terminal, in which case that doesn't apply. The "Border Search Exemption." There was a thread here in the green about that recently.

And really, if your stunt delayed me any more than the existing security checks already did, I'd be pretty pissed off. And please tell me you're not trying to make some protest just so you can write a stupid blog entry about it.
posted by drstein at 10:51 AM on September 6, 2006

Because not being allowed to carry liquids on a plane (where juice, water, coffee, and soda are provided free) is the direct equivalent of segregation

Why yes, that's exactly what I meant.
posted by Octaviuz at 10:52 AM on September 6, 2006

jknecht, this is a valid point if this were only about flying and not having a bottle of water or hair gel. But it is about a pattern that provides overall little security.
A terrorist action or threat occurs or appears, it is in the past, but a measure that would ostensibly protect against that method is implemented. This is a successful terrorist action then because fear prompts a reaction the reduces opportunity and liberty. If this pattern continues, a strong strategy for terrorism would be to multiply the methods of threats, get caught, and cause further restrictions. It is foolish to be predicatble and reactionary.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 10:55 AM on September 6, 2006

Damn, I really need to proofread.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 10:56 AM on September 6, 2006

I cannot see a situation where this would be of any significance to someone who is already stoping infants from flying because their name is on the no-fly list. My advice, never put someone with a washable badge in a position they will be able to vent their frustrations on you.
posted by slavlin at 11:03 AM on September 6, 2006

Well if anyone is flying out of Newark next week at the same time I am, I apologize for the loss of thirty seconds. But I don't have a blog to document my regret. Considering that I do lose umbrellas and would like to let the world know this and that I do not know where to put my bike, should I start one?
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 11:08 AM on September 6, 2006

You realize somebody's gonna call security and warn 'em now right? See ya on CNN...
posted by scheptech at 11:32 AM on September 6, 2006

Tempted to put this in Metatalk, but you asked "Is this horrible, this idea?" So I answer:

The general idea shares some common ground with great pranks: it is visual, it is simple, it forces the target to participate in their own just desserts, it ridicules the humorless, it tells some kind of truth.

On the other hand, it is a bit precious, it has a target but no other audience, it has consumerist overtones, and you haven’t decided whether futility is the medium or the message.

--“Muji-style bottle” implies that you’ve thought through the aesthetics before nailing down the concept. You’d have a much better response if you had done the reverse: had a fully formed message and then asked for advice on its delivery..

--Then there’s the disclaimer: “lame, meaningless, nearly silent protest.” That suggests to me that powerlessness and lack of voice bug you more than the procedural idiocy. So maybe that should be your goal: to publicly comment on the feeling of impotence in the face of an increasingly absurd situation (although you’ve admirably done that here). Have that be the target of the prank. Dress as a six-foot water bottle, for instance. Well, like that, but funnier.

--You acknowledge the meaninglessness, but fail to commit to it: “…something meaningless that is, well, slightly meaningful.” It’s trying to have things both ways. One can make a meaningful statement about futility. But a half-assed statement about futility manages be both less than “slightly meaningful” --and not meaningless enough.

--You don’t want to be “violated or detained,” and who would? You’re no martyr, which is fine. But you neglect to connect the dots between an unwillingness to sacrifice and the feelings of impotence and helplessness.

--You’ve caught yourself in a contradiction: “I believe things are futile, therefore I will make a meaningless gesture. Hear me, and help me plan.” Your posts suggest you don’t believe things are futile They just suggest that you feel frustrated. You have a message and you want it heard, at least by mefites. Therefore, you don’t believe that “futility is all we have left.”

The question and subsequent posts establish that you’re disgruntled. But the outlet you propose is very mild—implying that it’s mere peevishness. Without a clearly thought out message, a strong and witty concept, commitment, a willingness to sacrifice, and/or a desire to communicate with a large number of people—no, there’s not much for the reader to do. Except react to some of the less comfortable aspects of the post: the brand-name consumerism, the helplessness, the frustration.

Some of those hit a little too close to home...



...I take it back, you’re a genius.
posted by Phred182 at 11:35 AM on September 6, 2006 [4 favorites]

Too many responses to read thoroughly, but..

The violation perpetrated on you, while you are doing nothing that would reasonably provoke it, is your protest.

Realising that, I wouldn't do it either.. I would respect you for the bravery if you did, but that probably won't comfort you much while you are sitting on your inflatable ring cushion.
posted by Chuckles at 11:36 AM on September 6, 2006

Thank you for such an intense and interesting conversation on a day that looks long and bitter. This threat will look beautiful in a small condensed font and wrapped around a cheap Muji bottle.

Kidding. Really. I can't even fly; I am under house arrest for various pranks that best go unmentioned.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 11:39 AM on September 6, 2006

If you want to protest, wear this:

http://itsnotallbad.com/iamnotaterrorist/
posted by filmgeek at 12:37 PM on September 6, 2006

I thought it was bad enough when they took away scissors

Scissors or clippers are okay (as long as they are less than 4 inches). See my comment above. Didn't you get the memo? Liquids are harmful because some idiots with minimal chemistry knowledge imagined they could bring down some planes. Whereas nobody has ever used scissors under 4 inches to harm anyone...
posted by meehawl at 12:48 PM on September 6, 2006

Unless it's an international airport terminal, in which case that doesn't apply. The "Border Search Exemption."

TSA employees are not CPB or ICE agents. And in the case of domestic travel, one is not entering a new nation or crossing a customs border, but is instead moving between buildings.
posted by meehawl at 12:57 PM on September 6, 2006

By the way, I am sad no one played along. In the end I think the best label would be the image of Lucy snatching the ball away from Charlie Brown.

Note that I am prone to pointless actions. I draw nice cartoons and send them out in credit card application return mail envelopes. I am deep in debt and need no more cards, but I still receive applications. So I send cartoons. The latest one was a cat driving a car. I am sure people would love to decry that action too, or that sentiment; but it was a nice convertible and a very hairy cat.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 1:23 PM on September 6, 2006

kookywon, there are plenty of theoretical questions asked here every day, so it's not a troll. Considering you have not otherwise contributed to the thread, I'd say you're being more trollish than the OP, honestly.

If I were you, kingfisher, I'd probably put something stupid like "THROWN AWAY FOR NO GOOD REASON, JUST LIKE OUR FREEDOMS".

Tangentially related: I flew out of Newark last Friday and the line was actually not that bad, it filled about half to two thirds of the available cordons put up, but we were still out the other side in about 5-10 minutes. Not that I appreciate the idiocy perpetrated therein, but at least I've been spared the horrendous waits I keep hearing about.
posted by cyrusdogstar at 2:54 PM on September 6, 2006

ooops, though, that was a nasty and ironic typo: "threat" = "thread"
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 3:51 PM on September 6, 2006

"CONTENTS : Hydrogen 66.6% Oxygen 33.3%
DO NOT SEPARATE CONTENTS, SEPARATED CONTENTS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE"
posted by tomble at 4:56 PM on September 6, 2006

kingfisher, his musclebound cat, you seriously need to, say... go outside or something. Just, stop.
posted by odinsdream at 5:13 PM on September 6, 2006

Two transatlantic flights last week. Both of my seatmates brough water bottles on board. One was a 300 lb. woman who probably would have claimed a medical condition (insatiable appetite), but I was surprised to see that they were able to bring them on.
posted by Frank Grimes at 6:14 PM on September 6, 2006

Yeah, I have seen the new contraband on flights in the last week or two- creams and liquids. This ban is bullshit and will be gone. There is not an explosive that they could make by just mixing some liquids. Poison gas, maybe, boom, no. I think it was just the thought of a plane potentially landing with 300 dead bodies inside, plus of course the awesome scare factor, which prompted the latest restrictions.
posted by caddis at 8:47 PM on September 6, 2006

posted by rob511 at 1:50 AM on September 7, 2006

I agree that the rules are stupid, but if everyone followed them, things would take a lot less time.

And not a drop of irony. That's the funniest thing I've read in a long time.

Kingfisher, you rock. If you're really prepared to face the consequences, then do it. Like a few similar suggestions, I'd propose labelling the bottle "dihydrogen oxide, do not inhale".

I'd have to also say that your idea does smack a little of smugness, but fuck it.

As for people who feel you'd piss off the "TSA drones" (who I'm sure love being so described): good. They haven't been conscripted into the job. There's always a choice. Besides, I'm sure a few of them would appreciate it - after all, it's a gesture of solidarity, right? For those that don't think so, who knows, maybe it would make them think?
posted by ajp at 3:56 PM on September 7, 2006