Imagine you’re waiting to board a flight, sorting through your bags, when you casually remove a tag from your breast pump carrier. Suddenly, chaos erupts as someone nearby raises an alarm, accusing you of being a terrorist. Sounds unbelievable, right? Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to a nursing mother named Sarah Collins while she was at the airport for a Delta flight.
Sarah, a passionate lawyer and advocate for women’s rights, was preparing to fly to Los Angeles when a male passenger nearby panicked at the sight of her removing the luggage tag. This led to a gate agent demanding that Sarah open her bag for an inspection, forcing her to reveal her breast pump to everyone around to prove she wasn’t a threat. In a heartfelt post on social media, she shared, “I smiled weakly to show them I wasn’t a terrorist, but I felt so humiliated.”
As a woman of color, Sarah reflected on her experiences of racial profiling and the ongoing fear that comes with it, especially in light of recent violent events like the mass shooting in San Bernardino. She lamented how, at that moment, she was trying to process her grief while being subjected to an unfounded accusation based on ignorance and fear.
The Impact of Fear and Ignorance
It’s hard to believe that in this day and age, women are being forced to display their breast pumps in crowded airports just to prove their innocence. Just a couple of weeks prior, another flight had been delayed for hours because passengers felt uneasy about a “Middle Eastern” man simply looking at his phone. These incidents highlight that the real danger often comes from the unreasoned fears of individuals rather than any legitimate threat.
Statistics show that since 9/11, right-wing extremists, primarily white males, have been responsible for far more attacks than any Muslim or Sikh individual. In fact, an analysis by professors at UNC and Duke reveals that while American Muslims were involved in a handful of plots, right-wing extremists averaged 337 attacks annually, resulting in many more fatalities.
A Call for Compassion
There’s no justification for the treatment Sarah faced, and we should all feel a sense of collective shame that such incidents continue to happen. Yet, in her post, Sarah concluded on a hopeful note, asking, “What does revolutionary love look like in this moment?” Perhaps we could all take a moment to reflect on how we interact with those around us, especially when fear drives our judgments.
Resources for Further Reading
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Conclusion
In summary, Sarah Collins’s experience at the airport serves as a stark reminder of the irrational fears that lead to racial profiling and the need for compassion and understanding in our interactions. Let’s strive for revolutionary love in our communities.