"laestadian, apostolic, gay, lgbtq, ex-oalc, ex-llc, llc, oalc, bunner" LEARNING TO LIVE FREE: Were the Finns Treated Fairly?

Monday, October 29, 2007

Were the Finns Treated Fairly?

When I saw this article on MSN I immediately thought of the current discussion here regarding racism and the gross injustice done to Japanese-Americans during World War Two.

Minnesota's Finnish guests find a rude airport welcome

Erkki Maattanen, a filmmaker for Finnish Public Television who accompanied the musicians on the September trip, said his questioners seemed to think the entourage was smuggling drugs or intending to work without a permit. "I kept trying to tell them why we were here, but they'd just yell, 'Shut up!"' he said.
What is going on at this airport? First Larry Craig and now this?

-ttg

9 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting this article. Indeed, what IS happening to the Minneapolis airport? I've had two Finnish citizen family members on two separate ocassions detained and questioned by a Minneapolis airport officials. They've concocted ridiculous scenarios and were totally uncooperative, accusing them of trying to break the law to enter into the country. Since when did Toivo and Eino become terrorist suspects?

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  2. Since it became politically incorrect to suspect muslims!

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  3. Somewhat ironic, it occurs to me, that "Were the Finns Treated Fairly?" comes right after "Racism, Laestadian style"

    Of course the Finns were not treated fairly or reasonably. American airport policy is a reflection of the fascist state we are headed towards. Having Amsterdam as the last stamp on your passport ensures harassment by the $10 an hour security staff. Marijuana is the favored scapegoat, a substance blamed by ignorant conservatives for all manner of bogus maladies. Especially since we can't find Osama bin Laden.

    Upon reflection, I can't recall a single instance of any of the Finns I grew up with or know currently being interested in treating ANYBODY fairly or reasonably. We are, as a rule with few exceptions, a xenophobic and hate-filled culture.

    What can we blame for this..... Finnish chromosomes or religion loaded to the brim with hate and intolerance??

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  4. Why do you have to blame someone else? Maybe you need some new friends! Stop hanging with those sour grapes and look for some friendly faces.

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  5. LOL, yeah, thats why I left the FALC. Too many sour grapes and not enough friendly faces.

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  6. Wouldn't be the first time Finns have been mistreated in Minnesota.

    Small-minded racism and xenophobia is found everywhere, but monoculture makes easier to express it openly.

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  7. mia from the llc11/03/2007 10:31:00 AM

    As far as Larry Craig goes, I think they busted the right guy, but it smacks of entrapment.

    The above comment made me think of something...my husband's father was very prejudiced against Scandinavians. In fact he would probably roll over in his grave if he knew that his son had married a Finn. But my hubby grew up thinking dumb Swede was one word, and he thought all Finns were drunks. Let's just say he has long since opened his mind on that subject! Ha!

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  8. I guess I'd better choose some other airline than KLM next time, then... I've flown KLM before without any problems in the US customs, but I can see why they'd treat people arriving from Amsterdam differently than those arriving from Reykjavik, for example.

    The Soviet border used to be the one Finns told horror stories about, but the US border has long since passed the Russian border in that regard. Finnish citizens still have to obtain a visa to enter Russia, but the border control itself is usually pretty relaxed nowadays. Some of them even smile, and they rarely ask any questions.

    (By the way, they don't stamp the passports of EU citizens in Amsterdam.)

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  9. I am writing because I am saddened about Finland dealing with a school shooting. Most of us consider this our ancestor's country. Alot of us (who log on this site)are Finnish Americans. Many of us may have relatives in this country.

    We all wonder what happens to our teens when they do something like this. Why? What are they feeling? How can we, as communties, schools, neighbors, family members, prevent something like this?

    The American schools have drills. My generation dealt with having "Fall out shelters" as children. Our children are taught to fear their fellow classmate. They are taught the Lock down drill. "If a gun man comes in to the school, this is what we do.." In most cases, the "Gunman" we are training them to survive is a fellow classmate.

    Is the "gunman" someone who is teased? Maybe. And we need to teach our children that putting each other down, is not God's way. Teasing is not something that is solved by a school shooting, however. Getting help is the only solution.
    Many of the children who shoot are dealing with depression. As an educator, the descriptions of the writings of the shooters, all show signs of drug use. Self medicating is not unusual for people who deal with depression. Schools don't have adequeate help for these troubled teens. I could go on and on and on.

    A solution is to Love each other. Fight for adequate help for the kids that most of us would turn away from our door, because of the way they look.

    I hope we will all pray.
    Pray for the families hurting today in Finland. Pray for our children.

    Pray that we will all learn to love. For God said to love our neighbor as our self.

    Pray that no other school-any where has to deal with this type of tragedy

    Pray that God will forgive our trespassers, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

    God's Peace to all of you.

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