By Glenn Mollette
While ISIS horrifically beheaded Steven Sotloff and James Foley, some Americans were being inconvenienced on airplanes. Most of us are spoiled and when we stop and think for a minute our inconveniences are small in comparison to so much else in the world.
I fly occasionally and know about being crowded. I'm 6'3 and have flown mostly coach throughout my life. Several years ago my wife and I flew back from England and the woman in front of me reclined her seat back into my knees for about four hours. I couldn't budge her. The flight attendants ignored me when I tried to complain. When I could get into the aisle I had to stand to keep my legs from going numb. The flight was miserable.
New regulations need to demand that airlines give passengers a couple of more inches of space.
Flying can be a pain today. We are searched, x-rayed, patted down, sometimes stripped before boarding. We are then tossed a bag of peanuts and a coke if we are lucky. This all happens to the tune of $400 to $600 plane tickets or more. Should we scowl or complain a bit we could face the security guards and arrest when the plane lands.
On the flip side I am grateful for opportunities to travel. I fully understand our situation. There are crazies in the world and crazies have no place on airplanes. Flying can make anyone irritated. However, 30,000 feet in the air is not a place
to be mentally imbalanced. We have to work together whether it's in the air or on the ground.
In the bigger picture ISIS is beheading our journalists as well as Sunni Muslims. American soldiers again are being put at risk in Iraq. Our borders are not secure and we are vulnerable to attack. Millions of Americans are still unemployed and millions more are barely employed. Many have public assistance even with their jobs.
Homelessness abounds in America. Racial tensions continue. Jobs continue to go elsewhere. Illegal aliens are all around us and we still cannot figure out a cure for cancer after all these years.
This is not the time in our history to be fighting in the aisles. Instead of being a part of America's problems, each of us must become a part of America's solution.
Glenn Mollette is an American columnist and author. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group, organization or
this publication. Like his facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GlennMollette
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: America's problems, be a part of the solution