Learning to Fly . . . or Not
By David Steffen
Some weeks are like that. You pay attention here, see something there, read something else and then the news turns memories into a train wreck.
It’s been more than 30 years since Dolly and I explored Ireland for the first time. We landed in Shannon, rented a car and drove into the countryside, to a small inn about 20 minutes east of the airport. The next day we began our driving tour though the Irish Republic.
For those who learned to drive in North America or Europe, driving in the UK or Ireland means a switch to the left side of the road. For Dolly’s sanity I assured her that I knew how to drive on the left-hand side. In fact, I had driven on the left twice before, both times in England while on business and, happily, the ‘muscle memory’ or gray matter kicked in and helped me get it done, and without any accidents. But there was a renewed learning curve.
Dolly and David Steffen in the Republic of Ireland, 1988.
Driving north we stopped in Galway to do a little shopping, and then continued north through this beautiful country. Almost a week into our visit, and having driven through counties named Clare, Galway, Roscommon, Sligo, Mayo and Donegal, we saw a highway sign and thought, “Hey, look. Let’s go there!” So we casually drove our rental car into that part of the British Isles known simply as Northern Ireland. We toured through Ulster, stopped for lunch in ‘Derry, and then stayed at another inn. The next day we visited the Giants Causeway—fascinating and beautiful—and spent a couple of nights in Belfast. While there I took a look at the Hertz folder and (oops) discovered that during "The Troubles,” driving a rental car from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland was not allowed. The next day we headed south through the countryside toward Enniskillen where, I hoped we’d find a quiet country border crossing back into the Republic. Without fanfare—but with sizable concrete barriers, watchtowers, roadblocks and young men with automatic weapons, both large and small—we re-entered the Republic.
In our two weeks in Ireland we stopped at many a pub or roadhouse, had some lunch, downed a beer (bottles of Carlsberg, since those were guaranteed to be cold,) and continued south to spend a few days in Dublin. Needless to say the pubs were always good stops to get a feel for the Irish. A couple of days later we caught a flight from Dublin to London on one of Europe’s (then) newest and cheapest airlines: Ryan Air. The flight was cheap, the plane was clean, and the ground and air crew were right out of central casting. They were smiling, charming, welcoming, and gracious hosts—for all of the 3 hours from check-in to baggage claim. When combined with the people we met in the inns and taverns and public places, I started to think maybe we should retire to Ireland. We never got around to seriously planning a retirement in the Irish Republic, although to this day, I have fond memories of our visit.
Ireland and flying came together this week when reading about a COVID moment, which brings me to Mr. Shane McInerney, 29, a resident of Galway. On January 7 (just a few weeks ago,) Mr. McInerney was flying from Dublin to Daytona, Florida (via New York). As the story goes, he was scheduled to begin coaching soccer in Florida but for reasons unstated (and not uncommon these days) he opted to become just another “mask-hole”. McInerney was described as a “belligerent Delta Air Lines passenger who refused to wear a mask during a recent eight-hour flight from Dublin to New York. . . . He threw tantrums, mooned other passengers, stubbornly went maskless on the the flight despite being asked 'dozens of times’ by crew members [to wear a mask] and more. Arriving in New York, McInerney was charged with assaulting and intimidating a member of the crew on Delta Flight 45. He was released on a $20,000 bond when he appeared before a judge (in Brooklyn) a week ago. No word on how that job in Florida is going to work out.
Then there was the woman flying from Florida to London. (What is it about Florida?) This passenger refused to wear a mask on her London-bound flight. With an apparent ‘no-nonsense’ approach by American Airlines, the pilot turned the plane around about an hour after leaving Miami. No one was hurt, and the Boeing 777 landed safely at Miami International Airport at 9:24pm. As the Washington Post reported, on their return “officers with the Miami-Dade Police Department escorted the passenger, a woman believed to be in her 40s, off the plane without incident.” So far it appears her punishment is to be placed on American Airlines’ “No-Fly” list.
I’m writing this on January 27, which happens to be Holocaust Remembrance Day. All of this crazy behavior comes at a time when GOP lawmakers have begun banning books. Specifically, books (and groups) which strike an uncomfortable nerve with conservative lawmakers and some of their constituents. One such group is Blacks in America. You don’t have to read the “1619 Project” cover-to-cover to know that transporting black Africans to America 400 years ago didn’t work out well, especially for almost all of those slaves and their descendants during the past four centuries.
These GOP ‘flat-earthers’ are banning books dealing with the Holocaust. Maybe some of these lawmakers think it’s uncomfortable for young students to learn about 6 million Jews being put to death in a number of ways by Hitler’s Reich. Having graduated from high school in the 1960s, and before I was 16 years old I had read about the millions put to death. It stayed with me for all the right reasons, not the least of which was that this was a crime against humanity. I remember a train ride, some 35 years ago, that Dolly and I took through Bavaria (on our way to Munich.) Looking out the window I noticed a road sign that provided directions to Dachau. That name sent a chill through me because I knew that Dachau had been a concentration camp from 1933 to 1945. I had that knowledge because [a] it was taught in schools, [b] it was horrific, and [c] we cannot forget things like that.
Books about growing up LGBTQ are also being banned. The New York Times, Washington Post and the Independent, among others are writing about another newly revitalized front of hate. Graig Graziosi wrote for the Independent, “Florida lawmakers are trying to pass a law that would limit classroom discussions about gender and sexual orientation. The bill would also give parents legal footing to sue schools or teachers who teach or discuss those topics.”
It was George Santayana who wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Let’s not forget those tiki-torch marchers in 2017 who shouted—in unison—“Jews will not replace us.” Their shouts were abhorrent and yet members of the then administration declined any opportunity to condemn those doing the shouting.
Let's support educators and a real education for children. Historical fact cannot be ignored or dismissed. We cannot accept a ‘new normal.’ We must give all of our educators the ability to teach the truth without fear that their job is on the line. Santayana was correct.
