Each time I hear one of the silly stories about people getting hassled at airports – getting denied entry based on their chosen reading material, perhaps, or their choice of t-shirts, or their accent – I wonder if the stories are really true, or if they are slightly exaggerated. I’ve never experienced, or witnessed, stuff like that. Of course, I have had stupid things confiscated, and I have been subjected to a variety of indignities. But I’ve never caused a flight to be delayed or cancelled, and I’ve never been denied passage.

In fact, some small impish part of me wants to see how far I can push things, just to see. After all, this is America. Stuff like that doesn’t *really* happen.

And so, this afternoon, as I approached the security check with a book which had been sent to me by a friend, I was really just hoping for some kind of reaction.

However, at the last minute, I chickened out, and put it in my bag. After all, what would it prove, except that I was an idiot, if I was indeed refused entrance? And I really need to be there in the morning to teach this class. Maybe some later time I’ll have the luxury of making political statements. Sorry, Eddie.