More Airports Reject Noem Propaganda Video; Apologies to KCI

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Yesterday I used this space to congratulate seven major US airports (Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, LA, Phoenix, Portland, and Seattle) that were refusing to air the Homeland Security video in which that agency's leader, Secretary Kristi Noem, went before the cameras to commiserate with harried air travelers on the growing number of flight delays and cancellations at American airports.  Ms. Noem stated that the travel interruptions were being caused by the government shutdown which, in turn, was being caused by the Democratic Party - a total falsehood and an obvious political action being perpetrated by the executive branch of government on the public's dime - and aired across publicly-funded airport terminals - a clear violation of a federal law known as the Hatch Act.

As a basis for that post I used an internet source that purported to be a complete listing of the airports which stood up to Noem.

The white-out on my computer screen had barely had time to dry before I received a reply from Cousin Joyce in Tucson along with a link to a news article showing that the Tucson airport was also refusing to knuckle under to the dog-murdering Homeland Security secretary.

In yesterday's post I disparaged KCI, the new airport in Kansas City, Missouri, for not standing up to Noem, and I also touched on my personal negative opinion of the relatively new airport for being essentially a multi-storied (five stories, I think) shopping mall and parking garage with attached runways.  (To get to any of the actual boarding gates in Kansas City, it is necessary to "run" much of the gamut of airport commercial enterprises - and the older you are, the more of a challenge it is to make that run.)

Cousin Joyce sent another link late in the day yesterday showing that that Kansas City Airport (KCI) was also refusing to show the Noem video.

So, KCI, I would like to apologize for singling you out to complain about what I thought was your acceptance of the Kristi Noem hit piece on the Democratic Party.  I was operating on the best information I had at the time, and it was clearly inadequate.  Thank you for standing tall in refusing to air what was essentially a political endorsement to your captive air passengers.  Mea culpa.    However, my other concerns with your airport design and operations still stand.

Today, the number of airports joining in the boycott of Kristi Noem's video seem to be rapidly rising.  In addition to Tucson and Kansas City, I find that Las Vegas, NV, Westchester County, NY,  Dallas-Ft Worth, Dallas Love Field, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Cbicago have joined in the fray.  It is to the point now that the list of airports showing the video is probably shorter than the list of the ones who steadfastly refuse to become enmeshed in partisan politics.

Is federal airport funding about to become a political football?  Trump always seeks revenge on those who "wrong" him.

The stink of political propaganda emanating from the Trump administration must certainly be a factor in the lowering of American air quality, much as it has been with the lowering of the quality of American discourse.

Congratulations to the US airports which rejected the Noem narrated political advertisement and chose instead to stand tall for basic American values.  Salute!