The picture shown here is of a passenger on an American Airlines flight, as taken by a concerned flight attendant. I have seen it passed around and discussed, usually in discussions of whether or not larger passengers ought to be charged for a second seat.
After seeing this picture initially, my reaction was along the lines of, “Well, he got himself this way so he should be responsible for it!” But now I’m in a bit of a philosophical crisis over it. Look closely at the photo – this man is not only much wider but also far taller than the other passengers. Should this passenger be of a “normal” BMI, it is likely that he may require more than one seat anyway! Somehow I feel that it is wrong to charge an “average”-weight-but-very-tall passenger extra for their ride, but right to charge an obese person more. Why? Why do I feel this way?
No matter the reason for a person to require special accommodations, the end result is the same. Why, then, do I feel that a fat person should be charged more? Am I seeking to punish the grave social sin of being fatter than is deemed acceptable? Of course, it can be pointed out that one is not likely to grow to such a size without consuming animal flesh (wish does indeed fill me with a sickening sort of dread), but 98% of Americans (and ~90% worldwide) do the same and I am certainly not in the business of seeking retribution against them.
Have I identified a prejudice against fat people in my own mind?
Right after I read that article, I saw another prime example of delusion at work: ‘Texans look to the heavens as they rebuild, heal from Ike’. Uh-huh. Fortunately, only 50 people decided to waste a couple hours of their time by worshiping the very one whom they think put them in this mess to begin with. You know, if Magical Sky Man loved you, he wouldn’t have destroyed your house, your business, your car, your speedboat, and killed at least 61 of your fellow compatriots.
“I know it’s hard. Looking around, it’s tough,” the Rev. Eddie Shauberger told the congregants. “But there is a God, and he has a plan for our lives.”
Of course! And that plan included ripping your life apart. These people act like abused children, clinging to the very parent whom beats them on a daily basis. They need to sit around, wasting valuable daylight hours which could be spent digging through rubble, and have the lies that have been spoon-fed to them throughout their lives reinforced so they won’t allow their brains to begin functioning and question why someone who loves them so very much would do this to them.
The picture shown here is of a passenger on an American Airlines flight, as taken by a concerned flight attendant. I have seen it passed around and discussed, usually in discussions of whether or not larger passengers ought to be charged for a second seat.