An Ugly Thing Happened On The Way To Indiana

My uncle's sister died of cancer this week. His other sister has but two or three days before she succumbs to the same. (been a tough week around here)

Knowing they were both in failing health he and my aunt drove from Eastern Pa. to Indiana to see them last week and then returned home. Two days later he got the call (it was believed she had a little longer than she did).

Thus he needed to make last minute arrangements to get back to Indiana by air. Because of a severe reaction to new arthritis medication my aunt couldn't make the trip again right now.

So by phone my uncle was trying to book a flight. Because it was last minute the airline (I don't know which) asked not only the usual questions but also reason for flight (all domestic) and, when he explained there was a death in the family, was told that, in the interest of security, he had to provide his sister's name, her last physician and the name of the funeral home handling the arrangements. This of a 67 year old man with a rural Indiana drawl who is about to lose both of his sisters in a week.

Now that the second sister is failing my aunt is trying to get a flight to Indiana and is facing the same questions.

Meanwhile, my uncle's nephew (the currently surviving sister's son) and his Pakistani born and raised wife (whose father hates America except to send his children here for a college education), are making (made) last minute flight arrangements to fly home from Beirut, Lebanon to Indiana and have faced NONE of these questions or measures.

As long as we allow paranoia about political correctness to shape our security we will have none.