I’ve got to admit I was saddened to read in the Empire of Alaska Airline’s recent decision to discontinue its 30-year custom of providing “prayer cards” on the meal trays. I remember when first starting to fly regularly on Alaska and seeing the playing-card-size spiritual reflections, thinking to myself “what a great airline to continue a simple tradition when there is no economic value to the bean counters to do so”. To be clear, discontinuing the practice does not change my position that Alaska is a wonderful company, with a great mileage plan.
Airline spokespeople said the decision was the result of customers complaining “they preferred not to mix religion with transportation”. Really? All I could envision were first class customers flying SFO to LAX… noon… July. Because similar to atheists in foxholes, students during final exams and certainly Alaska Air passengers flying into Sitka during a Gulf of Alaska winter storm… I’m pretty sure transportation and prayer are pretty well linked.
But these cards were far from evangelical, fire and brimstone messages — they were closer to the SNL Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy variety. Be kind, thoughtful and thankful. Believe me there are a lot of things to complain about. It really got me thinking how annoyed I am with those who are consistently annoyed. Is this another example of the 1 percent who influences the social fabric of our society? Unless you’re like my wife and used it for a bookmark, these cards got thrown out in the trash immediately after the tray was picked up — how hard would it be for the complainants to simply turn the card over when it arrived. I was wondering if these same people would be offended to the point of lodging a complaint when American Idol’s Steven Tyler has his expletives bleeped numerous times in the course of a show. Full disclosure — I am somewhat of a traditionalist and even like BOTH kinds of music, Country AND Western. I was wondering if TAKU 105 receives complaints because some of the songs acknowledge the existence of a deity over their airwaves. I like tradition and after 30 years, if it ain’t broke and it’s not illegal, immoral or unethical, I generally like to stay the course.
I am not an evangelical but I think have a good understanding of human nature and see a great benefit to our civil order to encourage a spiritual nation — be it Christian, Jewish, Islam, Hindu, Buddhist or Wicca. We are creatures of habit and most of us are busy living our lives, trying not be annoyed. Those looking to be offended and actually have their radars in active mode to be offended do a great disservice to our society. As a country we should be encouraging those small things in life which remind us we are not the center of the universe. The prayer cards were essentially PSA reminders to be good persons. Should one be offended to view nightly DUI Public Service Announcements because of the inference one may drink and drive? Of course not, rational people see the value to the greater public good and would not protest such good intentions. Similarly, Alaska Air could continue with its fortune cookie-like meal cards and expand its authors to include wit or wisdom from Bombeck to Gandhi to Barry to Bojaxhiuand, and yes, even Job. I also suspect my seventh-grader and her friends could produce a five-year supply of inspirational meal cards for under a hundred bucks over a weekend.
I will continue to have a high opinion of Alaska Air as it certainly has no moral or legal obligation to continue providing prayer cards. Seeing simple gestures of providing good will always reminds me to count my blessings and appreciate the life I have. I enjoy seeing these billboard reminders, even if they are only 2 inches by 3 inches.
• Uchytil is a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer who now serves as Juneau’s port director.
Comments (36)
Add commentUnseen!
I didn't mind the cards but I haven't seen one in years. They use to come on a meal tray--but where's the meal. I guess if the gov't pays for your first class seat and meal you'll miss the card.
I detested these annoying cards
The author is wrong on so many counts I don't know where to begin.
Alaska Airlines was right to discontinue these cards. I remember the first time I received one. It was about 12 years ago. It was a bible verse of some ridiculous sort. I rang the Flight Attendant and asked why I was given one, and she said, "everyone receives them." I politely complained and said I thought it was inappropriate, and she defended her company's position that she thought there was nothing wrong with it. She basically said I was wrong for feeling like I do. "Well, many people enjoy receiving these cards" is what she said. Although that may be true, I would bet many other people do not, including me. Her translation: "Your feelings don't matter to us. You are in the minority."
The more I thought about this, the more I seethed.
I retaliated by tearing the card up into tiny pieces, ringing her again and handing the pieces to her. I then said, "When I fly, I prefer not to be proselytized by some corporation's chosen religion. I doubt I am the first to complain." She got snotty with me. As soon as I could I went to their web site, complained about the cards, and complained at her attitude. This all could have been avoided if they would have handed me my meal minus their religious beliefs. It was unnecessary, and Alaska Airlines was the provoking party in this unpleasantness.
The bible overall is a silly, silly book of irrelevant fairy tales and nonsense. The last thing I want when I pay $1100 for an airline ticket is a little card with some stupid bible verse on it telling me to fear the lord for he is coming soon.
Whenever anyone or any corporation pushes their religion onto me, I will push back, harder.
If you'd keep your religion to yourself, we would all get along MUCH better.
Alaska Airlines sucks. If there were any other airline option out of Juneau I would use it.
p.s., also, if there is a bible in my hotel room, I make room service come and remove it.
Hater Joe Mac
You are the exact example of the type of person the writer was referring to. A liberal hate-monger. Always on the look out for something to offended by and if you are you then demand that everyone else be offended as well. How are you any different than the old preachers burning Beatles albums? You are the same. Freedom of religion and speech mean nothing to a liberal. I am very offended every time I hear the president speak so i change the channel, i don't insist he be banned from lying all the time, it's his choice to lie just as it's my choice to not listen. Grow up, there are much bigger problems than this.
New role
"It really got me thinking how annoyed I am with those who are consistently annoyed."
Carl, you've become the new Andy Rooney. Might I suggest some topics for a weekly Empire diatribe?
"You know what really annoys me:"
- shopping carts with wobbly wheels
- those electrical plugs that can only be inserted one way
- pickup trucks with bumper stickers I don't approve of
- people with tattoos
- FM radio
- ladies wearing extratufs and dresses
- those subscription cards the fall out of every magazine
You could brighten all of our days by reminding us that we aren't nearly as annoyed by trivial things as you and the Alaska Airlines atheist passengers are.
To the author
I will now address the author personally.
Transportation and prayer are not linked by all of mankind as you claim. Maybe in your world though. And yes, there are atheists in some foxholes as well as some college students during finals week. Please update your cliches.
These cards were intentional proselytizing by a corporation to its customers, and this is wrong. There is no comparison to this and SNL's "Deep Thoughts." The former is proselytizing. The latter is satire against the same.
You are wrong when you claim that these were not evangelical cards. That's exactly what they were. Every card I ever received had a bible verse on it. Never saw a Wiccan or Buddhist card from Alaska Air.
How hard could it have been for complainants to simply turn the cards over, you ask? Suppose you received a card from the airline with something horribly offensive to you, like, two naked ugly guys having sex. Could you simply turn it over and not be upset? Would YOU complain? What if it had a satanic message? Would you have complained?
You are also so very wrong to assume that our nation would be better served if we all embraced one religion or another. Look around you. Look at world history. Religion is the major cause of wars and suffering around the planet! There is a huge difference between individual spirituality and state sponsored religions.
And if Alaska Airlines was the sublime example of a corporation you think they are, they would be based in Alaska instead of Seattle. As it is, they are a parasitic monopoly in most of Alaska.
I applaud AK Air for making this change
"We believe it's the right thing to do in order to respect the diverse religious beliefs and cultural attitudes of all our customers and employees." (Bill Ayer, CEO, Chairman of AK Air Group & Brad Tilden, President AK Airlines).
Sounds reasonable and American.
Mike
PS. Remember this? "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endureth forever". Unless you are... (fill in the blank).
hate
OOoooo! Nappy Sack played the hate card!
Right out of the gate! He called me a hater!
Ooooooo! Playing the hate card!
p.s., I hate no one.
I'm surprised you didn't call me a racist, pinko commie puppy eater too.
Not a hate-monger. I just enjoy speaking up when I feel I have really lousy customer service.
p.s.s., You are wrong. Freedom of religion and freedom of speech (a.k.a. The First Amendment) mean the world to me. This is why I exercise my freedom of expression when a corporation offends me and offers lousy customer service.
Keep your religion out of my air travel, and I'll keep my rants out of your church.
Fair enough?
@ rough cut
Thank you!
And the beauty of being in the minority is, the U.S. Constitution protects us (usually) as well.
Doing my part for freedom, democracy and minorities.
God (yes, God) bless the left-handers, the gays, the atheists, the non-christians, the disabled, and all other minorities!
You're welcome.
(hugs)
Is this why there are budget problems?
The cards had only been offered in first class since 2006.
So it's a fair assumption that Mr. Uchytil and others lamenting the loss of the cards were used to flying first class- in his case at federal government expense.
Hopefully the CBJ requires its employees to get the least expensive- and generally non-upgradeable- coach fares for its employees.
There was a massive thread on
There was a massive thread on Flyertalk.com about this (website for frequent flyers) and it had mixed reviews.
I found it interesting that, as a commenter pointed out, the die-hard leftist liberals were the ones complaining. I thought liberalism was all about accepting others for who they are. Alaska Airlines is, and has been, a fairly conservative company (if you smoke, don't bother applying here - they will not hire you).
I've had a large amount of prayer cards and it was always interesting hearing comments from non-frequent Alaska passengers commenting on them. Most of them were never negative (including some hasidic jews out of Miami last year). I haven't heard people complain about the Book of Mormon that is provided in each room that is part of the Marriott chain (why aren't the liberals protesting that?)...
I will miss them, but I also agree that God and transportation go hand in hand.
People always pray to God when things go bad ("please god, help us" or "oh God, oh God" - you hear this on EVERY cockpit voice recorder right before *kaboom*) and you hear people say "Thank God" right after something happens and there is not a bad result.
I think this is just another move to get "God" out of our lives. And its apparent as society continues to deteriorate. Religion helped provide a moral and ethical foundation for generations, and the younger generation absolutely scares me (and I'm NOT that old). I'm also not a tea partier, I'm a moderate.
ratfishtim -
Actually Alaska Air doesn't have any non-upgradable fares anymore. If you obtain MVP, MVP Gold, or MVP Gold 75K upgrades are complimentary on a space available basis. Even on government fares.
I recently saw my commissioner in First class between Anchorage and Juneau and flew in coach on the way up.
Jo, I agree with your posts.
Jo, I agree with your posts. I put up an immediate mental barrier as soon as someone starts talking about church or anything of a religious nature. The bible was not written by God, it was written by men. It is full of THEIR demands, beliefs, instructions, wants and thoughts.
Disagree with Lat58
Ladies in xtratufs and dresses are hot.
Travelnate; First Class Upgrade Eligibility
While you maybe technically correct, for an MVP fare you must buy a full fare (Full Flex) ticket to get an upgrade, or wait until 48 hours before flight time when the chances are zilch.
The latest Palin e-mail release showed that she was informed about some departments purchasing full coach fares just so personnel could get upgraded. Her commissioner told her that this violated state statutes and regulations, which require purchase of the least expensive tickets available. I think she wanted the law enforced. Does Parnell?
And in this day and age commissioners and other state staff should be maximizing videoconferencing and reducing travel expenses.
the old double standard
Alaska Airlines is a private corporation. They seem to do a lot of things I might not do. But it is their enterprise not mine. Personally I'd have all the aircraft painted with those great Alaskan critters covering the fuselage. And I'm sure some would find that idea pro PETA some how.
This decision was no government mandate as some seem to be trying to imply. For some will take any opportunity and make it and anything else about persecution of religion. Those complainer seem to be the one's who would have no problem having the same government intrude on my beliefs by having mandated school prayer, require bible study courses or simply find no problem when government promote views on most beliefs. Don't allow government to intrude on my religion just mandate my beliefs for everyone else to hear: a certain double standard.
The cards did not affect me or my beliefs. I did wonder some times why AA chose the reading they did. Buy hey I did not get asked by corporate headquarters to report my preferences.
I travel on international flights where I may or may not have a choice as to getting a Kosher meal by request. Other time I am offered the only meal choice which may be somehow definitive of a certain belief system. I've never been forced to eat the meals nor read aloud the contents of the AA card.
Many hotels have done a similar thing when they removed all the religious book that filled their rooms. It use to be most hotel/motel rooms had a bible. Then some added the Book of Mormon. To the dismay of owners many hotels found one book or the other was the continual focus of clients complaints. Some clients complained about the presence of the books while others simply tossed the Bible or the Book of Mormon into the trash.
Everything is not intended as a persecution or promotion of a religion no matter how narrow minded you chose to be.
Jo, you are so transparent
You don't care about freedom of religion, you are interested in freedom FROM religion. AK Air is a company adjusting the wants and needs of it's customers (as well as cutting overhead). It always makes me chuckle when Christianity is bashed but the left never has a problem with Islam or Judaism. In fact the left tells me these groups are simply misunderstood. Well if you are in agreement with peace, love and understanding, then why is Syria shelling it's own people and Iran going to execute one of it's citizens for converting to Christianity? Why did Margaret Sanger start planned parenthood to rid the country of undesirable races and classes? (just google her name, if you're brave enough) Why has the left ie... Cuba, N Korea, USSR, China etc all practice eugenics? I can't figure out where the love and tolerance actually is hiding among the left.
One more thing, you're precious PETA is found to have killed at least 95% of all animals in it's care. A culture of death on the left. click the link below if are truly intellectually honest.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/peter-worthington/peta-kills-animals_b_1296...
Amen Mr. Uchytil
Enjoyable piece.
Hey Jo:
Hey Jo, how offended would you be to know how many pilots actually say a pray before each flight? You would be surprised.
How many, milspec?
You seem to be claiming this special knowledge.
I admit that on more than one occasion after a particularly hairy landing that I've uttered a silent prayer of thanks to the engineers at Boeing for getting me home in one piece.
True enough, fisherwoman44
And ladies in xtratufs WITHOUT their dresses are even hotter! Meeeow!
I was only trying to project on the type of topics Carl could rant about for 500 words.
@ Millspec
If the pilots pray to god, Satan or the flying spaghetti monster, I don't care, as long as I don't have to listen to it, be a part of it, or invited to pray with them.
But if he comes over the loud speaker and says "pray with me" and ends the prayer with "in Jesus name, amen" I would say something and it wouldn't be nice.
I would also say something if they bowed to the east and started their little noises on their prayer mats just before take off, if I heard it.
@knapsack: You are correct. AA is adjusting their policies to reflect the desires of their customers. Obviously, most of their customers don't want those stupid annoying cards placed in front of them, otherwise, they wouldn't have changed their policy!
Which means...
People like me are sick of other people shoving their religion in our faces. And when they do, we shove back. Harder.
Shouldn't religion be a personal thing, like hygiene? I don't cut my toenails or floss my teeth on an airplane. I assume that would bug people. As such, I don't want people sharing their religion with me at every opportunity.
@latitude
Dude, did you just make a sexist comment, then go "meow?"
Um the former was fine. The latter was, um, uncharacteristic of your otherwise thought provoking posts.
Meow?
I'm clicking you down for that.
Should I have said...
...'Woof!' instead?
Sorry, my bad.
ummm.....
ummmm....it just sounded so, 1965, I guess. That's all.
And you needed a time out.
Witness it everyday
I do 58, I work in the industry. Witness it everyday. Jo, I understand where you are coming from, but why such the hate? Just drop it. I am offended when I get into work and receive those e_mails making sure I know its Gay & Lesbian week or what ever it is.
I know if I complain it’s a firing offence. Is it right that I have to put up with that crap?
@ Jo
Don't you try to steal my mojo, Dr. Evil!
amazing
simply amazing how many different ways to get bent over a thoughtful piece by Mr. Uchytil. If you get wrapped around the axle over a prayer card on an airline, you might be wound a little too tight. No telling how you react when the scouts come to your door selling popcorn or delicious cookies.
...tick, tick, tick.
@ Millspec
I've never received a single pro-gay email from any workplace reminding me of any "gay week." I have to wonder where you work.
But you would be right to complain, and it's not a fire-able offense. The workplace is not the place to remind people of gay pride month, Christmas or any other political or religious anything.
@Latitude: my apologies. Here's your thunder back (handing latitude a lightning bolt.)
Jo and Lat get a room already
Jo and Lat get a room already to share the pillow talk.
And is it just my dirty little mind or is Grendel dropping some too.."bent over.....wrapped around the axle....too tight..." and then talking about boy scouts?
You're going to get Jo's glasses all steamed up.......
@blackdog
You are correct. it is your dirty little mind (your words) inferring things which may or may not have a sexual innuendo attached. So, you've attached them yourself. You must be proud.
Oh, and if the boy scouts came to my door selling cookies, I would be polite to them (since they were kids) and would tell them I can't support their cause because of the anti-gay, anti-agnostic, anti-atheist stances their management has always had in place regarding their prohibition of gays, atheists and agnostics from joining their organization.
If it wasn't for those warts, the Boy Scouts would be a wonderful institution. But, they teach kids some really dangerous and outdated lessons.
So, I can't support them.
For the record, I support any PRIVATE organization to be as discriminatory in its membership as it pleases. First Amendment. But if that organization teaches kids what I believe to be dangerous lessons, I will speak up and point that out.
I also support any PRIVATE organization to be as discriminatory in its membership as it chooses, UNLESS, that organization receives any public taxpayer funding whatsoever. Then I don't support that.
Here's the problem with the Boy Scouts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_Scouts_of_America_membership_controversies