Bingo! Very well said NYC.

boycott

Just in case you're interested, Arpey is a tu grad (if you wonder how I know, my wife is a Flight Attendant for AA)

I think that the emails and complaints are in order. If ags just sit back and let the bonfire jokes continue, bonfire will be just another aggie joke. Im not willing to let that happen.

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My son is an Aggie football player and proudly wears maroon and white.

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Did he say that his son requested a letter from his father? Or did you just make that up?
Additionally, he doesn't mention his son's age, so perhaps his son isn't of an age to write such a letter

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True. Didn't say whether his son was a full fledged literate senior, or just an underclassman!

this is exactly why everyone makes fun of us. Some of our fans are just pathetically embarrassing.

No way! You mean some people here...here...get wrapped up in their interests to realize how absurd some of it all is? And that maybe talking about muslims hijacking a plane after she has just made an Aggie joke is going WAY over the line?

I'm still trying to figure out why some Aggies care if people make fun of us. Cry me a river, some things/people are wrong in this world and I'll never fault someone for standing up for what they believe is right. That airline attendant does represent the company. Does it mean American Airlines holds those views? No... but it does warrant an apology. I think too much these days people see things that happen and say or do nothing. I think it goes way beyond this specific flight attendant and this man's response.

There is a huge difference although an ever-tightening gap in offense and recompense. Just because your feelings were hurt doesn't mean you're entitled to anything.

I don't even know why anybody even gives any creedence to Victoria anyways, and everybody that talks about how egregious her remarks were might do well to look back and wonder if they have ever said anything offensive and see how that was handled.

In the meantime, let's all cry about it and be offended and expect somebody to do something for us...all the while making us look like bigger fools.

Now that I think about it, perhaps all 46,000 Aggies should write a letter addressed to the black community and apologize for making jokes about whipping them, enslaving them, and sodomizing them.

squareone, while I may agree with many of your base logic points - your delivery leaves much to be desired - especially on this subject.

It might be prudent to step away for a moment. imho

alright alright...

This is a big picture thing though, fortunately less common in the people I know...but growing all too common in everything else around us.

Sorry.

I am a manager with American Airlines and a UT grad and I will agree that the flight attendant comments were grossly insensitive. Although I’m not even in the passenger department I do know some of the customer service managers and have personally walked over a print out of this thread. He said he would investigate the issue and try to find any letters or emails and will respond to them.

From a personal standpoint I can assure you that those comments are not reflective of my company or of my self. I don’t know if that is worth anything to you, but it’s true and I’m sorry it happened.

God Bless
Hook ‘em Horns
Gig ‘em Aggies

I sent an email to Gerard Arpey, CEO American Airlines last night. He responded this morning at 8:30 am with a copy of an apology to Mr. Russell and his son. While I am not a real fan of American (Continental Elite),I think we should cut Amercan some slack.

Here is the response:

Thank you for your recent email. I have sent the following note of
apology to Mr. Russell and his son. Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely yours,
Gerard Arpey


Dear Mr. Russell:

We are very sorry about the offhand remark of our flight attendant to
your son. We have spoken with the flight attendant in question, and she
asked us to convey her deepest apology. She feels very badly about the
incident, and did not intend to offend Joshua or anyone else in the
Aggie family. She admitted to "being caught up in the banter" between a
number of customers and assured us that in the future she will be much
more careful with her choice of words.

I am a University of Texas graduate and thus I am aware of the great
tradition of the Aggie bonfire and the tragic events of November 1999.
I understand how hurtful these comments were to your son - please accept
my apology on behalf of the entire American Airlines family.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely yours,
Gerard Arpey

Thanks for the post.

edit: thanks for the posts

[This message has been edited by meatball (edited 1/4/2007 3:37p).]

Kudos to AA for responding appropriately.

and now it's over. hooray.

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and now it's over. hooray.

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And no thanks to you.

Thanks to all those who sent in letters and e-mails. I severely doubt this response from AA was because of one letter. Kudos to you Aggies who have honored the 12 by not allowing the tradegy to become a punchline.

"We are the Aggies - the Aggies are we True to each other as Aggies can be..."

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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

you never cease to amuse me

The responses on this thread have made me realize how much A&M has changed since 1999. I agree with Keegan in that what I saw on the night of November 18, 1999 was the most horrible thing I've ever seen, or will probably (and hopefully) ever see in my life, and that it changed my life dramatically. It also changed the lives of everyone I knew at the time, my Bonfire family, as we lost one of ours and had to stand by the hospital bed of others for weeks and months.

First off, this is the Bonfire forum group, so it would be logical to assume that people that are passionate about Bonfire and care about Bonfire would post on here. For any "aggie" to tell someone else to get over it or drop it, shut the F up. Go on another board. Don't ***** and moan about people commenting on the thread when you're one of the ones keeping it going. Obviously, Texags.com doesn't have a 2%'er feature on their website, so we have to put up with your ****e. But on the other hand, you have to put up with us 98%ers who are pissed about an insensitive comment by a flight attendant. This is a free country, and as much as I hate having to read through your comments, it is your right to post on here. And it's my right to call you an idiot and a 2%. Pack up your stuff, get in your car, drive down Hwy 6, take a left at 290, take a right at 45, and keep driving until your feet start getting wet. I'd rather have t-sips post on this board then you.

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But on the other hand, you have to put up with us 98%ers who are pissed about an insensitive comment by a flight attendant.

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my point right there.

And in case you missed it, I'm not telling anyone to shut up of drop it, I'm saying let the wronged parties take care of it themselves.

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you never cease to amuse me

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This thread alone shows that you were wrong in your sentiments that a joke at Bonfire's expense isn't worth fighing for. The LONGHORN CEO of American Airlines and the flight attendant both recognized that it was in bad taste and apologized. They realized it was wrong and rectified the situation.

SquareOne: Who in the Bonfire community hurt you? When you were "participating" in Bonfire, did someone not let you lead a log or kill a tree? Did some big bad Redpot yell at you for not covering the ends on the brush you were dragging? Let me apologize for the CT who used your pot as a latrine or the non-reg who took the machete away from you. They were out of line and I am sorry you got your feelings hurt.

If you want to sit down and talk about Bonfire in person with a panel of people who have worked on pre and post '99 Bonfires, please let me know. I'm not hard to get a hold of and I'd be glad to discuss the finer points of Bonfire without ad hominem attacks.

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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

hey Terry...

go poke a hornet with a stick and see if the rest of the nest lets you keep it between the two of you...

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let the wronged parties take care of it themselves.

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When someone pokes fun at dead Aggies, it's up to all of us to "take care of it". What part of "true to eachother" don't you understand?

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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

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SquareOne: Who in the Bonfire community hurt you? When you were "participating" in Bonfire, did someone not let you lead a log or kill a tree? Did some big bad Redpot yell at you for not covering the ends on the brush you were dragging? Let me apologize for the CT who used your pot as a latrine or the non-reg who took the machete away from you. They were out of line and I am sorry you got your feelings hurt.

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None of that at all really. But thanks for giving it a shot. My reasons aren't really deeply seeded in any grievances or anything.

I've noticed that Bonfire types seem extremely close-knit when it comes to anything Bonfire related, but once it steps out of your realm then you could really give a damn. "True to eachother" seems to apply most strongly only when it applies to something Bonfire. Don't lecture me on some bull**** "true to eachother" nonsense when it's you guys who are incredibly narrow minded and down right offensive at times to those that don't think quite like you.

I applaud your sticking up for people who are wronged, but don't act so high and mighty because you called out a flight attendant. Bonfire thinks they have the market cornered on human suffering. What happened in 1999 was horrible and tragic and a part of every single one of our lives and for better or worse affects anybody with an ounce of Aggie Pride every single day, and whether you all believe it or not, me too...very much so.

But it's bothersome when you guys go on and on as if you're the only ones who know what it's like to be down from time to time. There are plenty of other people who don't GET to make the choice to participate in something like you guys do, but have to deal with the much less unfortunate hand they're dealt daily. Where are you guys in your support for them? Where are you when you're asking me to be "true to eachother"?

Flame away, but I say all this with the utmost sincerity, really. There are people out there who really need to have been true to a lot more than you guys in your efforts to right a wrong performed by a lowly flight attendant.

So again, don't lecture me, or anyone else for that matter, on being "true to eachother".

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but have to deal with the much less unfortunate hand they're dealt daily. Where are you guys in your support for them?

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I'm sure you meant to say "the much less fortunate hand..." fify.

I am going to give up. I'm tired of sloloming through your your ad hominem attacks ("Narrow minded", "High and Mighty," etc.) to find legible arguements. In the "Ags vs AA flight attendant bowl", the Ags won.

Sorry Jim. I should have heeded your advice and let Mr. Lee have his devil's advocate/troll party and done something more productive.

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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

Thanks for playing along!

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I've noticed that Bonfire types seem extremely close-knit when it comes to anything Bonfire related

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You think?

I can imagine someone in the class of '07 not being able to fully understand how and why those that worked on Bonfire take this to heart. especially those that were there the year it fell. it's just a fact of life. if you weren't there to experience it first-hand, you'll never know. it's not his fault. sure, we've all been "wronged" or had tragedies befall us and those we care about, but the Bonfire tragedy is a common one lots of Aggies share. So why is it so hard to understand that so many of us take offense to jokes about it?

I'm not saying don't take offense to it, it's good that those who do DO stand up for themselves and what they believe. That long bit was about the hypocrisy in the post prior reminding me of the trueness to others...true to eachother (Aggies) does not end at simply those who are involved in Bonfire.

I'm not pretending to understand how it felt to be on campus then, I can't imagine knowing that specific tragedy and pain first hand. But just because I was a little late, like everybody else my age, in getting here, doesn't mean we don't have some or a lot of feelings regarding the matter.

My personal take on those who make jokes, whether it's sheep/goat sex jokes, your typical Aggie jokes, or horribly off color Bonfire "jokes" is not to lash out or make a big to do about it...and that's not to say it doesn't bother me.

Sometimes silence speaks volumes.

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Sometimes silence speaks volumes.

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Sweet, sweet irony.

I'm glad you caught it.

I hope you'll pay a visit to the thread that bears my name sometime too, maybe you'll learn something.

You guys...you guys make this way too fun. Easy too, you guys make this way too easy.

SquareOne07 = Ghandi?

I'm bored at work, what's your excuse?