Bristol Palin
Our own federal government tells us, “See something, say something.” But when one woman did just that, she lost her job and might end up in jail.
A Fairfield Inn & Suites desk clerk became suspicious when a Muslim man dressed in traditional attire kept asking her about booking a hotel room for an entire month even though she told him over and over that it wasn’t possible. And when he wouldn’t leave the lobby, the clerk asked her family to call 911.
Unfortunately, when her sister called, she told police the man said something about ISIS. When police arrived at the hotel, the man, identified as Ahmed Al Menhali of the United Arab Emirates, was placed in handcuffs and searched. When the clerk was interviewed, she told police her sister misunderstood her and that it was her own concerns with all the terrorist activity by ISIS happening around the world and being worried that the man refused to listen and was using a disposable phone.
But less than a week later, the clerk was fired and according to PJ Media, she may even be charged with a crime.
Making matters worse, the man collapsed while in custody and was taken to the hospital. Police have since apologized to Menhali for disrespecting him and for the false allegations made against him.
What makes this story even more interesting is the timing of the man’s hotel room request: the GOP convention is happening at the same time in nearby Cleveland, Ohio. That’s not proof that the man was planning an attack but wasn’t the woman just doing what the government advised?
PJ Media summed it up well:
The clerk was frazzled, and she may have unfairly profiled the man. She should probably have waited for more evidence. But if a hotel clerk can end up in jail for reporting what she thinks is suspicious behavior, how can we stop future attacks?
If this hotel clerk not only gets fired but ends up in jail for reporting suspicious behavior, how many more people will be dissuaded from saying something when they see something?
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