Ironically enough, just a few days after I wrote about Alaska Airline's prayer cards (see "Wing & a Prayer" blog post) Alaska has announced that they're stopping this tradition: article here.
As a Gold member, my husband Todd received a personal email about this yesterday and sent a response back sharing our disappointment. It'd make sense to redesign the cards to be more inclusive of other religions and beliefs, but it's unfortunate that the complaints of passengers means getting rid of them completely.
In his email back to Bill Ayers, Todd references an article by Charles Murray titled “The New American Divide” (see article here). He writes, "It’s a long article that on the surface seems to indicate Murray’s just talking about the growing wealth/health divide. But there’s a powerful message about what makes life valuable and why there’s a more important divide based on principles. It talks about reinforcing those values and not backing away from them to avoid offending people. And he views those at the top of the pyramid as having a duty to stand up for the right principles, even in the face of criticism."
At this point, it probably feels like I'm beating a dead horse here. But I've just been doing a lot of thinking lately about how it's more important to stand up for what you believe in than to go around passively agreeing with everyone to maintain the peace and status quo. Obviously this means facing the possibility of losing friendships and creating conflict, but I hope that those who know me will understand or at least respect the words that I share.
Thanks for reading! And feel free to comment below on your thoughts/beliefs on this matter too! :)
2 comments:
Emily, I just came across your blog and I have to agree with you. I was a flight attendant for Alaska for almost 4 years and I never had a complaint about the prayer cards. I often found myself smiling when I would take a tray away and find that the passenger had liked the card enough to keep it.
It's disappointing that Alaska is acting on a few negative comments; it also reminds me of the importance (and lack) of positive feedback society gives. I spoke about this with a friend still working for the airline, and it really comes down to the old saying, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." The next time I like something, I'm going to let someone know!
Sadly the decision was probably also made based on how much money the company will save by discontinuing any sort of prayer card, even rotating religions.
Thanks for sharing your adventures...keep doin' what you're doin' girl!
xo
Thanks for your encouraging words Ashley! It's good to know I'm not alone on this topic. :)
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