The US has never, ever progressed mildly, let alone majestically, from point A to point B. We begin at point A, bounce to point X, react back to point negative-E, and eventually settle on point B.

This is who we are. The fact that people can look at the US in all its power and still make cracks about us says a lot as well.

I suggest the victims in these stupid cases all band together, hire an excellent law firm, and start a civil class action suit regarding the various injustices committed against them. The gentleman who was suspected of wrongdoing because he "looked Arab" could probably pull the ACLU in as well, since that's one of their areas of specialty. They could actually win, as the burden of proof in civil suits is on the defendant(s), and make a little money in the process.

We can examine these behaviors in another way, as well.

Re: breastfeeding: We have to grow up and protect nursing mothers from harassment in public places. Breastfeeding is a biological function that doesn't especially expose a lot. Covering a baby's face interferes with the infant's ability to breathe while nursing. Hmmm... baby breathes and eats vs. someone seeing a flash of breast if they happen to be looking... seems the biological needs outweigh the reason for outrage.

Re: overt sexual activity in public places: We need to remember that sexual harassment includes being forced to watch, or listen to, optional acts of passion in a closed area from which we have no escape. Discretion, discretion, discretion! As they say, "Get a room." And the man was accused of "interfering with flight attendants". Did he express irritation by making threats against them? Did he react physically inside the cabin? You don't do jail time for telling someone politely that they are overreacting.

Re: use of the lavatory: The current move afoot in the US Congress to act on a bill spelling out the rights of airline passengers ought to take that on as well. To deprive people of seeing to urgent biological needs is ridiculous. (See "breast feeding", above.) That air marshall needs a new job.

Re: the "Arab looking" man with the tan and the i-Pod, and the Orthodox Jew who made people uncomfortable by praying aloud (we can assume in the foreign-sounding Hebrew, as no one would be alarmed by the Our Father): We ought to be thinking about how the fear of Arabs and other Middle Eastern people, and specifically of Islam, is affecting not only innocent non-Muslims, but innocent Muslims as well.

Re: stupid application of rules in planes: Not everyone in charge is smarter or braver or kinder than those under their command. Being informed of dopiness, cruelty and bigotry means we can correct the behavior, if never eliminate the causes entirely.

In the catalog of passengers, how many have travelled unharassed and safely vs. those afflicted by boneheads? This too measures the atmosphere on the airlines. We can always work to make it better, but things are not defined by the worst examples.