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How the U.S. put an end to plane hijacking and why gun reform advocates should take note.

As thousands across the nation prepare to take to the streets on March 24, 2018, for The March for Our Lives, we're taking a look at some of the root causes, long-lasting effects, and approaches to solving the gun violence epidemic in America. We'll have a new installment every day this week.

At one point in this country, a plane was hijacked at the rate of once a week.

Between 1968 and 1972, (a period that writer Brandon I. Koerner dubbed the "golden age of hijacking"), more than 130 airplanes were hijacked. The practice was so prevalent, sometimes there would be more than one incident a day.


Not unlike our current mass shooting epidemic, skyjacking — as it came to be known — was a problem so complex and frequent that the American government, passengers, and even airlines themselves began to think of it as just a standard risk of air travel. Yet between the mid-1970s and 9/11 (and again after 9/11), skyjacking virtually ceased to exist.

What changed? And how did it get so bad in the first place? Through eight jaw-dropping facts, I'll walk you through some of Koerner's account of this incredible time in American history that wasn't very long ago — and what gun violence prevention advocates can learn from it.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.

1. Plane hijacking wasn't a routine occurrence in the U.S. until 1961, when all of a sudden, people wanted a quick escape to Cuba.

The hijackings began not long after the end of the Cuban revolution. U.S. and Cuban relations weren't strong at the time. Some saw hijacking as the only way to return to their home country or as a one-way ticket to what they perceived as a kind of "socialist Club Med."

Hijackers would board flights and demand to be taken to Havana. At the time, the airlines and the FAA told pilots and crew not to argue or take any heroic action, but instead to deliver on the hijackers' demands and take them where they asked.

Trips to Cuba became so frequent that pilots were given Spanish phrase cards to help communicate with the Spanish-speaking hijackers.

The Paseo de Marti (formerly Prado Boulevard) in Havana, circa 1960. Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images.

2. Hijacking was so common, it became a major theme on TV shows and movies.

Monty Python performed a sketch about it, and planes became a high-stakes setting for many a TV drama and film. Time magazine even wrote a piece in their travel section on what to do if your plane is hijacked. Keep that one in your carry-on.

3. What did Castro think about all these unsolicited arrivals? He wasn't too pleased.

Castro didn't exactly roll out the red carpet for the giant planes and wannabe heroes landing in his country. Koerner, author of "The Skies Belong to Us," shared the two most common fates of hijackers in an interview with CNN:

"One, you would be put in a South Havana dormitory called Hijacker House, where you were given about 16 square feet of living space with a cot, and they give you 40 pesos a month, (and) you kind of have to fend for yourself. It was a really awful life.

And if the government really didn't like you — for example, if you were violent on board the plane or if you robbed any of the passengers — they would actually send you to these gulags in the south of the country where you would harvest sugar cane. And the conditions there were just absolutely nightmarish."

4. In 1969, one hijacker realized there were places to go other than Cuba, opening up a literal world of trouble.

On the run from a military court martial, Raffaele Minichiello, an Italian immigrant and U.S. Marine, decided to flee to his home country rather than stand trial. He hijacked a plane heading from Los Angeles to San Francisco, let passengers out in Denver, then asked to fly to New York. When they got to the Big Apple, Minichiello (in so many words) said "Gotcha! I actually want to go to Rome." FBI agents tried to stop him in New York, but Minichiello fired a round into the fuselage and they backed off. After stopping again in Maine and Ireland, Minichiello made it to Rome.

His "successful" journey inspired other hijackers to think big, requesting rides to North Korea and Algeria. Some began asking for money and gold bars.

Minichiello was arrested in Rome, on Nov. 1, 1969. Photo by AFP/Getty Images.

5. While the hijackings were a scary, dangerous nuisance, the FAA used their political weight to prevent any legislation from passing.  

Airlines were booming high-tech businesses at the time. The FAA did everything they could to keep them happy. Airport security was nonexistent because airlines thought no one would want to deal with the inconvenience. They pushed back against any legislation calling for metal detectors or physical searches.

Speaking on behalf of the FAA at a congressional hearing in 1968, staffer Irving Ripp said, "It's an impossible problem short of searching every passenger. If you've got a man aboard that wants to go to Havana, and he has got a gun, that's all he needs."

A view of the Trans World Airlines Terminal in New York, circa 1962. Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

6. The FAA did manage to establish a task force to come up with solutions. They solicited ideas from the public and they were, well, interesting.

Ideas from concerned citizens included forcing everyone on the plane to wear boxing gloves, building a fake Havana airport in Miami so planes could land there and hijackers could be arrested by American agents, installing trap doors near the cockpit, and even playing the Cuban national anthem before flights to see if anyone knew the words.

Oh, and the whole "build a fake airport" idea was actually seriously considered at one point. (Too expensive.)

7. A psychologist and hijacking task force member dug into the backgrounds of the hijackers to help him screen potential threats.

His name was John Dailey, and he examined everything from hijackers' departure cities to clothing and methods of payment. Eventually he created a checklist to help weed out potential threats from a sea of passengers and discreetly pull aside a few for additional screening.  

The FAA allowed Dailey to test his method, and it was successful. However, it relied heavily on gate agents and not trained security personnel.

The American Boeing 707 circa 1958. Photo by Reg Speller/Fox Photos/Getty Images.

8. What finally made the FAA change their tune? The threat of mass casualties — and legal issues.

On Nov. 10, 1972, three hijackers threatened to crash Southern Airways Flight 49 into a nuclear research reactor near Knoxville, Tennessee, if they didn't receive $2 million. The airline came up with the money, but the flight continued (with a few stops and delays) all the way to Havana, where the hijackers were put in jail.

Realizing the planes could be used as weapons, the threat of loss of life onboard and mass casualties on the ground was enough to move the FAA and the government to act.

Starting Jan. 5, 1973, the FAA put mandatory screenings in place for all airplane passengers. And despite the FAA's concerns, most people didn't seem to mind.

Security guards inspect passengers at a security checkpoint in London, 1975. Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Our country transitioning from hundreds of hijackings to hardly any was no accident. It's a reminder of what can happen when the government takes control back from big business and lobbying organizations.

Yes, hijackings still occurred after 1973, but they were significantly less frequent and often ended without incident.

Like Southern Airways Flight 49, the attacks on September 11 forced swift, comprehensive security changes to prevent similar attacks. While the changes have been frustrating or cumbersome at times, they've been successful.

Gun violence is an issue the gun lobby believes is impossible to solve. The airlines thought screening would ruin their business, so they fought it tooth and nail while passengers were actually terrorized. The NRA and the politicians they support seem to think mass shootings are the price we pay to maintain our Second Amendment rights. But there has to be a better way — particularly one that doesn't center on selling more guns.

If we can put an abrupt end to the "golden age of hijacking," surely we can work together to put an end to this devastating era of widespread gun violence. Don't believe anyone who says commonsense policy changes won't work. They already have.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

For more of our look at America's gun violence epidemic, check out other stories in this series:

And see our coverage of to-the-heart speeches and outstanding protest signs from the March for Our Lives on March 24, 2018.

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?



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Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

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Photo via iStock.

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