It's Funny Because It's True

Yesterday, Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker jokingly placed Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien on the "Newark New Jersey Airport No-Fly List," after the comedian poked fun at the city on his late night television show. Mayor Booker’s joke about O’Brien’s potential barring from flying out of New Jersey is very funny. Maybe O’Briens across the country should be worried and leave extra time for future hassles at the airport, as should O’Brians, Obriens, Obermans, and people named Conan. Just ask the wife of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, Catherine. She shares a name with No-Fly lister Yusuf Islam, a.k.a. Cat Stevens.

Sadly though, many innocent Americans are tangled in the web of the no-fly list every day because they have a name similar to a possible terrorist suspect. The list has over a million names on it. We’re not sure if making a joke that someone else doesn’t like will get you on the list, but for all the people who can’t find out why they’ve been listed and can’t get off, it might as well be true.