Safety or Liberty?

The airport "pat-down" story is getting a lot of press lately so I thought I'd put in my" two cents worth". This is the kind of story I just love to write about; it shows off government bureaucracy and doesn't directly involve me. I haven't flow commercially since about 1995 so if my details are "off" or a bit dated forgive me.

In my understanding, when you go to the airport you get a full body scan which can "peer" under your clothing. If you refuse that scan or if you fail the full body scan then you will be required to get a "pat down search" by the T.S.A. agent which involves touching "your junk" (to use a recently adopted phrase).

The government seems to be treating terrorism like it is a police problem not a war. In America, we like to fix things after there is a problem is proved, there is no planning. For example; We have a dangerous curve in a road and a warning sign doesn't get placed until after someone is killed in an accident.

Same thing with terrorism. We have the shoe bomber so now we take off our shoes in an airport. We have the 9-11 attacks so now we can't take nail clippers on the plane. We have the cargo plane bombs so now we have to get a exam, that before this date would only have been legal in a house of prostitution in Nevada, to board a passenger jet. I didn't say every action made since, they rarely do in government.

Why does the government always fight the "last battle"? In 1945, did Eisenhower say "Let's go do that D-Day thing again, it worked so good the first time." No he didn't. He planned the German's next move and advanced.  We keep planning the last move not the next move. The Twin Towers are already destroyed, they can't be hit again.

But Teesquare, shouldn't we take reasonable precautions against an attack like that? You bet. I've got an idea. Why don't our transportation officials communicate with an ally, like Israel (are we still allies?), and see how they keep from getting their airplanes hijacked. We don't have all the knowledge in the universe, we can ask for help.

How about an overwhelming show of force?  I had the luxury of traveling to England just after the first Gulf War. When we stepped off the airplane in London the first thing we saw was not a newspaper stand. It was an English soldier holding a machine gun. We are in a war people we need to protect our ports that includes airports.

How about this for a security measure to protect airports. Build a large wall with guard gates which only allow citizens and authorized, or documented people into the country. To start with we could see if it would work on our southern boarder. Just an idea. We might even use the money that was already approved during the Bush administration for such an endeavor. Oh wait, that makes too much since.

I've  seen some of the photos from these full body scanners and they are not as good as I would expect for all the hype. One thing for sure  they can only spot items on the surface of your body. Without getting to graphic, what if a terrorist placed some plastic explosives inside their body? They are already planning on "meeting Alla" I don't think they care what gets blown up first.

I also find it very interesting that they scan the pilots. What kind of mental midget thought this up? The pilot is flying a 500 mph bullet loaded with passengers and jet fuel,  do you think he is going to bring on board a bomb? Why the hell would he bring on board a bomb? Wouldn't he just fly the plane into a building?

How about this for a scenario: You are a terrorist, and they have all the latest scanning devices and pat down searches at the airport. Why would take the chance of trying to board the plane to begin with? In an airplane you have up to about 800 passengers on those big Airbus A-380s. OK, what place could you go and where there would be more people than that, all conventionally located together, and not have to pass security? How about the security line at the airport. The photo above is the security line at D.I.A.  Since they have slowed down the line doesn't that make the folks in the airport security line "sitting ducks"?


Why are we trying so hard to protect the airplane. Every commercial airplane flying is full of "air marshals". They do not carry a badge or even get paid. Normally they are called passengers. People in this country will protect this country.  They will do everything in their power to stop a terrorist. That is our best resource.  How many terrorist attacks have been thwarted  by the actions of American patriots? I imagine more than we will ever hear about in the news.

I think I will finish up this rant with a little quote (one of my favorites) that fits this situation perfectly:  "Those who would give up liberty to purchase safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."  Benjamin Franklin, 1759