Keep up the Pressure on Patdowns

My advice with the "pat downs" is keep up the pressure. The actual benefit of this new fiasco is that it is calling into question the entire process our government has chosen to deal with the threat of terrorism in the air. The current approach is expensive, inefficient, and too invasive, and socially destructive. The better approach is obvious, but TSA refuses to discuss it or look into the  possible solution of profiling.

We all profile anyway. It's called, "making a judgment based on appearance." Doesn't "first impressions make a difference" apply anymore? Have mothers stopped teaching that these days?

To get right to the point, so you don't waist too much time reading this article, we need to profile. A recent discussion by the ex-chief of El Al air lines claims that we should know who is suspect before they even arrive at the airport. There is more information available than any of us know about, but narrowing the search to the "right people" would save us billions and make the airways safer. It goes without saying that searching a two year old boy  or an 85 year old grandmother to demonstrate to the world how "fair" we are with all people, is not helping anyone. It is helping our deluded sense of priorities.

Apparently, our TSA is now flirting with the labor unions. What a fiasco that will be. Threatening a strike would shut down the the entire nation, and that is not something we need.  Why not put bids out for private contractors to do the job, it will probably be more efficient, and less expensive in the long run. This entire aspect of air travel has gotten out of control and is heading into more trouble.

Finally, there is the singular idea of the invasive nature of this new development. It is unacceptable to have a total stranger fingering our "junk." In a larger sense it is moving the American public further towards the safety side of the "liberty vs. safety" debate that I discussed in my 4/9/09 blog,  "Liberty versus Safety, Always Competing." This illustrates the  tendency of our government to mold the public into a subservient and pliable mass. That is certainly not the basis of our original constitutional principles which strove to create an independent, creative population. I guess we may need to "accept" government force when the Obama health care law grinds into full gear.

My suggestion is to keep up the pressure by discussion and behavior. Refuse these procedures as much as you can, and we will force enough debate that we may get our government to abandon this intrusive and rapacious procedure.