That's a foolish and simplistic asumption.

Nowhere near as foolish or simplistic as your above rebuttal. I'm sorry, but using a pool cue to hijack an aircraft is indeed idiotic. I guess I could try to draw you a picture, but FT is somewhat graphics-limited.

Where do you get this idiotic idea that randomness equates to un-American?

EVERYONE is searched as EVERYONE must pass through the magnometer and have their carry on items Xrayed. The EXTENT of the search varies based on a number of criteria including the results of the magnometer and Xray inspections, profiling, and random selection.

Gee, maybe we should apply your brilliant logic to driving, home ownership, park access, etc. You can contend that that the non-invasive and non-intrusive magnetometer and x-ray checks are "searches" that are as acceptable as a frisking or an opening and rifling through of a bag. Sorry, I don't buy that for a second. The latter examples of searches are un-American because they are not based upon probable cause and because of their degree. Random checks fly in the face of this country's principles, even if they are being used to backstop a process that is not 100%. And said process would be a lot closer to 100% if we focused on real, credible threats instead of mindlessly going after penknives, hockey sticks, and cricket bats. Such are the current "threats" as perceived by cowards who jump at shadows.

There is an established figure which represents the value of one airline passenger's life which is used in doing the cost/benefit analasys which determines if saftey changes will be mandated. The problem with terrorist attacks is the multiplyer. Will it be one passenger killed on the airplane or 3000 people killed on the ground?

What, with a pool cue? Come on! Even one would be a reach. I guess you could put someone's eye out; is that in your risk analysis??? We're wasting all this money on "threats" that *might* injure a couple of people on a good day while annoying and inconveniencing thousands who use these devices lawfully! Meanwhile, how many are dying of cancer because there's no cure? Would not this largess extorted from the traveling public be better spent or cancer research than on a "threat" that has less than a trillionth of a chance of succeeding???

they get killed one or two at a time on the ground not 3000 all at once. People driving cars, using machinery, etc. have significant control over their own safety, people in an airliner or ground target do not.

What about buses? Or people in enclosed areas like stadiums? Or small children? (won't someone please think of the children???) If you think people are completely helpless on a plane, try starting some trouble on one sometime. You'll see exactly how much control the passengers have over their lives, especially when confronted with a non-credible threat like a knife or a crazy person. Maybe not so with a bomb or a missle, but definitely with respect to these joke weapons the TSA is so ardently and idiotically prohibiting.

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry