Originally Posted by
whirledtraveler
Ultimately, however, people need to be responsible for the fact that they chose the job. There are jobs out there that are less morally questionable than that of the TSA Screener. Telemarketer, for instance.
To tell you the truth, I really am surprised at all the hooplah over the TSO job. In my previous profession, I did things that would chill a lot of the folks in here...all in the name of God and country...none of it illegal, but a helluva lot of it certainly controversial. And I was pretty good at it, too.
Morals? Just a matter of perspective in my previous line of work. Not that it was the old argument of the ends justifying the means; however, in order to be effective as an intelligence officer, one has to divorce oneself from the conventional perceptions of right and wrong. Again, I'm not saying that an intelligence operator engages in illegal activities; but I am saying that a lot of the work probably goes against the grain of what many people consider appropriate, moral, whatever. It amazed me that even within the intel community, there were people who clung to the belief that "gentlemen don't read other gentlemen's mail." Of course, I was in the dirtiest business of all: human intelligence. There are no saints in HUMINT. I most certainly am no saint.
That's why I see my job at TSA as such a cake walk and without controversy. This is why many of the comments I read in here about the morality of TSA make me giggle.
This current job just doesn't compare by any stretch of the imagination.
Originally Posted by whirledtraveler
It's just raising awareness, plain and simple. There's nothing more American than grassroots action to raise awareness of issues. I'm sure you can find historical antecedents for just about anything people care about that ultimately leads to legislative action. Welcome to America.
I would think that many of the folks who frequent this forum would be more sophisticated than that.
As for your America comment: I'd die for this country. (Note Patton's quote still holds: "No dumb bast*rd ever won a war by dying for his country...." but you get the idea of what I mean.) Been in many situations when I put it all on the line and in many instances with the knowledge that if anything went wrong, my wife would be told that I was involved in a training mishap or some other BS story. Your use of that phrase "Welcome to America" comes across as cheap rhetoric to me. Not meant to get your Vickies in a wad; just telling you straight. Fair enough?