As per the link I referenced earlier. :(

If you were in charge of security at Portland, Logan, Dulles and Newark airports on the morning of 9/11/01, what would you have done differently to foil the attacks?

Do you ever think of the people who lost their lives on PanAm 103? Do you ever think about the people who lost their lives in the Oklahoma City bombing? If so, please explain how airport patdowns would have made a difference to them.

As for your question, yes, I do. Some former coworkers did not make it out of the WTC and, had my career had gone in a different direction, I could have very well been there with them.

Since the victims are not an abstract concept to me, it really ticks me off when people like yourself try to use their deaths to score political points.

I reject the premise of your question.

You are free to reject, pretend that we live in a safe world. Those who take the idealist position are selfish and refuse to look at the reality. The reality is we have threats that we need to take seriously

The airport security systems are not going anywhere but here to stay. Just get used it and don't whine. Be a sensible citizen to appreciate the work of TSA when they do good as well as criticize them if they do wrong.

For those few hardcore constitutional individuals who shout civil liberty : You don't have concern about the safety of fellow citizens and you are not going to end the system that is keeping millions safe, Learn to live with it

I for one, don't pretend we live in a safe world. That is why I took training to qualify for my conceal-carry permit. I practice whenever I can, to be ready in case, God forbid, I should have to use a firearm to protect myself and my family. I would also come to the defense of my fellow citizens, should they be attacked by someone intent on evil. However, I will not learn to live with phony security that is not "keeping millions safe", and will take every opportunity to influence change for the better.

You are new to this forum so I have been giving you the benefit of the doubt, and I can understand you being a bit defensive in regards to others replies to your post. However with each succeeding response from you, it is looking like you are too far in the "anything-for-safety" camp to be convinced otherwise, or perhaps you work for the TSA. Admittedly, I belonged in the AFS camp until this past June when I had my own "pleasant experience" at BUF. Please try to look at what's happening with an open mind.

If you are so convinced that we live in a new and dangerous world, then please provide us with the statistics showing how many people worldwide were killed in terrorist acts the past decade, vs. the several decades prior to 9/11/01. I don't have the statistics, but since you are convinced that the past decade has been much more dangerous than previous times, I expect you to be able to back that up with some numbers.

I am not saying there are no threats. I am claiming that the threat level is not significantly higher today than in previous decades, and that it does not justify the billions spent in the name of homeland security over the past ten years.

Terrorism didn't start the morning of 9/11/01. Terrorism against aviation didn't start that morning either.

The TSA was created at a time when the wound from the attacks was still very raw. With time it has become clearer that 9/11/01 did not presage a new era of nonstop attacks.

I remain unconvinced that the threats against aviation at the end of 2011 are any higher than in 2000 or 1990 or 1980. And given all the hijackings of the '60s and '70s that led to airport checkpoints in the first place, I might even argue that there are fewer threats today.

The above two paragraphs are in opposition to each other. "(T)he work of TSA" is about as far as one can get from taking the threats that we have seriously. In reality TSA is focused exclusively on the threat we once had and does absolutely nothing about any current threats.

I don't work for TSA and I travel every week. My comment about professional conduct of TSA staff has been blown out of proportion by TSA haters here.

If you feel that this system is not justified, I am ok with that, but I don't really understand the criticism of complementing some one who did his job well? Should you always criticize TSA however good work they do?

The enhanced security procedures have discouraged many from attacking us. you just can't quantify how many refrained from attacking us. Are you sure relaxing the current system will not result in increase in incidents?

No more sure than you can be that the body scanners and frisking and BDO interrogations and shoe removal and liquid restrictions have deterred any potential attackers.

I disagree.

Yes I can. Zero. Of course, I'm not 100% sure about that, but pretty sure.

It's not a matter of "relaxing the current system," in my opinion. It's, letting the airlines be responsible for their own security. Even if they don't want to be. And I'm quite sure doing that will not "result in an increase in incidents."

Will we have to get used to it and not whine when the police start kicking in our doors at 3:00 AM to check if we are doing something illegal? Will we have to get used to it and not whine when we have to stop at checkpoints and show our papers just to go buy our kids a Happy Meal?

It's a slippery slope when we give up our rights for a sense of security. The TSA is not keeping us safe, they're taking away our rights and we're letting them.

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."

Sincerely,

Benjamin Franklin

in *your* world, how many terrorist acts have been performed by 90 year old Jewish ladies traveling to and from Florida?
some security, of course. The joke of security that TSA gives us, well, that's not destined for a long life. Not so long as they pull down the pants of 85 year old ladies with walkers.
What is your rationale for accepting elderly ladies being strip searched by the TSA? We should just get used it?

Let them stop groping the butts, genitals, and breasts of innocent passengers first, and then we'll talk about what they're doing well.

A TSA clerk groping my wife and children or forcibly removing my grandmother's clothing does not keep you safe. They are not a threat. There is a justified objection to this crass and uncivilized behavior.

If someone wants to bomb an aircraft, all they need to is bribe the right person. Just pick one. There are apparently plenty of TSA folks willing to take you on.

Come on nachtnebel, the TSA said they don't do strip searches so it didn't happen. What Mrs. Zimmerman described was not a strip search.

sarcastically spoken of course