"I Was Wrong About the TSA"
Jun 8, 2012 | 4:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 2,978
"I Was Wrong About the TSA"
A CSO (Chief Security Officer) Magazine blogger reevaluates his position where he was originally supportive of the TSA.
Link to blog post
On a trip to L.A. last fall, I saw some folks stumbling through the TSA gauntlet in what I thought were foolish ways -- the type of annoying stuff unseasoned travelers do to hold up the line for everyone else. On the plane, I wrote a post about how sometimes, it's not always the TSA's fault. I took lots of heat for that, as I knew I would. Some accused me of supporting a fascist regime.
I still feel the same way about a few things, particularly that some people make the TSA experience harder on themselves and everyone else than is necessary. But when the facts continue to add up, I'm increasingly left with a bad taste in my mouth.
(...)
I can't ignore what's in front of me. I have to admit it: I was wrong.
Much has been said and written about the TSA as nothing more than security theater -- something that's there for show, to make people feel safer, even though in reality we're not all that safer than we were on 9-11-01. But it's becoming clear that we're dealing with something far more unacceptable than security theater.
I still feel the same way about a few things, particularly that some people make the TSA experience harder on themselves and everyone else than is necessary. But when the facts continue to add up, I'm increasingly left with a bad taste in my mouth.
(...)
I can't ignore what's in front of me. I have to admit it: I was wrong.
Much has been said and written about the TSA as nothing more than security theater -- something that's there for show, to make people feel safer, even though in reality we're not all that safer than we were on 9-11-01. But it's becoming clear that we're dealing with something far more unacceptable than security theater.
Jun 9, 2012 | 9:32 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,430
If only...
But the vast majority of people live their lives entirely on emotion, not logic. Emotion has its own brand of "logic" that defies actual common sense.
I was afraid! But they're protecting us, so I'm not afraid any more!
But what they do is abusive and un-Constitutional.
But they HAVE to do it! Otherwise we'd all die!
No, they can do other things that are Constitutional and non-invasive, and still protect us.
NO! They can't stop protecting us! We'd all die!
But they wouldn't stop protecting us, they'd just use other methods that didn't hurt us while they're protecting us.
NO! I can't see those other methods! It only protects us if I can see it!
But you can't see the SSI stuff that they say is protecting us.
I can see the people who say it's SSI! I know they're protecting us!
It just goes on. And on. And no amount of logic can change the mind of a gullible, paranoid coward who is convinced that the government is truly here to help us and that there is no other way to keep us all safe.
But the vast majority of people live their lives entirely on emotion, not logic. Emotion has its own brand of "logic" that defies actual common sense.
I was afraid! But they're protecting us, so I'm not afraid any more!
But what they do is abusive and un-Constitutional.
But they HAVE to do it! Otherwise we'd all die!
No, they can do other things that are Constitutional and non-invasive, and still protect us.
NO! They can't stop protecting us! We'd all die!
But they wouldn't stop protecting us, they'd just use other methods that didn't hurt us while they're protecting us.
NO! I can't see those other methods! It only protects us if I can see it!
But you can't see the SSI stuff that they say is protecting us.
I can see the people who say it's SSI! I know they're protecting us!
It just goes on. And on. And no amount of logic can change the mind of a gullible, paranoid coward who is convinced that the government is truly here to help us and that there is no other way to keep us all safe.
Jun 10, 2012 | 3:10 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,279
Jun 10, 2012 | 5:02 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
They understood that the liberty that they desired was a life filled with risk. Yet, they also understood its importance, its value, its necessity for people desiring to live out the life of ones destiny and dreams without the repression of a tyrannical authority.
I think that you are wrong in way though. Freedom and bravery is not something to be discovered. It is something earned by the sacrifice of blood and treasure. I fear that we may no longer be a people willing to do that.
We follow in the footsteps of great people that pledged their lives, their treasure and their sacred honor. They willingly lay them down in the pursuit of creating the land of liberty where the courageous could live their lives of independence, unencumbered by an overbearing government, taking matters unto themselves and creating for themselves and the ones they loved the home that indeed was the a home in which the courageous could live free.