Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Unfortunately Darrell, sometimes shit happens and we all have to deal with it..."how many airplanes have been hijacked by young married couples with babies in arms?" Zero, as you note. But let's ask whether pretty teenage girls are now functioning as suicide bombers, and consider how long it's going to take those 'middle eastern looking' folks who hate us to figure out that they need to recruit folks who look more American. Just remember that the alleged 'dirty bomber' whose arrest was announced with so much fanfare was a Latino gang member from Chicago, Born In The USA, traveling on an American passport. And let's remember who blew up the govt. building in OK city....And let's also remember that our prisons are filled with angry black men who have converted to what someone has convinced them is Islam. Sure, the greatest risk comes from those who we can easily profile...but one of these days someone who doesn't at all fit the profile - a pissed off 73-year-old Canadian white guy with bionic ears who has a major grudge against the US government and decides that the best way to act on that grudge is to help the enemies of the US government, is going to surprise us all. Sure, I find it annoying as hell that I have to sit for 40 minutes while some barely employable kid checks my film carts for explosives - annoyed enough to be thinking about going digital - (ON TOPIC). At the same time, however, I figure sitting and reading my book for 40 minutes is a small price to pay after 9/11 - Unlike allot of Americans, I'm not ready to give up my freedom of speech, nor am I ready to turn my brain over to the government so they can tell me what to think. I make no secret of the fact that I think our President is a pathetic jerk, 'war' or no 'war,' whose popularity rating would be in the low 40s were it not for the 'war.' But I am certainly ready, willing, and able to get to the airport early and be inconvenienced if there is even a chance that my doing that may ultimately help save lives. B. D. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Darrell Jennings Sent: Thursday, July 04, 2002 12:40 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] airport security kinda long. ;-) And they wonder why air travel is off? I'd rather sit home or drive and avoid the hassles....from the airline financial situation most people would too. Until we start profiling higher risk catagories of people it will stay like this. Today the uneducated guards decide who gets extra screening...At $9/hr. who would you pick???...the friendly unthreatening sorts (young couples with kids, grandparents, etc.) They are the ones I usually see pulled aside...Rediculous! How many airplanes have been hijacked by young married couples with babies in arms? ZERO. How many by 80 year old ladies? All those that whine about not profiling because of civil rights are idiots. This is war, and we have a pretty good idea of the profile of the kind of person we have to worry about...doesn't mean we should treat folks that fit the profile unfairly or without respect because 99.9999% of them are innocent. However, it doesn't make us safer to have guards with high school (at best) education strip searching grandmothers either. In the end the civil rights lawyers will be happy, and the airlines will be out of business because no one will put up with it...particularly when it isn't safer than it was before 9/11. - --- Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> wrote: > A note in the changing airport security saga. One > must keep relaxed and > roll with it. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html