Ubuntucat

There is an expression about closing the barn door after the horse has already escaped. I forget the clever phrasing that goes along with it. This seems to be the modus operandi for the TSA. 9/11 happened and all of a sudden you can’t bring nailclippers or anything remotely sharp on the plane. Someone tries to blow up a plane using some liquid, so you can’t bring liquid on the plane. Someone tries to blow up a plane lighting his shoe on fire, so you suddenly have to take off your shoes during security check. Now someone hid explosives in his underwear, and people are talking about full-body scans (I read Amsterdam, where his flight originated from, has already implemented this).

Are people stupid? Why is the TSA always one step behind? They’re like antivirus software, constantly updating on outdated definitions while malware writers are finding new ways to compromise people’s systems. I love OneandOneis2′s post on pointless airport security, describing ways to blow up a plane just using the electrical outlet provided in business class.

The real problem is that by the time you screen people at the security line, it’s too late. If terrorists don’t blow up planes, they can still blow up airports. They can find other ways to terrorize people. Find the terrorists before they find us. If someone is on the FBI’s terrorist list but not on the “no-fly” list, make him jump through hoops to get on a plane—don’t make me jump through those hoops.

In a recent letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, someone named David Ferris wrote

Unfortunately, during the 2000-05 recovery, immigrants – both legal and illegal – got the jobs that should have gone to the youngest and poorest Americans. If we don’t make every effort to ensure that any jobs created go to our own people, we’ll be looking at another “jobless recovery.”

Hate to break the news to you, Mr. Ferris, but legal immigrants are Americans. I am the son of immigrants, and they are both full US citizens who work, vote, pay taxes, and donate to charities. I guess Mr. Ferris imagines he himself is not a descendant of immigrants…