This week's Cluster-Blank Column

Safety in the Skies?

 

By Jeff Scott

 

Ever since the United States was attacked by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001, the federal government has been promising us that we would be safer at home thanks to the massive bureaucratic mess that is the Department of Homeland Security.  A study done by an “important” bureaucracy of its own effectiveness shows that not only are we not safer, incompetence and political correctness are ruining airline security.

 

Last week, USA Today received a leaked report from a study that the Transportation Safety Administration on the effectiveness of airport security screeners.  The results were depressing and frankly, rather scary.  The TSA sent undercover agents through the security lines at airports with fake bombs and parts of bombs under their clothes or in carry-on bags.  According to the report, which only studied Chicago’s O’Hare, Los Angeles, and San Francisco International Airports, TSA screeners allowed over 60% of the hidden bomb materials through the checkpoint and onto the plane.  The incompetent government employees allowed 60% of the bomb materials onto the plane at O’Hare and 75% onto the plane in Los Angeles.

 

As you consider how safe that really makes the planes that Americans fly on everyday, remember also that the TSA has a policy that forbids screeners from requiring passengers to remove their turbans.  We are fighting a war against Islamic terrorists, who have already used airplanes as bombs to destroy buildings within this country, but the people who receive our tax dollars in their paychecks to keep airplanes safe are not allowed to require somebody to remove a turban?  How does this make sense?  This is political correctness run rampant.  The restriction was put in place because some religious organizations (probably the Islamists at CAIR) were upset and claimed it was “racial profiling.”  So?  What is wrong with racial profiling?  The United States are at war with Islamic fascists.  All 19 of the hijackers on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia.  So why in the hell is it Grandma Rose being pulled aside for additional screening?  Why do Ahmed and his turban get a free pass?

 

Yes, I am absolutely advocating profiling.  If the enemy (and Islamic terrorists are the enemy) fits a certain description, then anybody matching that description should be given much more scrutiny.  I understand that it will inconvenience innocent Arabs and Muslims, but the reality of the war in which we are engaged will require that.  This is not to say that nobody else will need to be screened, simply that extra scrutiny needs to be given to people who look like the enemy.

 

You may have noticed that I neglected to mention how San Francisco’s airline screeners performed on the test.  I did so because the screeners in San Francisco are not TSA employees.  They are contracted by a private company.  So how did private airline screeners do?  Significantly better—only 20% of the hidden bomb pieces made it through the checkpoint.  Don’t believe it?  Neither did the TSA agents.  Apparently they just thought that the private screeners got lucky, so they did as many tests in San Francisco as in Chicago and Los Angeles combined (145, 75, and 70, respectively).  It is no fluke!  Private employees do significantly better at keeping us safe than government bureaucrats.  Of course, they are held accountable for their performance, by undergoing constant covert tests.  When they have to work to keep their jobs, they perform at a higher level.  What a novel idea!  Government employees, on the other hand, get a free pass.  They are rarely tested, and it is almost impossible to fire an incompetent government employee.

 

So since political correctness makes us less safe, and government employees make us less safe than their private counterparts, here’s an idea:  privatize airport security, and let them do their jobs!  Stop worrying about offending Muslims.  If they do not want to deal with additional snags in the airport security line, then they can either get the jihadist terrorists among their religion under control or they can drive.