In light of the newly alighted issue of terrorism (which really is an issue that actually was lit once and hasn’t gone out since), I have a question. Does anyone else get tired of hearing about it? I don’t mean that in a horrible, callous, or indifferent way, it is just that it has taken over the media. Yes, it is a current topic and world issue, but I feel like it is all that is talked about these days. Well, when the recession and Afghanistan and Iraq aren’t being discussed. I am not trying to argue that all are not valid topics or that they are not affecting our country. My point is that sometimes it’s discussed ad nauseam and many times with the tone of fear and panic. The media, in whichever of its outlets, is the bearer of news, good or bad, to the general public. When they create all this hype around a story that they do not have all the facts on (i.e. breaking news/developing story), it creates a sense of fear.
Surely, people will not admit that they get scared every time a news story breaks regarding terror, such as the “Christmas Day Terror” or “Flight 253 Terror,” and the more recent lockdown of Terminal C at Newark International Airport yesterday. However, each of these stories is sure to at least subtly keep the culture of fear present and active in this country. Sure, it is much less safe to fly these days than it was 15 years ago. That probably goes for driving as well, even if not for the same reasons. While I do not think we should sit and let people attack us, I do think that we civilians should have some confidence in the people charged with protecting us (i.e. TSA) to do their jobs. Frankly, I still think flying is safer than driving, even with the rise in terrorist activities. I think that there are procedures in place to help protect our public, but they can only be taken to a certain degree. If the US said “Hey, if you want to fly, you need to understand that you will be screened to the fullest degree (virtual body search),” there will be a huge backlash, because our country is so stupidly politically correct and scared to piss anyone off. This is not about trying to embarrass people by doing full-body pat downs at all. It is about protecting people on US soil. The fact that the airports have given people the option to opt-out of the virtual full-body screen for the full body pat down is ridiculous. There should be no opting out. If you want to fly, you should be willing to do what is necessary to make sure that you, your family and others are as safe as possible. What do you think?
