Tuesday, July 09, 2002

Scanners mistake chocolate for bombs


Just another example of government's desire to legislate everything. It's no joke that they would legislate the weather if they thought that they could get away with it. In this case, they passed a law that said that ALL baggage would be checked, by the end of the year. While they have already realized that they can't meet the deadline, the simple fact is that it is impossible to check ALL baggage while retaining air travel as a viable means of transportation.

Why can't we just emulate those (Israel) who have been successful at stopping hijackers by attempting to catch the terrorist instead of the weapon. Like all gun laws, regulating the weapon does nothing to stop the crime. Just as laws against drugs don't stop (or, apparently, slow) drug use. Laws against murder don't stop murderers. Laws are only a means society uses to punish lawbreakers after thay have committed their crime. Stopping acts before they are committed requires demotivating the actor, not his tools. Laws are a poor vehicle to accomplish this. People's attitudes might, but the profound mistrust (contempt?) that our government has for its citizens make this approach unlikely to take hold with the regulators. As recent history shows, the way to stop terror is for the citizens themselves to take matters in their own hands. (shoe bomber, Flight 93)

Sorry to tell you this people, but the idiot proof society is not here yet. In the meantime it is up to us to make our world a little safer. While the FBI is waiting to amass enough evidence to be sure of a conviction at trial, any whacko can shoot up an air terminal, or blow up his shoes, unless we citizens step up to the plate and take a swing.