The Case for Real Airport Security

Recently, there was an attempted, but failed, bombing of a plane within America’s borders, that is obviously a case of terrorism and resulted in more stringent security measures almost immediately, especially from international flights inbound to the United States. The sad fact, however, is that these security measures are ill advised at best, and a translucent farce at worst – the time has come for real airport security that should have been implemented long ago.

The failure of the recent attack was dependent solely on passengers, flight attendants, and luck, not any of the current security measures in place. To board the plane, the hopeful attacker had to pass through metal detectors and have his baggage scanned, none of which accounted for his carrying the item on his person, much like the shoe bomber that is the reason shoes must now be taken off. If real security measures existed, such an attack would be impossible – focusing entirely on baggage or other items in a reactionary posture is neither acceptable nor appropriate.

To be fair, the federal government wished to implement more stringent methods of securing the aviation industry soon after 9/11, but various civil liberties groups chose to block the widespread use of devices like full-body scanners and particle detectors. What is more important: an individual’s prude sense of self remaining intact, or the security of a nation and its people? The answer is obviously the latter, and the lack of consistent use of either of these devices is an unintelligible response to irrational concerns – the full-body scanner would be monitored by individuals that would not be able to associate real people with their scans, and would only truly matter if one were to be carrying a weapon or explosive devices.

The time has come for Americans to give up a small amount of privacy in order to better secure the future of their people, as any good security measure requires. There has been no true innovation or change in airport security since at least the early 90’s, no matter what technologies have been created for this express purpose. Passing all travelers through particle detectors, metal detectors, and full-body scanners would be just as “quick” as the current security process, with only the occasional handling of fireworks the day before causing a small stir – security cameras and on-edge travelers can only go so far, and in this age of technology there is no longer an excuse.

Rather than a laughable process intended to placate the nervous consciences of travelers, the United States-bound world must now quickly transition to a system closer to that seen in Total Recall than in The 5th Element in order to better thwart attempted terrorist attacks and other would-be devastating acts of domestic sabotage.

Tags: Airport, Airport Security, America, Bombing, Politics, Scanners, Terrorism