Heads are surely to roll in the intelligence community as a result of airline security failures. A passenger was allowed to board Northwest Flight 253 plane despite tons of evidence depicting allegiance to al-Qaida.
One of the centerpieces of President George W. Bush’s administration was the creation of an intelligence center that was supposed to connect all the dots. That did not happen, as President Barack Obama has reiterated several times.
Yet what is perplexing is the complacency among Americans who are quick to condemn security lapses. But when tough measures are put into place, they act like spoiled children who don’t want to be inconvenienced.
Take the full body airport scanners. Civil libertarians are up in arms, saying it violates the privacy of Americans. But come on, folks, are they really that bad? If Flight 253 had gone down in flames -- killing hundreds and causing more harm to the nation’s airline industry -- folks would have been yelling and screaming at politicians for not doing their jobs. If the scanners will keep weapons off planes, I’m all for them.
Instead of focusing on more congressional investigations, the president and Congress members should be buckling down to ensure that all appointees in homeland security are in place. Sen. Jim DeMint has been delaying the appointment of the head of the Transportation Safety Administration because the president supports the unionization of TSA. The Senate should vote rather than allowing one senator to hold up a critical appointment.
Congress should also get its affairs in order and stop funding pet projects. Congress needs to ensure that the critical dollars are being spent on bolstering security at the nation’s airports. In Newark, N.J., a terminal was shut down because a man walked through a sterile area. They discovered that security cameras were working but not recording, forcing the airport to rely on the cameras of Continental Airlines. That is totally unacceptable. There should be immediate nationwide inspections and surprise visits to keep everyone on their toes.
The full body scanners were deployed to 150 airports only after the near miss on Flight 253. Here we are eight years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and the scanners are just now being placed?
This is the kind of reactionary attitude Americans have always had. We wait until something happens before we take action. This nation can’t afford another terrorist attack on the scale of 9/11. We can’t be lax and let our guard down. America must always be vigilant because the acolytes of Osama bin Laden want to bring harm to us for generations to come.
The recommendations of the 9/11 Commission shouldn’t be seen as optional. We need a deadline to ensure that every suggestion is put into place by the end of the year.
With that clearly understood, those flying are going to have to stop complaining about security lines and having their bags checked. I’m typically in three cities a week, and I spend a ton of time in airports. And it’s obscene to see the treatment of TSA personnel, who have to deal with folks not wanting to follow the rules about limiting the size of liquids that can be carried on planes.
As a journalist, I carry lots of wires and electronics, and I can guarantee my bags will be checked a second time. All I do is look at them and say, “No problem.” You want to pat me down and check for weapons? Go right ahead. Do you want to swab my bag for explosives? Sure, knock yourself out.
TSA increased security screenings shortly after the Christmas Day incident of Flight 253, but they have since relaxed them. Why? So folks wouldn’t be troubled too much. That’s just a dumb move.
While Obama is taking responsibility and vowing changes in how our intelligence agencies work with one another, he should be challenging Americans to accept their responsibility in ensuring our collective safety. There is no doubt that TSA would love to do more to protect us, but because airlines complain due to passengers yelling at them for what are considered onerous security measures, security officials back off.
Well, I’ll take safety and security over rushing through the airport. If I have to get there extra early to go through security, fine. The only peace of mind I need is to know that I’ll get to my destination alive and see my family, rather than allowing a terrorist to slip right through with a bomb hiding in his underwear.
Roland S. Martin is a CNN contributor and a talk show host for WVON/AM in Chicago.
