Anyone remember “Saving Private Ryan”? That depicted an Army Ranger sniper who prayed to his God as he killed? I’m not necessarily equating that with a terrorist act, but I could easily imagine a so-called Christian justifying violence on religious grounds.I don’t know about screaming “God is Great!”, but I don’t doubt Christian terrorists have invoked God in prayer as they carried out their terrorist acts.We’re arguing about window dressing rather than heart of why people carry out certain acts.

Thanks. After being the brunt of Michelle’s anger (above) it is nice to hear some ‘kind’ words.

As of last year, Islam is the largest religion in the world. You can minimize it but one day you’ll realize that  you’re in the minority in way too many places. Look at Blacks and Hispanics in America today.

I assume you are making that statement with a straight face, and that speaks volumes!

The point you are missing on the 80 unscreened bags is is that they were unscreened.  That they allegedly contained nothing harmful to a plane is good for the flying public (but we will never know what may have been in those 80 bags since they were not screened).  The rapper’s bag may have contained illegal substances but nothing harmful to the flyers, but it was screened to see that it did not contain anything prohibited.  Since TSA is not a law enforcement organization and their mandated purpose is to keep things that terrorists can use to bring down planes off of planes, not screening those 80 bags violated that mandate.  Not finding or reporting the pot in the suitcase that was screened (if it really was even there to be found) is acceptable because the bag was checked for prohibited items and passed that check.  I don’t find this inconsistent.  I believe any screeners who are not screening bags properly should be fired as should any other TSA employee who is not doing his or her job correctly.  Maybe if enough of them do get fired the rest will get the message that they need to know and follow their policies and procedures instead of making things up on the fly to confuse and intimidate the public at the airport.

Many airports I fly through already have expedited employee lanes so I’m not sure what is so special about the one in Nashville.  The only thing that is “expedited” in the ones I have seen is that, like the 1st class and other elite level travelers, the employees get to the front of the line quicker but still have to go through the same level of security check as everyone else — bags through the xray and metal detector or scanner for the body.  I have never seen an airport employee or flight crew member “waved through the checkpoint.”  So even if a terrorist found the correct uniform and ID that would allow him or her to use the expedited line, they would still not be able to just walk on through without being checked. (Not having seen the Nashville line, I can’t really say if it is different from the others I have seen but I seriously doubt it.)  Of course the fact that the effectiveness of the checkpoint screening is debatable is a whole ‘nother topic.

Using God as justification for your actions is nothing new, that much is true. However, I would defy you to point to a part of the Bible that instructs adherents to kill the adherents of another religion, or justifies lying and misleading others to further your religious agenda.

I’m sorry to hear that you are also experiencing mental anxiety about going through TSA checkpoints.  I’m in the exact same boat.  Going up against the TSA is utterly terrifying.  The TSA terrorizes innocent people all day long, and it needs to stop.

I don’t think the article argues that service members are terrorists, but it’s certainly true that on historical averages, active-duty military members are more likely to commit terrorist acts than other U.S. citizens.  It’s utterly senseless to search other citizens in more intense ways when they are less likely to commit terrorist acts than members of the military.  Let’s drop the security theater and admit that  NO ONE deserves a stranger’s hands down his pants – terrorism suspects and police searches with probable cause or warrants excepted.

Professionalism? We are talking about TSA you know.

My husband and I were talking about this article and he asked what I thought was a very cogent question.  Who pays for the expedited screening in the first place?  Every ticket has that $2.50 TSA tax imposed on it.  I’m not aware that the fee goes up by class purchased.  In other words, when one pays the extra for the first class ticket, or is a very frequent flyer, thus generating lots of revenue for the *airlines*, how does that translate into paying for a separate, expedited security line? TSA tax is still $2.50.  My husband’s concern was that the average taxpayer is subsidizing the separate line for the elite and frequent flyers. 

Do the airlines pay for that separate screening line?

Agreed on all counts then, Mike. :)

Has anyone read the book “The Pilot’s Wife?”  I know it is a work of fiction, but the plot shows that similar events (the downing of an aircraft by a bomb brought on board by the pilot deliberately) are entirely within the realm of possibility. 
 
I trust pilots with my life every time and I am in favour of granting them some latitude but “stuff happens.”  With that in mind, even in an expedited line created for crew, I believe they should all be screened thoroughly. 
 
 

Since I don’t fly that much and when I do, it’s out of Eppley (Omaha) or MCI (Kansas City) and neither have elite lines, I’m not really getting the picture here.  Airlines pay for the machinery or space?  While the taxpayers and the purchasers of airfares are paying for an officer or two to be dedicated to a much smaller segment of the population?  In effect, limited resources are being shunted to a small segment of the flying population?  Looking at TSA news releases on the frequent flier programs, it seems that they plan to spend less time with those people, as well (but reserve the right to screen them as thoroughly as the general public on a random basis, so as to foil those trying to game the system – their words).

So – we’re spending tax dollars and general TSA tax fees to have TSA officers dedicated solely to cursory inspections of first-class and elite flyers, while the rabble piles up in long lines at the other screening sites.  There’s something wrong there in the first place.  I’m with Raven – screen *everybody* the same way.  That ought to bring about some much-needed changes.

Putting aside the whole issue I have with TSA’s apparent disregard for the 4th Amendment – which seems to be the main issue folks have here – I would think that a “I’m OK” card to get through TSA could, in this day and age, be rather easily duplicated by the bad guys.

The TSA actually is making a big deal about finding drugs and reporting it to the proper local authorities.

http://www.tsa.gov/weekly/officer_observation_large_drug.shtm
http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/oakland_illegal_drugs.shtm
http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/tampa_bdo_illegal_drugs.shtm

You’re right that they’re not a law enforcement agency per se (although their Air Marshal Service is).  However, I’ve seen armed uniformed TSA agents around airports, but the releases from the TSA say they refer illegal drug cases to whatever local law enforcement has authority at the airport.

I don’t think whether personnel are “law enforcement” has to be the criteria for whether or not something is done when a violation of the law is seen.  Even an agency like the National Park Service has law enforcement in the form of armed rangers and US Park Police.  If even a maintenance worker sees something illegal going on (including violations of local laws) they will generally call in their own cops.

I have seen Customs and Border Patrol at airports wearing guns (which I believe are part of Homeland Security like the TSA is), but never TSA.  Are you sure about that?

And yes, I do believe that TSA will report you to the proper authorities if they find illegal items in your suitcase.  However, I am skeptical that the so called marijuana shown in the picture by the rapper was in the suitcase or if it was in there it was probably hidden well enough that the TSA screener did not find it depending on what they opened the bag for.  The screener was probably not looking for that when they opened the suitcase.

Again, TSA cannot catch basic prohibited items, such as knives and guns, on a consistent basis.

Then, while they further waste their time over drugs, we expect them to stop a potential terrorist?

“As a civilian you have no such civil protections”

The Constitution says otherwise.

I’m a civilian DOD employee, and I reported being sexually assaulted at the airport by a TSA screener while on official travel.  So far no authority, not the military nor the Congress nor the courts, has been willing to hold the TSA responsible for the sexual violence it perpetrates.

Regarding special security lines for flying airline employees…

I’m an airline employee who flies dozens of times each year through many different airports. These special lines do not put employees under any less scrutiny that I’m aware of. We still have our ID checked, put all our belongings on the conveyor belt, remove our shoes and get scanned by metal detectors or “back scatter” machines like everyone else. These lines merely provide a shorter wait to be screened, not a detour around security measures.

Other WORKING airport and airline employees can be waived through with just an ID check if they are not flying. If they were to be discovered boarding a plane without full screening it would likely lead to termination, and possibly a fine for their employer. Even if a guy is working the ramp, putting bags on planes all day and wants to fly somewhere after work, he must still complete a full TSA screening like any other air traveler.

Sorry folks, all the airline employees are screened, and all the military folks are too, even more so with the folks that have higher clearances…