This was in the morning paper today. They showed a picture of his medal of honor. This is why our airport security is a joke. They spend all of their time harrassing someone they should be thanking for their freedom.

[url]http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0216FOSS16.html[/url]

When I first heard about the Joe Foss incident, I was stunned.  It's THE Joe Foss!

(sigh)

As a person who worked for the airlines in many capacities including (official) testing security at an airport or two, I'm most dissapointed with the current direction of the FAA's stance on airport security.

From my perspective, it appears that they're making a larger show for the public.  Which has little to do with real security and much to do with perceived security (which are not the same).

To their credit, there is not a way to make a large airport 100% secure as it would require resources (read $$money$) similar to the East-West German border during the Cold War.  And by using the "perceived security" much of the good citizens of the United States do not know the difference and "feel better."  

This is not unlike a police car pulling over somebody on the straight part of the freeway for 6 mph over the speedlimit at night when traffic flow is normally 10-15+ mph over the speed limit.  The LEO has the reds and blues on for a couple of reasons.  #1 is clearly safety...however a byproduct is "visibility."  If the good citizens see LEO's doing their job, they feel safer...whether or not it actually is safer.

Now the not-so-good people...they know better...

Having been in both the security and law enforcement field, I just can't let this thread go by with out relating to my friends here at AR15.com

The Life Boat Salesman on the Titantic Theory of Large Institutional Security.

Working private security for any large public company, In this day and age. Is like being the life boat salesman on the Titantic. You can tell them how many life boats they need over and over again, But in the end some corperate shill with a degree from a liberal arts collage, who has never holstered anything more dangerous than a palm pilot. Will Decide, How many life boats, He thinks he can get away with to satisfy the minimum reqirements of his insurance company.

All you can do if you work for a guy like this is write really good reports to cover your ass and hope to god that you are not on deck when the great ship hits the iceberg.

The security industry in this country is at it's lowest ebb, For the following reasons.

1.) The leadership class of American industry, Have never taken their own security with any degree of seriousness. They see Security as a chance to cut costs in order to fatten their companies bottom line. If given the choice, most would have no security at all, save for the fact that their insurance company insists on it. Thus they embark on a path of setting security officers rates of pay at levels so low that their only compitition in the job market is the fast food industry.

2.)It's much easier to hire 70 year old retiree's and semi illiterate aliens, Because they are just happy to have a job and almost never tell upper management stories about icebergs.

3.) Because of the attitude of american industry tward their own security. American security firms have all but given up trying to provide any real security function and have for the most part become cozy retirement jobs for mid level police officails who are only intrested in putting bodies in uniforms. In fact the biggest trend in the security industry is to make guards janitors with badges. after all that guy down on the deck looking out for icebergs does not look like he's doing much. Maybe we could have him swab the deck and do the ships payrole while he's wacthing for icebergs. That way we could get a deck hand, a ships purser, and a lookout and pay them less than the cabin boy. Besides, we have not seen an iceberg all day!

4.) The american public's perception of security has been destroyed by the years of neglect heaped on the security industry by both Corperate America and the top people in the security industry itself. Security guards are portayed in all facets of the media as the butt of jokes (Take any security officer seen in TV or movies today as an example. They are always portrayed as either semi illiterate dolts or dead enders.) Because of this americans show a sort of split personality disorder regarding the security industry. They want to scream and yell when they do not get $15.00 dollar an hour security for $6.40 an hour. This problem will never go away until such time as American industry decides to treat its security workers as well as they treat even their lowest paid regular workers. YOU HAVE TO PAY ENOUGH TO DRAW THE REAL PROFESSIONALS BACK INTO THE FIELD.

Otherwise Don't come crying to me when you get up out of bed and find theirs icy water in the floor of you cabin on the Titantic.

As an airline employee I would like to give you a different perspective.
The incedent Mr. Foss experienced was born out of the airline industries attempts to make every one sure that no "profiling" is going on. Yes the "stupid" security people know he is not a threat. Yes they are searching 80 year old men and 12 year old kids. But they have to! Not because it is a security problem but because the American people will not let you profile. Profiling is racist they say!
On the topic of true security; Dont ever trade your feedoms for security! Sound familiar?? When we live in a secure society we will be slaves. Can you imagine being asked for your papers at each corner? cameras on your every move? jbt trashing everyones stuff? Is this what you want?
No we are not secure but we are free! When we give up our freedom for security the terrorists have won!
If you want to be secure move to another country. leave this place to those that want to be free. We will take the risk, go through the appearance of security checks but remain free.
The airline industry is cought between a rock and a hard place trying to provide security with out upsetting the American peoples sence of indivdual fredoms.

Guys...

You want security?

You want to see what security in the countrys mind looks like?

Try to get into the Olympic Medals Plaza here in SLC...

Massive crowding of people (supposed to be orderly lines) going theu magnetometers.. and if you beep .. hand wanding by National Guard persons... Any metal beeps .. and all those people with all those pins they are trading ...

The sheeple are putting up with it ... but the cold is getting to them ...

Most locals are NOT going downtown due to the reports of the crowding and the hassles...

Imagine if what this is like for only this short time period were to continue without a forseeable end...

Come and enjoy ...

Ted...

Used my 1k post for a BTT! can you believe it?
Only did it because I believe some of us walk the walk and some only talk the talk!!
If you realy believe in freedom you know the right answer to the question....pat