Homeland Insanity

We all know about the Department Of Homeland Security. It was created to secure the homeland. The new agency has all sorts of fancy high tech stuff, some of which I was trained to use (the stuff you see, and some stuff you do not see, at the airport).

But the agency is FAR LARGER than just the airport. Homeland Security is everywhere. It is busy 24 hours every day securing the homeland.

Or is it. On December 21 2005, a 4 year old boy was given the shakedown for being on the "no-fly list". He managed to catch his flight, but only after much pleading from his mother, who assured the ticket agent that her 4 year old was not a terrorist. He did not even own a plastic AK-47, let alone the real thing.

The boy is alledged to have said "I just want to see my grandmother". Obviously, some kind of terrorist chatter code speak. Who, or what, is this "grandmother?"?? Better tell us NOW boy, or else you could end up in a secret CIA jail!

Then on December 26, on her way home, the boy was again given the stare for being on the list. This time, the ticket agent was not so nice - saying "you are lucky I am going to let you through and not put you through the other process". Someone got a lump of coal on Christmas! And then took it out on a 4 year old passenger.

Other people who found themselvs on "the list" include Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, and actor David Nelson from "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Massachusetts. Notice a pattern here? A DEMOCRAT from Georgia, another from Massachusetts, and an actor - no doubt from that evil city of terrorists Hollywood CA.

Senator Kennedy had to call several federal officals before his name was seperated from the name of Osama Bin Edward Kennedy.

Now I am all for a secure airport and stuff, but this is just plain stupid. A 4 year old boy is not a terrorist, and neither is a United States Senator - just keep the booze and the car keys away from the Senator while he is on the aircraft and everything will be OK. And for the love of all things holy, do NOT let the senator fly the plane, that goes double if there are any rivers within 500 miles of the aircraft. But in his first class cabin seat, the senator would pose minimal security risk.

And where did this happen? Guess what airport. Go on, guess!

If you guessed the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston Texas (IAH), you win a cookie. The December 26 incident was at New York La Guardia (LGA).

It is things like this that make us LESS safe. When Senators and 4 year olds end up on the bad list, it trivializes the seriousness of the list. Airline employees could begin to view the whole thing as silly. People with nothing to do with anything end up going through a fine mesh screen - all for nothing. Meanwhile, someone else could slip through the net unnoticed - while TSA is busy looking in Senator Kennedy's shoes for anthrax. Screener's time and attention end up focused where it really does not need to be.

Homeland Security IS a big deal, and it is very important. Lets just hope that the insanity can be removed from the system before it is too late.