Click here for press availability

 




Rachel Marsden

rachel@politicalusa.com

 


     

 

 

Take the Traitor Tour

Your guide, Barbara Lee

 

Subscribe now to Zogby's 
"American Voices of Unity."

 

 


 

Search the Web's most comprehensive Political Directory:
Submit a site



Kirsten Andersen
Brent Barksdale
Jeff Brewer
The Cynic
Joe Giardiello

Mario Giardiello

Scott Gillette

Rachel Marsden

Tom McClintock
Ramesh Ponnuru
Dorothy Seese
Debbie Schlussel
Dr. Jack Wheeler


 

Does 9-11 Ring Any Bells

By Rachel Marsden | Bio
rachel@politicalusa.com

6/19/2002

 
Get Updates

Immediately prior to boarding a plane from Phoenix, Arizona, to Washington, DC, last week, I was pulled aside at the gate by airport security.  The guard informed me that I had been randomly flagged by the computer system to undergo a full security check that would involve a search of my carry-on bag, as well as a wand scan of my running shoes and my entire body.  The dark-skinned man behind me who was waiting to undergo the same kind of search looked rather annoyed, to say the least.  He rolled his eyes and sighed as he stared anxiously at his watch.  He turns to me and says, "God, this is the second %^&# time I've had to go though this on the same damn trip!  I really don't know what the hell the big problem is!"

Hey buddy, does the date September 11th ring any bells?  Personally, I was thrilled to see airport security visibly cranking it up a few notches.  Merely knowing that one could be subject to a thorough search, at any time, ought to be a definite deterrent to any terrorist type who might feel compelled to use innocent air travellers to hone his craft.

I figure a little pre-boarding inconvenience is a small price to pay for peace of mind.  I couldn't help but think that perhaps the agitated fellow behind me felt that he was being subject to racial profiling.  He was middle-aged and brown-skinned-just like every single one of the terrorists involved in the September 11th attacks, and Jose Padilla (a.k.a.  Abdullah al-Mujahir)-the man with links to al-Qaeda who was recently arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport in connection with a plot to detonate a "dirty bomb" (a conventional bomb laced with radioactive material) in a major American city.  Let's face it--blonde-haired, blue-eyed twenty-something Catholics aren't the ones going around blowing up airplanes.  If they were, I'd want all of them singled out for special security checks, too.

Libertarians are constantly whining about how these safety measures are an affront to one's freedom, and represent a violation of civil rights.  They make ludicrous, ignorant and far-fetched comparisons to Nazi Germany.  But what about my right to walk around Washington, DC, or take a plane trip without having to worry about some fanatical fruitcake detonating a bomb that he was able to smuggle into the country because airline and/or border security was concerned about offending his sensibilities?

Having to take a few extra minutes to answer some questions and have your belongings and person searched hardly constitutes a violation of privacy.  It's not like innocent people are being asked to undress or submit to a full cavity search!

Having been in Washington for a week now, I'm all too well aware of the reality of terrorist threats.  The fear here is palpable.  The Washington Post has announced on its front page that US government agencies have just ordered 350,000 potassium iodide pills, which are taken to protect the thyroid gland from the effects of radiation in the event of a nuclear explosion.  There have also been reports that al-Qaeda operatives have plans to release nerve gas into the metro DC subway system on or about Independence Day.  TV ads for radiation detectors are commonplace.  There's a strong sense in this city of people being on edge, although that's not necessarily a bad thing.  It was when we were not concerned and vigilant that we became vulnerable-and a nightmare scenario became reality.

Given all this ominous news, the only tangible thing that has assuaged my fears since arriving in Washington is the fact that I've witnessed-and experienced-a heightened level of security at the airport.  Granted no amount of official security measures-at airports, borders or elsewhere-can guarantee complete safety, it's comforting to know that they're at least playing a role.

We must remember, however, that 64 chemicals contained in common products-such as hair pomade and battery acid-can be used to make explosives.  Timothy McVeigh was able to build the bomb that destroyed the Oklahoma City federal building by using ammonium nitrate-a substance that can be derived from burned wood, metal paint, and farm fertilizer.  David Albright-an expert on nuclear weapons and design, and the president of the Institute for Science and International Security-says that terrorists hell-bent on mass destruction don't necessarily need to smuggle anything into the country or steal explosives from a military base somewhere.  They would simply go out to a grocery store, a pharmacy, or a medical supply store, and buy chemicals that would enable them to whip up a homemade bomb.  Surely there is information out there on some kind of "terrorism for dummies" Internet site that would be of help to these do-it-yourselfers.

All this means that we still cannot submit to complacency and rely completely on formalized security measures to protect us.  That would be like dashing out into traffic on a busy street and believing that you're completely and utterly protected simply because you happen to be in a marked crosswalk.  We all have to do our part and look after ourselves, and each other.

 

Know anyone who might enjoy this site?
Please ... Let 'em Know!
  Full Name Email Address
You
Friend
Tell me how to add a referral form to my site.

Shop PUSA 


Modern Sex : Liberation and Its Discontents
by Myron Magnet (Editor)



The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially
by Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher


Scan your PC for viruses now!

Magazine of the Month



Shakedown : Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson
by Kenneth R. Timmerman


DVD's Under $10 at buy.com!

Cigar.com



The Rehnquist Choice: The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment That Redefined the Supreme Court
by John W. Dean


 Leather - Sale (30 to 50% off)

 Shop for Your Princess at DisneyStore.com


Search the Web for:
Death Penalty

Ronald Reagan

Middle East
MP3
Web Music
George W. Bush
Saddam Hussein

Online Gambling
Auto Loans
Free Online Games
NFL
Nascar

Britney Spears

Search the Web for:

© Rachel Marsden, 2024, All rights reserved.


Home | PUSA Columnists | Talking Heads | Directories | News
Chat Boards | Links | Advertise | Submit | Contact | Shopping

©
PoliticalUSA.com, Inc., 1999-2002. Unauthorized use of materials is prohibited. If you want something, just ask us!
Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Political USA.

 
 


ZoneSwap.com: The FREE Targeted Banner Exchange