Posted on 01/04/2002 12:09:18 PM PST by Pietro
Universal Fingerprinting
I have the privilege of working at an international airport. I like my job and I enjoy working in this environment. Since the events of Sept. 11 all of us that work in the air transportation business have been required to step lively through an evolving series of changes.
Some of the changes are small, for example they moved my parking space well away from the building into a muddy lot, some of them are merely a nuisance, like going through personal searches (tap down & scan) on a regular basis. Others cost time and money such as the Byzantine gymnastics required to move tools and material into the terminal for airport required construction work. I don’t even mind the phalanx of National Guard troops (in camo), State Cops, Municipal cops, and rent-a-cops casting a suspicious eye at everyone w/ the temerity to try and enter the airport. All of these rules and regs are up-graded weekly.
Now, however, we have entered a new and, I think, dangerous phase; universal fingerprinting of all staff working at the airport. The FBI is setting up their own little office where supplicants must pay $31 a piece to be insulted by their own government. This is similar to Iraq where they charge the victim’s family for the cost of the bullets in a political execution. So much for presumed innocence—your government now considers you a threat and demands you prove your innocence (and pay the resulting admin fees).
I suppose this breath of 1984 would be somewhat tolerable if it had any chance of being effective, but of course its mere window dressing designed by a bureaucracy lacking the spine to do what would be effective. We know the terrorists’ profile, why are we harassing innocent citizens? I have not seen the muslim community make any effort to purge this scum from their ranks and yet we treat them with kid gloves. “Islam is a religion of peace” we are told over and over- because a lie only works if it’s repeated often enough.
Fingerprinting every plumber and hamburger flipper working in the airport is going to catch zero, none, zilch terrorists. In fact, the weapons used by the Sept. 11th group would pass right through existing security TODAY even if John Ashcroft himself were staring into the magnetometer (with the ghost of Eliot Ness over his shoulder). They’d walk right past the rent-a-cops, the county cops, the state cops, the National Guard, and the FBI onto those planes. Given enough time and proper motivation any security system can be breached. The actions of the passengers on the flight that crashed in PA have been more effective in stopping future hijackings than any draconian mandate issued out of Wash. DC.
Yet the mandates continue. This fingerprinting mandate, in my opinion, is pushing the envelope towards unconstitutional search and seizure, and to what purpose? Once the feds have accumulated your personal data, conveniently tied into a Social Security number, you are at their mercy. And what tender mercies they exhibit! Of course, we’ve allowed the feds to shred constitutional processes in the past and they will continue on until someone says “enough”.
I would like to refuse; to stand on principle, but I have children to feed, and a mortgage to pay (like everyone else). I could see twenty years of long hours and hard work flushed down the toilet if I refuse, but I am sorely tempted. I believe a man is defined by the battles he chooses to take on; is this my line in the sand? Today it is the people that work at airports, tomorrow it will be mail carriers and taxi drivers, followed by all dry cleaners and communications workers….
I apologize for this vanity post, but I wanted to bring this important issue to the attention of my fellow freepers. I am hoping for feedback. Thanks for your attention.
I will again trust the airlines with my life when they trust me with my pistol.
The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.
This looks like a no win battle.
Eaker
PS: dhuffman, some people at airports do more than stand around and wait to serve you.
What, pray tell, are you talking about? I'm in airport ops, I help make that place work. I don't go there w/ an agenda I just go there to earn a living you ignorant moron.
And its not a job, its supporting my family, which I take very seriously.
What sacrifices do you make to "make things better"?
I do believe in checking out airport personel. You don't need fingerprints to do it. You can check out their records, citizenship status and whatever else. But you don't need soldiers with sub-machine guns. You don't need to pat down passengers. You don't need to use the excuse of terrorism to terrorize our citizens.
I'm amazed at what the US populace is willing to stand still for. They shouldn't step foot into an airport until the government gets their act in order. I will do my best to eliminate every airline trip I can until the military disappears and only reasonable measures are used to protect us.
I have said it a number of times. I'm willing to sacrifice my life on the next aircraft that is the victim of terrorism, if it means that US citizens can live a life free from the terrorism perpetrated by our own government. I consider a soldier ten feet from me with a military rifle to be an implied threat. I don't like it. I won't tollerate it.
Don't expect me to accept this. I never will, and I can guarantee you I'll cut my flights in half. If others would do the same and tell the airlines and the government why, sane policies would prevail.
If you don't mind my asking what made you give up your job? And how have you managed to pay the bills?
The bills are paid because we did not go quietly into the night.
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