Does a beard make a Baptist a terrorist

The Bush administration has clearly lost the momentum that seemed irresistible in the wake of September 11, when all ambiguity was blown away on a date that shares infamy.

The prospect of hanging concentrates the mind, as Dr. Johnson famously said, but nothing is permanent. Nothing much has happened since September 11, so a lot of us have stepped down from the gallows and back to the carefree life. Some of the things the government has done - color-coded warnings, streets-closings to make motorcades safe, warnings of suitcase bombs posted from Moscow - have hardly helped.

The lick-and-a-promise approach to the turmoil in the Middle East suggests that not only is the administration not sure what to do, but it hardly knows how to do it. The only people in the government with focused passion are the faceless ciphers in Foggy Bottom who undermine the Israelis, our only authentic friends in that tortured region of the world, at every opportunity. We would never reward terrorists with a state of their own, so we give them a state and call it something else.

Rhetoric is all. George W.'s long-awaited announcement of a new peace plan sounds a lot like pie in the sky, but really, really delicious pie in the sky, with elections and inaugural balls and limousines and helicopters and motorcades just over the horizon, all with whipped cream and maybe a cherry on top. The whipped cream is sour and the cherries are spoiled, but maybe nobody will notice.

We have to forgive the skeptics for thinking that politics overrides all, because it certainly seems to be so. How else to explain, for one small but telling example, Norman Mineta and the shuck and jive at the nation's airports?

Mr. Mineta is the token Democrat in the Bush Cabinet, the only willing Democrat the head-hunters could find in the wake of the bitter Florida recount when all the Democrats were angry to the point of bitter exhaustion. Mr. Mineta, who as secretary of Transportation is in charge of what passes for security at the airports, values political correctness above actual security, so the "random" harassment of airline passengers proceeds to the ludicrous example of singling out as suspected terrorists dozens of little old ladies, babies, cripples in wheelchairs and even Al Gore and Dan Quayle.

This is done to avoid recognizing the obvious, that the only people who are interested in flying airplanes into office buildings are Islamic terrorists, mostly from Saudi Arabia. Logic would tell most people that neither Al Gore nor Dan Quayle, whatever their rivals and critics might think of their politics, are likely to hijack a Boeing and fly it into the White House. No doubt both Al and Dan would like very much to return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but in a limo, not a Boeing 747. Mr. Mineta, however, is taking no chances. Al grew a beard after the '00 election, so who can be sure he's still a Baptist? Dan Quayle swings a mean putter; who knows whom he might swing it at?

"Do not subject persons or their property to inspection, search, and/or detention solely because they appear to be Arab, Middle Eastern, Asian and/or Muslim," the Transportation Department, at Mr. Mineta's behest, decreed to airport searchers. "Ask yourself, 'But for this person's perceived race, ethnic heritage or religious orientation, would I have subjected this individual to additional safety or security scrutiny?'" If the answer to this question is no, the searchers were told, such a search is illegal.

The Mineta minions insist the searches are random, but they are anything but that. Random means without aim or pattern, and anyone who has taken an airline flight in recent weeks could see that passengers are not taken out of the line at random, but are carefully selected to make sure they are not, and could not be, actual suspects. When a television interviewer asked Mr. Mineta whether he thought "a 70-year-old white woman from Vero Beach, Fla., should receive the same scrutiny as a Muslim young man from Jersey City," he replied: "I would hope so."

This might make Mr. Mineta feel good about himself, but such procedures only divert the searchers from identifying actual terrorists.

Only a tiny, tiny fraction of Muslims and Arabs are terrorists, and we should be careful never to forget this. But the odds that a swarthy man from Riyadh has a bomb in his shoe are far, far greater than that an 80-year-old blue-eyed Lutheran granny from Minnesota is plotting to fly the plane into the Capitol dome.

Such is the game the government insists on playing. One day soon, if we survive, we'll have to get serious about the threat of terror, both on the West Bank and at the airport, and let political correctness be damned.

One day soon, if we survive, we'll have to get serious about the threat of terror, both on the West Bank and at the airport, and let political correctness be damned.

I have said that before, here on FR. I am sure others have said it. Glad to hear it here. It is so plain, so clear.

My question has been exactly what will it take for us to get serious about the threat? They have the power to plunge the world into the Dark Ages. Again.

No, I think the "stupid party" is the place for him.

There is only one solution to transportation security. Free the airlines from counterproductive federal regulations and let each airline decide upon their own security procedures, both in the air and in their terminals.

Let the travelling public decide whether they want to fly Mineta Airlines where little old ladies are strip searched and nail files are confiscated, or on one where effective security, not whitewash, is in effect.

All Bush has done is to make an effective solution that much harder.

Gee, Wes, I think Ann Coulter wrote this article last week.

First, Norm Mineta and the DOT are NOT "in charge" of security at the airports. As of several days ago, only two airports in America had federal employees manning airport security checkpoints. The guidelines regarding checkpoints are executed by private security personnel contracted by the airport commissions and paid for by the airlines. Today.

Second ... what's the difference? Muslim terrorists aren't going to swipe another plane by bringing some weapon through the gate. That gambit is retired as an Al-Qaida Hall of Murderous Fame legend. All this airport security is nonsense, unless the security is focused on the folks cleaning our planes, loading our luggage and delivering the catering. Targeting Arabs in an airport line IS disruptive, unproductive and a waste of political capital. I'm concerned about the delivery truck packed with dynamite rolling down the street at the packed Minnesota State Fair. I'm worried about a cruise ship being blown up in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. I'm worried about Sarin Gas, or god forbid VX, being released by a stolen crop duster over a packed rural college stadium or auto race. I worry about homicide bombers blowing themselves up in the middle of a jammed, elbow to elbow concert crowd at the Taste of Chicago.

The guys who pulled Gore aside had no idea who he was. I've been pulled aside for the wand routine numerous times. I don't care if it was random or somebody thought I had a shifty look about me. I check my bags on the curb, so they can't rummage through them at the checkpoint. I send my notebook computer and business materials via Fed Ex to my hotel or my customer's office. I wear Dockers instead of jeans to avoid metallic snaps. I send everything in my pockets (except cash) and my shoes through the X Ray in the basket whether they request it or not. It's no big deal, the screeners do a really professional job overall. The pundits are severely lacking commentary ideas these days.

I consider it a personal offense that Clinton appointees have been allowed to stay in high offices in the new Administration. What kind of message does keeping them there send as to the attitude of the new Administration about the blatant crimes committed by the previous Administration?

Norman Mineta joined the Clinton Administration as Secretary of Commerce on June 29, 2000. He was part of the Clinton Administration for 4 months.

Why is he Secretary of Transportation? Here's part of his resume:

Mineta served as chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee between 1992 and 1994. He chaired the committee’s aviation subcommittee between 1981 and 1988, and chaired its Surface Transportation Subcommittee from 1989 to 1991. During his career in Congress he championed increases in investment for transportation infrastructure, and was a key author of the landmark Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 which shifted decisions on highway and mass transit planning to state and local governments. ISTEA led to major upsurges in mass transit ridership and more environmentally friendly transportation projects, such as bicycle paths. He also pressed for more funding for the department’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

After leaving the Congress, Mineta chaired the National Civil Aviation Review Commission, which in 1997 issued recommendations on reducing traffic congestion and reducing the aviation accident rate. Many of the commission’s recommendations were adopted by the Clinton administration, including reform of the FAA to enable it to perform more like a business.

He was a VP of Lockheed Martin. He is an Army Veteran. He served our country in 1953 even though he and his immediate family were interred during World War II. He's eminently qualified for that job. He's a good man, a very capable and experienced man, and he was one of the "good" Democrats in Congress who are now long gone.

Really? How would you set that system up logistically at, say, Minneapolis/St. Paul airport? There are approximately 11 airlines with their ticket counters and gate access in the same terminal, and approximately four to six operational security checkpoints. So, RealConservative Airlines has no 2nd Amendment/4th Amendment violating security apparatus at all, and Northwest requires X Ray of all baggage and overgarments, all laptops and briefcases, entry through a metal detector and random or targeted wand sweeps of the passenger's body. So, I buy a ticket on a Northwest 747 flight to Beijing, but I want to blow the plane up or shoot up the cabin and that's not convenient given Northwest's anal security intrusions. Hey, I'll buy a one way ticket on RealConservative Airlines too, waltz through THEIR free pass entrance, toss their ticket and proceed to my Northwest gate flush with my goodies of death.

The system works pretty damned well. Get in line, wait your turn, and comply with the requests of the security staff who have a thankless job. Take a look at families in a 1933 soup line or men queued five blocks long for a day laborer job and quit your bitching.

I have said that before, here on FR. I am sure others have said it. Glad to hear it here. It is so plain, so clear.

It is neither plain nor clear. Airport security IS being seriously addressed, and processes out of civilian view are significantly more secure than on 9-11; i.e. reauthorized security clearances for airport and airline operational employees; authorization, verification and supervision of service and commodity contractors; close scrutiny of vehicle movements around, and access to, the tarmac; systematic pairing of all baggage with a checked in passenger; strict paramaters governing the ground and air proximity of private aircraft to commercial airline operations; securing cockpits from forced entry; FAA measures to immediately identify aircraft deviating from set flight plans and many many more safeguards and checks. Shit's happening, they just forgot to get your sign-off.

Regarding the West Bank - anyone who thinks that the United States is forcing Israel into ANYTHING inimical to their survival is a dolt. There is a significant percentage of the Israeli citizenry who wish to ceed a Palestinian State and give up land as a prospect for peace. There is no Israeli consensus on the wisdom or extent of a military solution, occupation or fortress reality. Blaming George W. Bush for hamstringing and betraying Israel is asinine and ignorant beyond belief. It's insulting both to Bush and the Israeli leadership and people. It's an insult to serious contemplation of excruciatingly complex political maneuvering in a horribly scarred and volatile region.

I agree with you that the airlines are probably not where the threat is anymore. Frankly, the terrorists just aren't that smart - they could have brought America down to its knees with hysteria long ago if they were. Besides their lack of intelligence, though, is another factor which plays in the favor of sanity. That is, as many Muslims as there are in this country who HATE America and theoretically would like to wage war against us (I assure you there are MANY here), most people, even Muslims, when they are comfortable and content (as people living in our country generally are, physically) do not want to throw away life and kill innocent people. Things could easily snowball, though.

Thank you for your clarification of the current state of airport security - that is helpful to kep in mind. Do you have any links to add to that info?

As to Mineta - if you think anyone picked by the Clintons to run a Cabinet position (taking Ron Brown's place, at that!) is okay to leave in a position of power, then you either do not know the Clintons at all, or how they operate, or you don't have an appreciation of the inevitably destructive power of official corruption. It is ruining us much faster than all the terrorist attacks you can think of. Since you posted Mineta's "resume," you must have the former misconception, and think that Mineta is not corrupt or compromised. I would bet everything I own that he is, if there was a way to prove it (and there may be). The Clintons never, EVER appoint anyone to a position, great or small, who is not compromised, controllable, and corrupt. Never. That's the way it was in AR; that's the way it was at the White House; that's the way it is now.

But thank you for rebutting Pruden's article and my own words with thought and civility - it's refreshing.

BTW, on every leg of one trip I was taking once, I was given the wand because of some steel-toed boots I was wearing (smart, huh?). (I could have easily concealed a Derringer in each boot, BTW, but this was pre 9/11). On my last flight, I finally wised up and took off my boots and put them on the x-ray belt. I thought the security guy was going to pass out from laughing, but I figured I needed to help them do their job, instead of their just assuming I indeed had steel in the tips of my boots.

I can't provide a link for you ... my cousin is the office administrator at the Minneapolis Airport Commission, and she had to type and distribute all these new tarmac/access rules to the airlines, unions, vendors, cops, bureaucrats, security guards, private flight operations centers, Air Traffic Controllers blah blah blah. I saw her the Saturday after she finished and of course, instead of letting her distance herself from the project, I thoroughly debriefed her on the subject. That stuff interests me, and luckily she loves me, so she patiently laid it out. There's a lot of stuff happening frankly that should have been an operational given years before. Like ... making sure you don't have felons on parole for robbery and grand theft working in your secure and unsupervised BAGGAGE DEPOT!!!! God - Northwest had such an employee. You can't believe how many bad actors there were in the catering and maintenance detail! Guys with warrants, owing child support ... there was one driver for a shuttle bus from the pilot/employee lot to the main terminal that had his Drivers Licence revoked by the state in 1995!!!!!! That's our America!

LOL! Actually, I didn't even think about the steel toes until the first metal detector. I was baffled about what was sending the thing off until the wand found my toes.

I ain't a skeered of fellas with steel-toed boots!

Back to airport security - I always figured that if passengers were getting things stolen out of their luggage, there were bad eggs loading the luggage, and the passengers were theoretically safe from nothing. But total security is impossible, I think.

It's the same way at the national laboratories. I grew up in a national lab town, and my dad worked at one. He said in the areas where Q-clearances were required, tape decks were being stolen from cars. I say that if they have people in those areas stealing tape decks out of cars, they have people in there willing to sell national secrets.

The prospect of hanging concentrates the mind, as Dr. Johnson famously said, but nothing is permanent. Nothing much has happened since September 11, so a lot of us have stepped down from the gallows and back to the carefree life. Some of the things the government has done - color-coded warnings, streets-closings to make motorcades safe, warnings of suitcase bombs posted from Moscow - have hardly helped.

I guess the author needs a weekly body count to gauge the momentum of reaction to terrorism. I don't see the lack of attacks as a loss of momentum but a result of the focus being placed on the issue. It is also evident that to the author that the Middle East, as a subject, is reduced to the 50 year old regional conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. I have news for him, that conflict is a distraction that we should never involve ourselves with in the first place. Israel is fully capable of defending itself if they have the will to do so. They are in NO danger of United States "reprisal" should they decide to act as a sovereign nation instead of the 51st State of this country.

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