Stop imagining what you WISH the post 9/11 era to be like. It is not. It is as dangerous, and we are being probed. They are looking to leverage us in weak moments.
Not only does political correctness hobble us, but so to does the "Centralize It" mentality -- which is just a way of (1) pushing off responsibility or (2) creating a central storehouse or poltical grain for the mice and rats we call politicians.
Rumsfield spoke to that issue -- the waste and folly of centralization -- today.
I don't think this woman is sending panicy info,,she wrote a cogent article about an incident. Truth will out about it.
That said, I was on a Southwest flight out of Houston about eight months ago. Two middle eastern, clean shaven, well dressed were talking intently for a long time at the edge of the place where you sit waiting to board. They knew each other. I boarded first with first class and one of them boarded around me. Before boarding, they had separated. Then the second one boarded and walked right past the first without acknowledging him. I sat there, looked back and made unfriendly eye contact with the second one. The first one went to the lav and never spoke to the second. At that time I called the attendant and told her what was happening. She said ok, left and the plane sat on the runway. They announced we had paperwork probls, three men boarded the plane, in suits. They hung around the front of the plane and talked with the captain. The sterwardess came back several times, just walking. And then the men left after about forty mins. We took off , stewardess told me not to worry right before we took off. I am convinced they checked out the guys, eyeballed them quietly and cleared them. Now that was small but it comforted me. I don't think it would have taken off with a large number of these guys.
I will wring my hands until they fall off.