Granted, among the most well known incidents that have been labeled as terrorists threats the occurrences have been on airplanes. We are all well aware that 9-11 was accomplished by airplanes. To date those times when we have been put at risk for terrorist attacks the means of accomplishment has been on an airliner.
Since Christmas day there has been so much talk about airports and airplanes that most of us, except for necessity, should have decided to ride, walk or float to wherever we want to go. There has been talk of body scanners which seems to be too invasive for some. To be sure it beats the pat-down I got in Dallas a few years ago.
Without denial there was a systemic failure of the national security and on Christmas day. All the talk that has followed is beginning to remind me of a football game. First down, hand off. Second down, hand off. Third down, hand off. Fourth down, punt. First down, hand off. Second down, hand off. Third down, long pass for the touchdown.
Our attention has been so solely and deliberately placed on air travel that we have begun running a blitz on every flight. No one is paying attention to the lone man standing in the end zone with his arms raised in the air. The point is simple. We have all reached the point of tunnel vision. We can speak of nothing and apparently think of nothing beyond no-fly lists and body scanners. Has it occurred to anyone that while we are all rushing the airports that the terrorists may be positioning themselves for a touchdown pass?
No one wants to see an airplane blown up in the sky. It would be a horrific event and a true failure of the national security system. However, it is far more likely that a person can be struck by lightning than become a victim or a terrorist attack in the air. That is little comfort for the families of anyone aboard a plane that should be blown apart while in flight.
In recent years we have seen heroic pilots like “Sully” who demonstrated expertise. However, for the most part we have seen and heard of pilots who missed the airport because they were playing online instead of piloting the plane. We have heard speculation of a crash that could have been due to weather — or overworked inexperienced pilots. We have had our concerns raised by pilots who fly while intoxicated. We have seen some of our airlines not keeping up with scheduled maintenance in an effort to save money. All those occurrences seem to come into view, blow and little smoke and dissipate into the ether.
By no means is there an excuse for the “systemic failures” of our national security. However, while all the attention is placed on airport security perhaps we should not become so focused on the airport that we forget the ports, the subways, the trains, the bridges, the highways, the nuclear plants, and so on. Al Qaeda may decide to throw the “Hail Mary” pass to a lone waiting terrorist in the end zone.
You must log in to post a comment.