Bush Administration - Some Fliers Are More Equal

Airline security since 9-11 has been a wasteful exercise in perception control and governmental dominance. Cat Stephens and nail clippers are grounded, while the shoe bomber and ceramic knives are flying our friendly skies. I've already expressed my thoughts about some of the serious issues raised by airline security.

Now, we learn that the staff of the Transportation Security Administration is ready to make some changes. Kip Hawley, an assistant secretary of homeland security (I can remember a more innocent time when a chillingly vague and authoritarian title like that would have only existed in the Soviet Union), has had his staff put together a memo of suggestions. The media, including the horribly inept KC Star, are buzzing about suggestions to allow ice picks, bows and arrows, and razor blades on flights.

What blows my mind is that among those suggestions, I kid you not, is the proposal that "certain categories of passengers be exempt from airport security screening, such as members of Congress, airline pilots, Cabinet members, state governors, federal judges, high-ranking military officers and people with top-secret security clearances." Now, I'm a pretty bright and imaginative person, but I would have to work a long time to come up with a more obnoxious idea than that one.

What kind of a world have we created that Americans are actually discussing giving government officials open exemption from the rules the rest of us live under?? When did we create a ruling class, above suspicion and bureaucratic interference?

Of course, it is the symbolism of this proposal of political privilege that outrages me, but I also think it's a bad plan substantively, as well. One extremist Republican Congressman has already been caught trying to board a flight with a loaded 9 mm Glock. Personally, I wouldn't trust Zel Miller with a weapon, either. Would you? The Bush administration would.

(Explanation - The Star earned my criticism this morning by utterly failing to mention the proposal to exempt VIPs from its article on the topic. A graphic accompanying the article included the concept, but, if you depend on the Star for your news, that's all you'll see. Pathetic.)