Airline security reached a new level of paranoia Jan. 11, when 86-year-old retired Marine Corps General and former South Dakota Gov. Joseph J. Foss was harassed by two security teams over the Medal of Honor he was trying to carry onto the plane.
Gen. Foss earned the Medal in 1943 as a Marine fighter ace in the Pacific. Having also served as the former president of the National Rifle Association and commissioner of the now-defunct American Football League, Gen. Foss was interrogated by security when he told them he had a pacemaker and could not go through the metal detector.
In a way this shows a commendable spirit of thoroughness on the part of the security teams. It is their duty to investigate any possible threat, and to err on the side of caution.
Even considering the difficulties involved in keeping our airliners safe, a line needs to be drawn somewhere on how much dignity we are willing to sacrifice at the altar of panic. The few surviving Medal of Honor recipients are some of our country's greatest heroes. They have proven their loyalty to the United States in ways that are beyond any question or doubt, by putting their lives on the line for their country.
Of course, it is always possible that even the most highly decorated and honored veterans could be considered a threat. Or, that someone could have created an imitation of a military medal to use as a weapon. Due caution on the part of security personnel is appropriate. However, a five-minute phone call to the nearest recruiting office could have verified Joseph Foss as a Medal of Honor recipient and provided a basic description.
The U.S. Army's Center for Military History Web site, www.army.mil/cmh-pg/moh1.htm, has the full text citations of all the Medals of Honor ever awarded. The Medal for Gen. Foss says, in part: "His remarkable flying skill, inspiring leadership, and indomitable fighting spirit were distinctive factors in the defense of strategic American positions on Guadalcanal."
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Besides, there is only so much an 86-year-old man with a pacemaker could do to terrorize a plane. At what point do we draw the line? If George Washington tried to board a plane, would the security forces have to X-ray his dentures? If Jesus Christ tried to take His carpenter's file onto a plane, would it be confiscated?
We are living in a state of unreasonable fear about airlines. On Sept. 11, we were taken by surprise. That was only because we have always been told that hijackers will land the plane safely if everyone cooperates.
But the men of Flight 94 demonstrated that the best security an airplane has is its passengers. Once they realized the hijackers' intent, they took action. Although they were unable to save the plane, future airline passengers will move before prospective terrorists can take control of the cockpit.
In fact, it's only a matter of time before an accidental beating occurs. Someone who looks like they might be Middle Eastern will be getting up to go to the forward lavatory and will be mobbed by frightened fliers. What will we do then? Disallow people on planes from using the bathroom? Have anyone who gets out of their seat have to answer to an Air Marshal?
Anyone who has tried to fly in the past few months can attest to the delays and hassles of long lines and pitiless security measures. Confiscating every teenage girl's nail file is not going to prevent terrorism. Suicidal maniacs don't necessarily need weapons, either.
As long as we perpetuate our fear by turning every airport into a police state and by telling our security guards to trust no one, we are letting the terrorists succeed in changing our lifestyles and altering our culture.
The United States was built on the principles of freedom and the courage of average citizens. If we lose respect for both of those then we have lost the war against terror.
Craig A. Butler
Daily Lobo Columnist
