It occurred to me as I was again required to pass through a metal detector and my packages X-rayed, that science has not found a way distinguished a terrorist from a peaceful citizen going about his or her business. This limitation is troubling particularly during these times of fear of the unknown and fear of ourselves. It used to be that all I had to fear was getting mugged in the subway. Now my government tells me that me and everyone else must be searched, screened and delayed in order to protect me and my other citizens from being blown-up. The fear level is sure to rise as we approach November's elections.
What is needed is a way to quickly and surely distinguish a terrorist from a peaceful citizen.
What I suggest is a register. Every peaceful citizen will register his or her peaceful intent. The register will be available to all security forces and places such as airports, public buildings, sports arenas and the like. All security would have to do is compare you with your registration and no longer needs to search or delay you.
Some of you may call my registration idea not very smart. After all, a terrorist could also register his or her peaceful intention to avoid being searched and do a terrible deed. But, then I don’t think its any dumber than searching every visitor that visits a building, airport etc. since a sincere terrorist could easily figure out how to enter the building without being searched to do the terrible deed. Our government's search project prevents only the very stupit terrorist, not the dedicated ones. The real reason why buildings and airplanes are not being blown up by terrorists is not because of searches, but because terrorists don't seem to want to blow-up things, despite occasional bombings.
The advantage of my proposed register is that it would eliminate the need to search and delay everyone under the guise of keeping terrorists away. With the registry, the peaceful citizen could go about his or her business without delay while the government could have its citizens know that it is doing its very best to prevent terrorism, if that is really possible
el dueno-- el dueno, Jul 10 2008 Athiest Security Fast Pass Athiest_20Security_20Fast_20Pass [MisterQED, Jul 10 2008] But I'll still have to have my id and my papers on me to be identified as a peaceful citizen. I'll have to present these somehow to a law enforcement officer upon request, thereby being treated like a terrorist, ne'er do well or some other undesirable.-- Noexit, Jul 10 2008 How about an athiest fast lane? Racial profiling is non-PC these days so why not realize that the bulk of our terrorists are religeous zealots so they deserve extra examination. So give people the option of signing up for the athiest fast pass. All they need to do is take the blasphemy challenge and declare openly the non-existence of God. I'd have to check but you may also have them eat a small ham sandwich. I think there is a specific sandwich for this task used during the inquisition and kill a house fly or similar easily generated bug. Lastly declare that L Ron Hubbard was a sharlitan and they give you a fast pass card which you can use at any airport or other security check point.
Submitted as separate idea, see link.-- MisterQED, Jul 10 2008 Ok, here is the flaw. Actually it is by your own words.
"Our government's search project prevents only the very stupit terrorist, not the dedicated ones."
So this plan of yours only prevents intellectual discrimination against terrorists and makes it easier for the stupid terrorist to get in too.
Equal opportunity for terrorists smart and dumb is not a good thing.-- The collector, Jul 13 2008 Searches don't just keep the stupid ones from getting through. Security is more than just a guy making you take your shoes off, at the airport.
High Yield Explosives are relatively easy to make. If the monkeys (Iraqis) over here can whip up a batch, capable of defeating my vehicle's armour, then an American / European could easily make a few hundred pounds in their spare time at home, with the resources we have available to us ...
Except, if you went out and started buying the necessary ingredients, en masse, alerts would be made. If you look up how to make them online, you will be tracked. And the government does a lot of work to keep such instructions off of the internet. Fanatical Muslim groups are surveilled. There is much that goes on, for your safety that you do not see. The guy telling you to take off your shoes is effective just being there. I.E.
"Alright guys, lets have a good, safe and productive day slowing people down at the security check-points. Remember; try to make them as uncomfortable and late as possible. Oh and a side note: FBI sent us a tip: Be on the lookout for a four man group of military-age men with burgundy samsonite suitcases."
This crap of yours sound like my boys whining about having to wear their seat belts. [-]
p.s. I'm out of Iraq and am now in Kuwait! I'll be stateside in a few days HBitches!-- MikeD, Jul 13 2008 rant. A rant I totally agree with, but its not an idea and is unfit for the HB. And, Mike, let me tell you how shocked and saddened I am to hear that the government is actively working to eliminate my free speech, and setting up watch lists for the innocent. Let me further tell you that this "safety" is not worth the cost in economic utility or freedom, and that "safety" is a terrible answer when terrorism kills fewer people than lightning.-- Voice, Jul 13 2008 Eh, [Voice], maybe, maybe not. I'm all for complete freedom. Survival of the fittest! I stay prepared to seize the glorious opportunity it will be the one day all government falls to shambles and the world is left to fend for itself like rabid animals.
But as to what you are saying: //when terrorism kills fewer people than lightning// how do you know it wouldn't be more if not for the few liberties you have sacrificed? Government, by default is a forfeiture of a certain amount of freedom. See John Locke's contractual theory of government, (on which most of ours is based). The trade off is the enormous amount of security and safety you take for granted each and every day.
I wouldn't be so quick to call this government a lemon if I wasn't prepared to live without it.-- MikeD, Jul 13 2008 Security theatre at airports does not make me safer. Catching foot disease when there are five different methods for detecting explosives in shoes does not make me safer. Being on the terrorist watch list along with a million others does not make me safer. Obnoxous, power-drunken minimum wage guards dont make me safer. The government's intrusion into my privacy does not make me safer. The power of the president to imprison anyone he wants without possibility of trial does not make me safer. Billions of dollars flowing to Bush's military equipment selling cronies dont make me safer. Attacking Iraq didnt make me safer. Supressing my freedom of movement by keeping track of everything I do doesn't make me safer. Continual attacks on the constitution dont make me safer. Letting people without IDs on an airplain, but only if they lie and say they left it at home does not make me safer. Keeping me off a plane if I say the reason I dont show an ID is because I'm standing up for my rights does not make me safer. Arresting people for dancing at the Jefferson Momorial does not make me safer.What these things do is make some people feel safer while also making them more compliant and progressively less sensitive to government intrusion, while transferring money to companies chosen by certain people in office.If the terrorists wanted me to lose my freedom, they won.-- Voice, Jul 17 2008 Here, Here!
If people like Mike D and Myself really were fighting to protect America's freedom, we'd have insisted on hauling our weapons with us when we went home, and not let the airports hassle us.
A few days ago I was going into a theme park, and they had metal detectors and everything. I had to leave my multi-tool outside, because it had SCISSOR BLADES on it! Really now? I've never heard of anyone running amok at a theme park, going on a killing rampage with inch-and-a-half long scissors.
What if I wanted to cut open the package on a souvenir I might buy there? I'd have had to use my teeth. What if I needed to tighten the screws on my glasses? Sorry, SOL. Can't fix your glasses at a theme park, someone might use that tiny screwdriver as a weapon. What if I wanted to open a bottle, or make paper dolls while I waited in line? Nope, then I'd be a TERRORIST!-- ye_river_xiv, Dec 05 2008 random, halfbakery