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To: AllansAlias who wrote (13378)	9/13/2001 12:24:40 PM
From: The Freep	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 209892

Not to keep us off topic. . . I'm not going to quibble about which of the various airline solutions I've seen suggested here are or are not good ideas. I don't know. They all have ramifications about our liberties and freedom, for certain, and rushing into any of them on a full-time basis will simply stampede over any debate. Of course, in the short-term, that might be fine. Again, I don't know. Still, it strikes me that putting armed marshals on planes (most without anti-terrorist training, I suspect, as there are thousands of flights a day) or retrofitting cockpits requires time and planning. Do we shut down American airspace and travel and further cripple our economy and psyche by doing so? In doing so, would we feel powerless, thus giving the enemy more power? I admit that I also laughed when I heard about the ban on curbside check-in. But I've also been somewhat bemused for the last few years when I'm asked "did anyone you don't know give you something to carry onboard?" and all those other questions. If I'm a bad guy, would I answer them honestly? It's a system built on trust. . . and I must tell you that considering that, it's pretty darn successful. As JRI says, airplane security is a problem that's been around for years. Of course, if you look at hijacking histories vs. the number of flights flown, you can see why change is slow to come. It is also true that symbolic buildings and national monuments have always been targets. Do we keep them closed forever? Au contraire. Admittedly, the airplane problem seems easier to solve. . . . And look, I'm not saying things shouldn't change. Clearly, the airport/airplane system has problems. But as we try and figure out what to do (and quickly, I agree), let's not forget that every choice we make (and in this I also include the choice to delay flights or to restart them now) has repercussions in what "makes America America" and by extension "what makes the free world free." As always, there will be trade-offs, many well worth making. But who draws the line? I am not Solomon, so I proffer no answers, but I am quite convinced that all possible solutions need to take not only the physical possibilities but also the above psychological issues into account. the freep