...or will America stop being afraid of being afraid?

Have you ever met a germophobe? You know, one of those people who sprays their office phone with Lysol every morning in case the cleaning staff touched it. People who line the toilet seat with tissue to avoid actual contact with the plastic. Folks who are never more than two feet from a bottle of Purel. Admit it; don't you snicker a little when one of these people gets a cold?


Welcome to America 2010. We hate government. We hate government healthcare...except Medicare. We hate government handouts...except Social Security. However, on the subject of air travel, we have devolved into a country that virtually demands the government make each and every citizen 100% safe. A citizenry that decries government involvement in almost everything storms the halls of Congress the first time they perceive a threat. Some have suggested that President Obama cancel his vacation and rush back to Washington. To do what exactly? Inspect bags at Dulles? We are a country held hostage by guys with exploding shoes and incendiary BVD's. For God's sake America...man up!


We need to accept a few facts.

First, we will never be completely safe. Not on an airplane, not in a train, not in a bus and certainly not in a car. Malls and theaters will always be targets. As the most recent occupants of the White House have acknowledged, there is evil in the world. There are people out there who mean us harm. Your government has made and will continue to make, a good faith effort to minimize the risk. That does not mean that everyone who has evil intent will be captured or thwarted. Some will succeed. Gaps in security will be exploited. Government security must be everywhere all the time. A terrorist only has to be in one place and he need only succeed once.


The ham-handed response of Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano notwithstanding, the system worked. The "system" in this case being a watchful passenger. In the case of shoe bomber Richard Reid it was an vigilant flight attendant. We can continue to develop new and better security devices to install at airports but people will ultimately determine whether a plane or a train arrives safely. People who take responsibility for themselves. You are your own best and last security device.


Second, profiling and increasingly invasive security measures are completely acceptable. Remind yourself that flying is a privilege not a divine right. If you are Middle Eastern we apologize for the inconvenience. Sadly, you share many of the characteristics of those who are continually trying to incinerate our transportation system. We will continue to single you out for special consideration. Complain to your congressman. Write a letter to the New York Times. We are sorry that you were born in Bayonne but are being treated like someone from Baghdad. Get over it! The system is trying to protect you also.


If you think that x-ray screening is too invasive, take the bus. If you are offended by being poked, prodded and peered at by TSA employees, tough! As long as there are villains among us you will have to endure the unpleasant prospect of some government functionary leering at you through your Fruit of the Looms. Trust me, they don't like it any more than you do.


Third, no-fly lists will forever be a hit or miss proposition. They depend on considerable global cooperation and, based on the track record of our own FBI/CIA for info-sharing, you should not be optimistic. Blame-gaming about who or what government agency should have informed what other government agency is disingenuous and counterproductive. When the no-fly list is topping out at 500,000 people and false documents are easier to come by than Springsteen tickets, mistakes will be made.


Fourth, we really are safer than we have ever been. The global cooperation among governments and the advances in screening technology have reduced would-be bombers to flammable Nikes and explosive knickers. If they weren't so dangerous they would be comic. The task of keeping the world's craziest zealots from exploding their hats on aircraft or dousing themselves with anthrax-laced talcum powder and attending a Broadway show is beyond formidable; it's herculean. The only success our enemies have seen since 9-11 has been the delight of watching 300 million Americans soil themselves every time someone mentions al qaeda. (Dick Cheney has started wearing Depends.) They're evil and despicable but they're not super human. They may not even be super smart. They have however, figured out how to scare the hell out of the American exceptionalists. Be cautious don't be frightened. Any country that can survive the threat of Vice President Sarah Palin can tolerate a patdown at O'Hare.