“Is airport security doing all it can to protect Americans?”



“Is airport security doing all it can to protect Americans?”

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Introduction

The 9/11 attacks showed the United States just how unprepared they were to fight terrorism. What followed there on out is nothing more than the appearance of safety against an exaggerated threat. The Department of Homeland Security has been quoted in excess of $40 billion dollars in an effort to revamp aviation security. Federal Aviation Administration lost all their power over the issue and the responsibility was handed to the newly formed Transportation Security Administration; earning the right to regulate modes of transport other than aviation too. What was formerly done by private contractors is now done by federal employees. Many government officials are more than willing to go on the record and state that the security employed at all American airports is much better than before; evidence states otherwise.

The purpose of this paper is to take a closer look at the security present in American airports. This will be done by analyzing the specific need for security and the measures that are currently in place based on the said need. The paper will then highlight the flaws of the current system. The following analysis will then allow the writer to answer whether or not airport security is doing all it can to protect Americans.

Thesis

“The war on terror has been grossly overrated and has produced more enemies than we initially started out with. Billions of dollars have been unnecessarily spent and the expense continues to rise daily. Currently, airport security is not doing justice to their cause.”

Current Measures in Place

The TSA was created to take over the role of the private security companies charged with the responsibility of securing our airports prior to 9/11. The number of TSA agents has grown from 16,000 to approximately 50,000. The public did not complain with the rising numbers primarily because to someone who is scared, every ounce of protection seems too little. It is also worth noting that a majority of security measures were only introduced after repeated failed attacks. Passengers are asked to remove their shoes only after the incident where an individual sneaked a shoe bomb onto the plane. Similarly, restrictions on the amount of liquids a passenger is allowed to take on the flight only came to be after an individual carried on explosive liquids. Incidents like the ones stated above only prove that the United States government and the TSA in particular, is reacting to threats and not working proactively to make the American public safer.

TSA representatives say that the tighter security is not just about detecting potentially explosive devices. The tighter security has been introduced as part of an effort to be better equipped to detect all sorts of weapons before an individual is able to get them onboard an aircraft. Unfortunately, the technicalities and the methods use to detect the so called vast array of weapons is rather pointless. Close inspection of the rules regarding ...