Something different

But first - the fishing year is over. I was going to go tomorrow, since it is supposed to get in the high 20's, but no one can go with me. It's always a good idea to take someone along, mainly so they can tell the searchers where to start looking for your body, should that service be required. Frankly, your friend is unlikely to prevent you from drowning, but it makes my wife feel better when I take someone along.

Now on to the main topic. On the 1st we'll be headed to sunny Mexico for a week long vacation. We'll get to fly. What a treat.

I've loathed flying ever since 9/11. It was only God's providence we weren't on top of the World Trade Center that day, a story for some other time. So the reader may wonder why I loathe flying, suspecting quite rightly I may object to airport security measures. May I recommend an article in Slate today by Christopher Hitchens titled "Flying High". The subtitle is "Why are we so bad at detecting the guilty and so good at collective punishment of the innocent?" I'd link to it if I had it figured out, but it's worth the search.

While I suspect I disagree with Mr Hitchens on a wide variety of subjects, I always find his arguments well thought out and smartly written. Indulge me while I submit a brief quote from the article that nicely summarizes his argument:

"Why do we fail to detect or defeat the guilty, and why do we do so well at collective punishment of the innocent? The answer to the first question is: Because we can't—or won't. The answer to the second question is: Because we can."

Exactly. Our illustrious Secretary of Homeland Security declared after the most recent attack that the system worked after the attempted bombing. Well that helps so much. The only reason the plane didn't explode into pieces was due to the incompetence of the bomber or the bomb maker.

But it's nice to know that if the plane had exploded, the system would have worked. Agencies would have snapped to attention, department heads would have been notified, forms would have been completed, files created. The speed and efficiency of our bureaucracy springing into action thrills the heart.

I'll remember that this Friday when I'm shuffling through the airport trying to put my shoes back on at the same time I'm putting on my belt, picking up my change, finding my wallet, watch, cell phone, hat......