TodayBattling terror in USA’s nurseries
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Article RatingStrict security at airports isn’t a new development.
Ever since 9/11, travelers have been asked to submit to rigorous screenings on the theory that there can be no freedom without vigilance.
But it’s way too easy to emphasize vigilance at the expense of freedom. Ask Edward Allen, who was pulled out of line twice over the holidays while attempting to fly across the country to visit family.
Edward is 4 years old.
The ticket agents cited the presence of his name on the no-fly list as the reason for holding up the child’s boarding pass.
But it wasn’t this Edward Allen’s name that was on that list. It was someone else named Edward Allen who had given authorities reason to believe he was a person who shouldn’t be allowed to board a commercial airliner.
Several months ago, Sarah Zapolsky had the same problem with her 9-month-old toddler. The child’s name — which Sarah wouldn’t reveal, for obvious reasons — came up on the no-fly list.
Eventually, both these children were allowed to board. But the next time they have to travel anywhere, their names will come up again. The Transportation Security Administration, which administers the list, refuses to speak publicly about most aspects of the list — indeed, it took news coverage of several non-terrorists denied boarding passes to get the TSA to even admit there was such a thing.
The TSA did tell the Reuters news service that 28,000 people have applied to have their names removed from the list. And since the job involves national security issues, you would be right to assume that this isn’t simply a matter of calling some office and saying, “Hey, I’m not a terrorist, strike my name from your list.”
Those who have successfully run this gantlet are issued an official letter from the TSA that explains their situation to ticket agents and TSA screeners. But Reuters quotes a 63-year-old former State Department employee who says he has the letter but still gets pulled out of line all the time and told he’s on the no-fly list.
As for the 4-and-under crowd, a TSA spokeswoman told the Associated Press no children are on any terrorist watch list and so they should not be subjecting anyone under age 12 to multiple security checks. But Edward Allen’s experience proves otherwise.
Combine this with the experiences of Sen. Edward Kennedy, Rep. John Lewis, Rep. Don Young and former “Ozzie and Harriet” star David Nelson, whose names have been repeatedly flagged by the no-fly list despite the ease with which they can be identified.
Another TSA spokesman said the agency does take clearing people’s names seriously, adding, “It does us no good to focus on the wrong John Doe.”
We agree. That’s why the TSA needs to get as many of those 28,000 applicants off their no-fly list as possible with the greatest possible speed. And while they’re at it, make more of an effort to get the word out that our government isn’t seeking any terrorists younger than age 12.
