Opaque Lucidity

The Little Words Make All The Difference

The British did a wonderful thing this week when they broke up a terrorist ring planning to blow up airliners heading for the US via the use of liquid explosives which would be combined once the flight was airborne. It also showed us all, once again, that political-correctness can get us all killed.

There is one undeniable fact concerning all the terrorists attacks made against this nation since 1993: the perps have all been young Muslim males. All of them. Without exception. We can talk about Islam being a religion of peace and, gosh, maybe it is, but that one truth remains: young, Muslim, male.

So now, as you read this, Americans, Brits and pretty much anyone else getting on a plane in the UK or the US is barred from bringing liquids aboard an aircraft. Baby formula is an exception, but one report said that security people were making the parents taste it first. Meanwhile, the idea of binary components being combined to form an explosive is as old as chemistry itself and was certainly known to the world at large before last Wednesday. So why is this precaution being taken now? Three words: young, Muslim, male.

In a world free from political considerations, anyone who is young, male and of Middle Eastern descent would be searched more thoroughly before being allowed on a plane. While this would not be a foolproof method of finding potential virgin harem seekers, it would certainly put the odds in our favor. The message would be clear: if you match this profile, or if we don't like the look of you or, as they used to say, the cut of your jib, expect to be searched. Every time you fly. Sorry, but this is the world we live in now and you have to live in the world you have, not the world you wish you had.

Of course, this will never, ever happen in the United States (or, I fear, in Great Britain). Muslim groups are already issuing press releases reminding us all that Muslims are people, too, and have the same rights that the rest of the population has. This is true. But if any of you reading this are Muslim, please understand something: almost all of us understand that you have a right to practice your religion and embrace your culture without fear of harassment or discrimination. There are people who think you shouldn't have that right, but they are freaks in our society, an abhorrent subset of people who will, hopefully, move off the planet soon.

What many non-Muslims in this country fail to understand is why your fraternal groups are quick to demand respect but so slow to publicly announce the need to clean house. Yes, condemnations have been issued from mosques in the United States, but they are few and far between. I think I speak for many people when I say that I would feel a lot better if that condemnation were so in my face that I got tired of hearing about it.

If we are serious about safety (and I wonder sometimes if our government really is), then our security procedures need to reflect the realities we face. My 69-year old mother and her bottle of water are not a threat to anyone, yet she faces the same treatment at the airport as the 23-year old "student" from Saudi Arabia with a backpack and a 32 ounce bottle of Gatorade under his arm. A child would look at this situation and find it funny; yet our society looks at it and breathes a sigh of relief because it is free of discrimination.

When the next terror attack comes to this country (and it will), the same crowd that is so concerned about not hurting anyone's feelings will be the same crowd asking why that attack wasn't prevented. The answer will be the same as it has always been: because the people who were serious about security were not allowed to keep this nation secure.