Taking things up a mega-notch

Today while my daughter visited Playland, I sat in a nearby dining area, drinking some Dr. Pepper and reading the September, 2006 issue of Popular Science Magazine. What made me pick it up was their feature story about robots, but as I paged through it, I came across another VERY interesting story, one highlighting how technology is being used to fight terrorism (it's titled "Technology vs. Terrorism"). It pretty much spelled out technological advances in preventing another terrorist attack. While informative, the article made me wonder one thing: Just what exactly are all these extra-special security enhancements REALLY doing, perotecting us or forcing us to live in fear?

Prior to 9/11, security measures were lackadaisical at best, cautious at worst. Despite terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, we never imagined 9/11 could happen. That's why it didn't take as long as it does now to get on a flight. That's why once upon a time we were able to stow a letter opener or bottled water in our carryon case. But no more. Since the attacks, America has gotten radical about playing it safe. The Department of Homeland Security has taken one extreme move after another, and even companies on a local level are making sure nobody gets in carrying something suspicious. (Sadly, profiling has taken a hard hit, but that's for a whole nother blog post.) Some may argue such extreme measures are a little TOO extreme, while others just shrug it off and say the standard "I'd rather be safe than sorry." (You will notice, in fact, A LOT of people are saying it.)

In some cases, these extra security measures are indeed a little extreme. But you have to ask yourself what chances a terrorist has now in bombing another plane. The skeptic will answer, "Oh, they'll find SOME way to do it!" while the optimist will approvingly respond with, "Things are better now."

This is, above all else, the "bigger picture" in a post-9/11 world. It's not about living in fear; it's about living in a more SECURE country. Sure, some people might think the terrorists are having the last laugh. "Look at them, too afraid to just walk through a door without having to have their eyes scanned." But the reality is, this whole revamping of security is a step up in preventing terrorist attacks. What 9/11 did wasn't destroy us; it only made us stronger, smarter and braver. It made us see these guys have a WAY of getting in, and now it's up to us to make sure that doesn't happen again.

There are, of course, downsides to this picture. The other side of the coin is that innocent people get WRONGLY ACCUSED of being a terrorist -- or even a POSSIBLE terrorist. If we do a Google search on any "red flag terms," we get arrested and our computer gets seized. We're interrogated for hours, often mercilessly, and our psyches are forever tarnished with this harrowing experience of nearly being imprisoned for treason. Or worse.

Yes, there is a dark side to this new world we live in. But maybe the bright side is one worth pursuing. Maybe it's actually GOOD better security measures exist. That not just ANYONE can do ANYTHING that could hurt others or even mass-slaughter more innocent lives.

That's the real benefit of tightened security measures. We're not drones having our iris scanned, our inked fingers being identified and our clothes scanned. We're pioneers in a country that's a better fighting force, a better defensive field, and a harder shell to crack in the war against terrorism.