Whatever Happened to Common Sense?

I remember when airport security heightened after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The common saying among everyday Joe Citizen was "hey, I'll live with it as long as we are under threat of attack." Long lines, bans on nail clippers, taking off your shoes became just part of the world of modern travel. People sometimes groused, but the feeling was it was for the great good.

But now comes the Transportation Safety Administration's new guidelines on full body scanners and pat downs for people who don't want to be scanned. Many are screaming that it is too invasive and calls for a boycott on Wednesday aka the day before Thanksgiving aka one of the busiest travel days of the years.

The TSA and the Obama Administration say the new procedures are being done to crack down on people hiding explosives under their clothing that otherwise can't be found. Is that enough to warrant the searches? One side says yes because it is stopping a terrorist threat. The other side says no because it is too invasive of a search.

Well, what side is right and what side is winning. We have monitored a lot of news reports from the left, right, middle, sensational and the mundane all highlighting the tricky political battle that is unfolding over freedoms. All would make it sound like American travelers are up in arms over the change in screenings.

In reality, numerous surveys show 80 percent of Americans support the change. That is a huge number. That is more than hate Congress. More than dislike the President. More than the who voted in the latest Republican Revolution.

It surprised use when we found that data because so much of the reporting has been over the "furor." The furor of a select few.

Whatever happened to common sense?

Brett Banter