The Discerning Texan

All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.
-- Edmund Burke

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Why are Dhimmicrats bailing out on the John Doe Amendment?

Captain Ed points to an Investors Business Daily piece that tries, but ultimately cannot explain what it is that has caused the Democrats to lose all sense of perspective when it comes to the John Doe Amendment that the Dems sabotaged in conference, per the insistence of Nancy Pelosi:

Today's passengers have an advantage. They know what can happen. They know what to look for. They will not be taken by surprise, and they are willing to take action. But some in Congress would sacrifice their lives on the altar of political correctness. ...

As a federal air marshal in Las Vegas observed: "The crew and passengers act as our additional eyes and ears on every flight. If they are afraid of reporting suspicious individuals out of fear of being labeled a racist or bigot, then terrorists will certainly use these fears to their advantage in future aviation attacks."

What bothers us is why some Democrats want to let them.

This move really seems inexplicable. The explanation from the Democrats makes little sense, but neither does anything else. Democrats said they feared the legislation would lead to profiling by transportation security, but profiling has nothing to do with responding to tips. Profiling means investigating people without any substantive basis except superficial characteristics.

When travelers pass tips to airline and airport security, those professionals then evaluate the information and determine the best course of action. That might involve rescreening specific passengers, but not on the basis of prejudice but on the basis of potential threat information. The onus should be on the professionals to ensure that they properly evaluate the information, not on the travelers who are just trying to help keep our transportation secure.

If Congress allows tipsters to remain vulnerable to legal intimidation, it will result in less secure airports and flights. No one will worry about tipping off police if they see a bomb or a gun, but more subtle clues might go uninvestigated as travelers have to weigh the importance of informing security against the potential hassle of getting sued. Eventually that will give terrorists a wider opening to exploit our transportation in a similar manner as 9/11.

Labels: Air Travel, Appeasement, Democrat Sabotage, Dhimmitude, Homeland Security, Islamic Fascism