I've been hit!

I received this link to Hugh Hewett's blog from my brother, Mark. The sub-linked story describes a TSA success.

AMPA - A 21-year-old Clearwater man was arrested at Tampa International Airport this weekend after security personnel found a box cutter in a hollowed-out book, authorities said.

Benjamin Baines Jr.

If convicted, Baines faces up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine for a federal charge of attempting to board an airplane with a concealed dangerous weapon. He is currently serving a 30 day sentence after pleading guilty Monday to a state misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon.

The follow up email from Mark said:

Hey Asshat!! Go to HughHewitt.com and see why we have airport security.

Why I never! A guy could get his feelings hurt!

Okay, maybe if I go a l----i----t---t---l---e s---l---o---w---e---r I can FINALLY get this explained once and for all.

My beef is NOT with the presence of security. Can we all just drop the straw man? I think everyone agrees that we live in interesting times and we have to be vigilant to the REAL threats that we face. Can we at least cede that point, once and for all? Good.

Now....where exactly did the FEDERALIZATION of airport security aid in the detection of said shiv? X-ray machines have been in use in our nation's airports for...what? Maybe forever. I certainly can't remember a time when I didn't have to run my stuff through the x-ray machine, can you? But adding the coercive force of the federal government to the enforcement of security had NOTHING to do with this story, now did it? The measures added by the feds -- the ridiculous near-strip searches, the pat-downs, the shoes, the ludicrous restrictions on fluids -- what exactly did those things contribute to this security success? The fact that I have NO RECOURSE against UNCONSTITUTIONAL invasions of my person (because YOU CAN'T SUE THE GOVERNMENT)...contributed what? Are you starting to grok my beef now, finally?

Or are you okay with the ever-lengthening arm of government insinuating itself into every aspect of our lives? Because I'm not. I'd rather be a little less safe and a LOT more FREE.