Yet another example of people overreacting to “suspicious-looking” people on a plane once again highlights the broken security system protecting our skies.
In this round, Monarch flight 613 traveling from Malaga to Manchester (England) found its passengers walking off the plane before departure because of “two men of Asian appearance apparently talking Arabic.” At least, this is what the Daily Mail reports.
This is not uncommon these days, sadly, but it needs to be put to a stop. Think about this from a rational perspective and it makes no sense at all. It also highlights why our security system is better at causing panic than actually protecting passengers.
“Despite the heat, the pair were wearing leather jackets and thick jumpers and were regularly checking their watches.” This, along with the fact that they were speaking in what appeared to be Arabic and looked Asian made people revolt.
First off, Malaga to Manchester on a UK charter airline? That’s probably not going to be the first target for a terrorist. Though it would probably do more to strike fear in the hearts of everyone because it could then theoretically happen anywhere, we’ve seen time and again that terrorists like the big strike. It’s always prominent airlines on major routes that will make a big impact. Malaga – Manchester is not one of those routes and Monarch is probably not one of those airlines.
Second, it’s a pretty sloppy terrorist that tries to stand out. Remember 9/11? They were all dressed like businessmen, and nobody thought twice. If you’re a terrorist, why would you wear a heavy jacket in the heat of summer and act nervous and suspiciously? You wouldn’t. There are plenty of reasons that these guys could have been wearing a coat, but terrorism probably isn’t one of them.
But let’s get to the point here. People are on a witch hunt for anyone that vaguely resembles someone from the Middle East, and that’s ridiculous. Straight ethnic profiling can only hurt.
US and UK government response combined with media overreaction to the most recent events can do nothing positive. We’re not any safer, we’re just more scared. The liquid ban was fine for a few days considering the supposedly imminent threat that this could easily stop, but now the government is exploiting our fears to keep these ridiculous measures in place. The government says it’s for us to feel safer, but it really just keeps us more scared. It reminds us of this “constant threat” every time we fly yet not being able to bring on toothpaste does not make us safer.
And that’s why people are overreacting and walking off planes. They’re scared and they feel no safer despite all these supposed safety measures. All they do is make people more suspicious when they probably shouldn’t bother. Organized terrorist groups are going to find ways around security if they want, and passengers won’t see it coming if they do. It’s Scotland Yard or the CIA that’s going to catch these guys, not airport security.
So, let’s stop this ridiculousness and focus on how we can really make ourselves safer. Banning liquids isn’t going to do it.
Edited 8/20 to adjust first and third paragraphs
