Something Jmhm said made me think of this. . .

[xiphias]

In your opinion, which is more damaging to freedom?

1) A terrorist hijacking a plane and killing everyone on board.
2) A population getting used to the idea that going through a security checkpoint is a normal, unobjectionable part of daily life, and it is a reasonable expectation when traveling that government agents will search your belongings and person.

Comments

[mattblum.livejournal.com]

There's of course a rather large difference between terrorists hijacking an airplane and killing everyone on board and terrorist hijacking an airplane and killing everyone on board plus hundreds of other people by crashing the plane into a building.

Regardless, you're making a false comparison. Suppose #1 said "Terrorist hijacking fifty planes and crashing some of them into buildings and some of them into bridges, killing over 150,000 people." Would your answer be different then?

I don't like security checkpoints, either. But I consider them an objectionable, but sometimes necessary, part of life these days. I think the PATRIOT Act and its ilk are much worse, because you have no control over what happens to your privacy whatsoever. When you're flying, you know ahead of time what the restrictions are, and you can (generally) avoid having your stuff poked through.

[dancing-kiralee.livejournal.com]

I dislike the Patriot Act in principle.

But, in terms of those things that I personally have had a problem with, well, the airplane searches, both real and potential, have been a lot more annoying.

Kiralee