The Friendly Skies

Remember the Friendly Skies? it was before 911. Before the squads of $12/hr security guards were released into the airports.

A Uniform had me spread eagle and shoeless in Philly a couple days ago, arms extended like Christ so he could pat me down. Probable cause? A US Airways ticket. I wanted to ask the power drunk fuck if he had on disposable rubber gloves because he intended to stick his finger up my ass or to protect himself from germs my ID might be carrying.

Who is paying for all this security? Taxes? A healthcare plan would do a lot more for me... perhaps a Federally subsidized mass transit system. I heard an NPR piece stating that 850,000 homeland security workers have been added since 911... more new offices occupying more space than entire Pentagon.

The plane I flew to Atlanta was packed to the gills and I had seat 27 D, a non reclining special screwed to the bulk head wall directly in front of the only bathroom servicing 2nd class. Do the math. Four seats per row, 27 rows. 108 passengers, a 2 hour flight with a complimentary drink served.
I got an intimate look at over eighty asses stuck in my aisle row face during the second half of the flight.

Do you feel safer? Hell no!! I feel like America has turned into a Gestapo state every time I step into an airport. I have not gotten use to it and I find it more offensive each time I fly. A endless eight year war we are losing and private eyes everywhere. What happened to the brave, independent American?

And these ads in every State for local candidates running on a platform of anti-Obamics and anti- immigration, lock the illegals up and "protect our borders from them." Take a look around, the them is us and these ads are being churned out by a central political office only to spread fear and keep the support flowing.

Fifty minutes from the outskirts of downtown Atlanta the roads are still made of red-clay. But walk into the little country store at the crossroads outside of Villa Rica and you'll find the guy behind the counter doesn't have a great Grandaddy who fought the Yankees at Bull Run or who watched his house torched by Sherman. Nope, this guy may have dark skin but he's not from the African continent. He's from India and still bearing the accent of his native land. In the strip mall down the street they are Korean, or Mexican, or Chinese or Latino.

That is who we are... and we don't need a thousand mile fence to keep us safe... we need an economy that doesn't import manufactured goods but exports them. We need ambition and pride, not xenophobic fear and resentment.