Fifteen years ago on September 11th the US came to a screeching halt when nineteen men armed with utility knives hijacked four airplanes and crashed them into the world trade centers in New York City, which nearly killed three thousand citizens. This is why airport security needed to be increased. Prior to 9 /11, terrorists hijacked planes to get to cuba, get money, and get drugs. In most cases the passengers were released and unharmed. We have stopped all of these plane hijackings by upgrading the airport security by adding a numbing array of new measures. The US has gone from metal detectors of the 70s to body scans and enhanced pat downs and many more (Seany). The terrorists have tried so many ways to sneak bombs on board in creative ways like, shoe bombs, liquid explosives, and even underwear bombs. Some people say the US should stop making people take off their shoes, but if the US stopped, …show more content…
that would be pretty much inviting terrorists to use that method again (thiessen). Some say it is ridiculous to screen children and the elderly, but if the the US did not do screen children and elderly then that would let the terrorists know they could get bombs on board by using children and elderly. Some also say that screening violates citizens 4th right, but it does not because the screening is voluntary so it can not violate the citizen's right. No person is forced to be screened because there are other options (thiessen). In 1972 the FAA ( Federal Aviation Agency ) put in place a regulation that all airlines had to to start screening passengers and their carry on baggage by having the passenger to go through metal detectors.
This type of screening was performed by a private organizations, who were hired by the airline that held the operation control over certain airline terminals based on a type of complicated competitive bidding process (“Introduction to US Airport Security”). The FAA began to meet the emerging and existing threats to the airline industry with new regulations, procedures, and security strategies developed to protect crews passengers, and airport from hijacking and terrorist violence. The FAA implemented a number of new security measures to address terrorist threats. They began to advise airlines on security risks and intelligence information. This puts in place more vigorous screening procedures for computers, radios, and other electronic equipment; and it required that only bag accompanied by a passenger can be allowed on board (“Introduction to US Airport
Security”). The ATSA ( Aviation and Transportation Security Act ) this act hired trained passenger and baggage screeners to replace the private companies. The ATSA not only did what the FAA did but they did more. They fortified the cockpit doors and started the sky marshal plan which armed the pilots. The ATSA banned water bottles, toner, and ink cartridges weighing more than 16 ounces because of liquid explosives. They also added full body scanners and pat downs. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) they started virtual strip search, began enforcing more strict searches on children, elderly,handicapped, and military personnel. They started profiling which is a key role in security. After 9/11 happened the United States embarked on a nationwide safety upgrade. The US upgraded airports, train stations, and office buildings. We have come a long way since 9/11 has happened (Mann).
Ever since that fateful moment, citizens in America are on their toes every day worrying about another attack happening. United States citizens have had to adapt and change in response to this fear of further terrorist assault on our country. One of the ways they have adapted is by changing their means of security concerning airline travel. Before the attacks on September 11th, Americans were under the assumption that an individual or group of individuals could not do such a devastating thing to humanity. Prior to 9/11, there was a lack of security in airports and on airplanes.
Whether we would like to admit it or not there was a time, prior to September 11, 2001 when airline terrorism was a very real danger and it seemed as thought we averaged a hijacking or terrorist event every thirty days somewhere in the world. Gladly this wasn’t the case, in an online article I read there was a interview held with a person who spoke to my thoughts, he said “One example was a study I conducted on media coverage by the New York Times during a 17 -year, pre-9/11 period of 1978 to 1994. Among other things, I found that fatal airline events that involved jet aircraft that were hijacked, sabotaged, or destroyed by military action, which represented about 8% of the fatal airline accidents reported by the Times during that period, accounted for about 48% of all the airline accident articles in that period“ (T. Curtis, personal interview, September 11, 2009). Back then, it was easy to visualize a small suitcase being carried aboard an aircraft with a explosive inside, capable of ending the lives of everyone onboard men, women, and children; with no regard to age, sex, and religion.
September 11, 2001 was a day that Americans and the world for that matter will not soon forget. When two planes went into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and two others went into the Pentagon and a small town in Pennsylvania, the world was rocked. Everyone in the United States felt very vulnerable and unsafe from attacks that might follow. As a result, confidence in the CIA, FBI, and the airlines were shaken. People were scared to fly after what had happened.
After 9/11 there was a great increase in security nationwide. One major example of this is the number of agencies created as a result of 9/11. Among these agencies include the creation of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), the DHS (The Department of Homeland Security), the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and lastly the massive advancement of the US Coast Guard. Every one of the budgets of these agencies has doubled since 9/11. The creation of the transportation and security administrations primary goal is to improve the safety of all American Citizens traveling by plane. The TSA started implementing, new policies and new technological advancements.
As the 19 hijackers made their way through the three East coast airports, on September 11, 2001, planning on executing the world’s worst terrorist attack in history, they test the U.S airport security. At almost every step along the way, airport security posed no challenge to the 19 terrorist hijackers. Not to their ability to purchase tickets, to pass security checkpoints while carrying knives, and other objects that be used as weapons on them. Not one step of airport security posed as a challenge or threat to the terrorist. If airport security was more advanced and carful as it is now, the hijackers would have never made their way on to the
On September 11th, 2001, four planes were hijacked, two planes hit the twin towers, one hit the pentagon, and one crash-landed in a field in Pennsylvania. Since then the government has been doing everything it can to help with security at airports, in airplanes, and in everyday life. Even though the government has been trying to increase security, terrorists have still been successful. Since 9/11, the government has taken many steps to increase security and decrease terrorism. However, security has increased, while terrorism has not decreased.
As the blood trickled down the flight attendant’s neck, they all prayed that they wouldn’t die. A dark skined man headed toward the front of the plane to claim his next victim. He slowly pressed the cold, red blade of a knife into the pilot’s neck. Many of those who saw screamed. They all knew, then, that they would die. Passengers felt the plane take some wild turns and they realized that they had turned around. Not long after this occurred to four planes, every single passenger died. Terrorists had taken over planes in America. Four planes, nineteen terrorists, and almost 3,000 dead people later, the United States of America has been changed forever.
To help insure that no other terrorist attack happens again, the government funded a new agency called the Department of Homeland Security. Under the Department of Homeland Security is a branch called the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA was established to make sure that no one carried weapons aboard an aircraft for terrorism related uses. When the TSA was established they realized that security was very weak, and could use new machines to help screen for weapons. The government funded the TSA to install new state of the art screeners, to help insure that nothing like 9/11 ever happens again. Thankfully, the TSA has prevented any further attacks, on American
Chuck Goodwin explains, “TSA, which stands for Transportation Security Administration, is an agency in the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for screening all travelers and their luggage, as well as the screening of all air and rail transportation in the US.” Many travelers know of the them for their increased presence in all airports in the U.S and other major American airports worldwide. After the terrorist attack that took place in September 2001, President Bush and his advisors implemented The Patriot Act. Tracey DiLascio explains, “The Patriot Act is complex, but its major provisions act to improve coordination and communication between government intelligence agencies, removing unwieldy and unnecessary legal barriers between different federal offices and allowing vital investigations to proceed with greater ease and efficiency.” Their idea was to ensure that all intelligence agencies would communicate in a way that would keep America safe. “Steps to prevent events of the scale of those that took place at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, began to fall into place almost immediately...The first outline of a proposal for what would eventually become the USA Patriot Act was drafted just days after the attacks.” (DiLascio) Due to past terrorist attacks, the TSA has implemented security measures in the airports they occupy. “Following September 11, 2001, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created to strengthen the security of the nation’s transportation systems and ensure the freedom of movement for people and commerce.” (TSA website) These measures include full body scanners and pat downs.
America has had 21 terrorist attacks, from 2000 to 2009 consisting mostly of al-Qaeda and suicide bombers (infoplease.com). Osama Ben Laden, leading al-Qaeda’s attacks is fed up with the way America treats the world. Blaming America for global warming and determined to stop them by sending suicide bombers and hijacking planes. After the 9/11 attack America changed the way they looked at security, putting into effect; Airport Security Federalization Act of 2001: To deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools (The Library of Congress).
The security procedures that are currently in place in the United States are very different from the security in 2001. Before the attack on September eleventh, security was not required to completely check each person for a weapon or destructive object. Now securities in airports have new
The United States spends billions on transportation safety to prevent terrorist or any type of attack on American citizens. Airport security are one of the major problems that the government faces, and the solution is the TSA, also known as the Transportation Security Administration. Passengers believe the TSA is effective in abolishing problems such as terrorism, however, this is not the case. Airport security is not effectively protecting the passengers which is shown through the negligence and violations of the TSA employees, ineffective profiling techniques used by the TSA, and unqualified workers that are placed to protect citizens.
9/11 was one of the darkest days in America, but some say the government could have been part of these attacks. For many years people have debated about the 9/11 cover up. This theory cannot explain why the government would do this. Once people understand why the 9/11 cover up is fake, they will begin to see the answer to their problem, could the government have done this? This conspiracy theory is wrong because, terrorists admitted to the attacks, so many people died, and there's no evidence against the government.
“Airport Security.” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13 January. 2014.
It was the rash of airline hijackings in the 60s-70s that inspired the use of metal detectors at the airport to prevent passengers from bringing onboard any weapons they may use to hijack the plane. As airport security gets tighter terrorists are plotting to defeat those security measures. Airport metal detectors are just a speed bump and many other measures had to be put in place to ensure people are able to travel safely. Airport security continues to get more advanced.