This Is What It's Come To

I came across this scene a few weeks back, and the gravity of it hit me like a ton of bricks. So this is what it's come to. It's all there. An airport in the United States. And the prime symbol of the newest industry in this country - the industry of fear. How has it come to this? Blunders. Blunders of this government over the last century. Administrations of all political parties going back to at least the T. Roosevelt era, if not earlier. And the current administration, with more blunders than any previous administration combined, has guaranteed a thriving industry of fear for the next generation (or more).

An industry of fear that says I have to sacrifice my Fourth Amendment rights for the mere desire to want to get on an airplane. Is this the freedom of movement as guaranteed in our Constitution? Is this the same democracy created by that document? All in the name of fear? When one party claims that I am not safe if the other party is in power? When special interests want to deprive our future leaders of the education to competently guide this country through the end of the crisis created by their progenitors?

We live in dark times. Will there be a day when this space is filled with tables and shops and people milling about waiting for their flight free of fear? Somehow I remain optimistic. On the other hand, Australia is looking better every day.

Technorati tags: travel, denver, airport, fear, democracy, freedom