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What’s in A Name? Ask This Traveler

I am generally sympathetic to our country’s crackdowns on terrorists and suspected terrorists. I support the Patriot Act. I grin and bear the added security (as annoying as it can be) at airports, museums, government buildings, and so on. But this commentary piece in the Post by Diana Abu-Jaber illustrates just one example of what we are doing wrong.

Stupid behavior like continually stopping one woman who is clearly not a terrorist every time she attempts to reenter the United States—her home country—is unacceptable. As is destroying people’s film by refusing to do a hand check (ask Melissa about this one). I’m willing to make a lot of sacrifices for security when appropriate and necessary, but innocent Americans should not have trouble every time they enter an airport for something as innocuous as having an Arabic-sounding name.

Newsflash: Mindlessly and unnecessarily harassing law-abiding citizens will not help stop terrorism.

Scott Bradford has been putting his opinions on his website since 1995—before most people knew what a website was. He has been a professional web developer in the public- and private-sector for over twenty years. He is an independent constitutional conservative who believes in human rights and limited government, and a Catholic Christian whose beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. He loves Pink Floyd and can play the bass guitar . . . sort-of. He’s a husband, pet lover, amateur radio operator, and classic AMC/Jeep enthusiast.