Systemic Failure is Unacceptable

For some travelers, the 2009 holiday season was a joyful reunion marked by social gatherings and renewed ties with old friends. For others, it was a reminder of the terrorist threat still lurking in the skies of the free world.

On Christmas Day an attempted bombing aboard an airliner traveling between Amsterdam, Netherlands and Detroit, Michigan failed when the fuse of the device misfired. Passengers were able to subdue the Nigerian suspect who had managed to pass through airport security by concealing the explosive in his underwear.

President Obama was quoted in December 30th edition of The New York Times calling the incident "a systemic failure in the nation's security system." According to government sources security officials ignored a string of signs pointing to an act of terrorism.

On January 3^rd, a man walked through the wrong side of a checkpoint at terminal C of the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, which serves 35 million passengers annually. The incident grounded flights and delayed arrivals throughout the evening. The man has yet to be detained, questioned or even identified - in other words, they can't find him.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials told media representatives that investigators are reviewing video tape from the security station but are uncertain whether the man ever went through the screening process.

The assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, John Brennan, told CNN, "The system didn't work as it should have" due to "lapses" and "human error." Brennan, who is affectionately referred to as the "terrorism czar," also noted, "There was information that was in the system that should have allowed us to stop it."

Just to be clear, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had in its possession intelligence that might have prevented the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt, but did nothing. After the events of September 11^th, the liberal left slammed the Bush administration for ignoring similar intelligence reports that may have prevented the World Trade Center attacks.

If given the choice, I'd rather have a government that deliberately misinformed the people in the name of national security that one that was blatantly ineffectual. Given the events that have taken place over the last few weeks alone, the question remains, is America as safe under the Obama administration?

Many people believe that the simple answer is, no. In my opinion, the DHS has been "dumbed down." Remember that these are just the security failures that have been made public and it's doubtful that these are isolated incidents. The Obama administration has a gift for manipulation of the media and misinformation campaigns.

It is possible that many security measures established by the previous administration have been entirely discontinued. The current administration appears to be far too concerned with the rights of foreign terror suspects and earning the approval of the Hollywood left.

While the president and his family have the world's best security force surrounding them at all times, those of us in the real world have to worry about crime and terror on a day-to-day basis. I believe that the president and his self-appointed czars only care about one thing - the next election. Their priorities are thoroughly out of synch with those of us down here in regular America.

As the civil liberties of law-abiding people are pointlessly chipped away, the rights of those who wish to destroy our way of life are strengthened. In some states I cannot legally talk on a cell phone in my car or carry a bottle of hand sanitizer on a plane.

All the while, a guy who should never have been allowed on an airliner in the first place was able to walk onboard with a bomb in his pants. The outright arrogance exhibited by this administration has demonstrated they care more about the treatment of foreign terror suspects than the safety of the American people.

The president's job approval rating is crashing by the day, and, according to Rasmussen Reports, the number of Democrats in the country has hit a seven year low. As of January 4, 41 percent of those polled strongly disapprove of Mr. Obama's job performance.

The administration blew it with big corporation bailouts and they failed with cash for clunkers. When lives hang in the balance, however, there is no room for partisan nonsense or utter incompetence. Whatever excuses the president makes regarding the recent security breaches, a systemic failure is absolutely unacceptable.

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