Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris has some of the best security measures in the world as far as airports go. Though it is not confirmed that it was indeed a terrorist attack, this week a flight left from that airport and was blown up mid-flight. The crash has all the telltale signs of a bomb – from the erratic swerving pre-crash to the silence from the pilots leading up to the crash – so I am personally calling it a terrorist attack. The fact that this has happened out of such a secure airport raises an important question for Americans and their way of life.
Why are we so OK with trading security for convenience?
Well, there’s a pretty straightforward answer to that. Americans are lazy and want what they want, and they want it now. Sitting in line at TSA for a couple of hours is unacceptable, even if it does prevent tragedies like the crash of EgyptAir Flight 804.
Convenience has trumped safety and security since technology has advanced so rapidly. We’re now able to access files through the cloud from anywhere that we used to only be able to access at our offices or schools. Controllers of bridges can press a button from anywhere to control a bridge. Technology has robbed us of our security by making us fools for the convenience.
The rise of technology has not only made us prisoners of convenience with work situations, but practically everywhere else. It’s easy to believe that because technology has advanced so rapidly, there is no reason we should have to stand in line at TSA for three hours before boarding a plane. We should be able to send our belongings through a scanner, step through a scanner ourselves, and then be on our way with nothing more than half an hour lost.
Unfortunately, what Americans fail to realize is that while “good” technology like airport scanners has advanced, so has “bad” technology that terrorists use, such as bombs. Just last year, ISIS brought down a plane with a bomb that was the size of a soda can. The crash of EgyptAir Flight 804 will most likely follow a similar pattern – the terrorists have found ways for their technology to escape detection.
Because this crash, and most others in recent history, did not happen in the USA, Americans seem disconnected to the fact that this can happen anywhere. If we do not remain vigilant with our security measures, it will happen in the United States. But until that happens, Americans seem very intent on being outraged with long waits for security checks at our airports.
I urge anyone traveling this summer to rethink their feelings about this “inconvenience” – is a short and not very thorough sweep at TSA really worth your life? Personally, I’m happy to give up three hours of my time if it means I’ll get to my destination in one piece.
