Dear Fellow Citizen,
We are all terrified and angered by the events of this week. However, you may
not have heard, but passengers who traveled yesterday (9/14/01) for the first
time since the horrific events of the last few days, complained that security
at U.S. airports was almost identical to previous days. The principle
measures seem to be replacing metal knives in First Class with plastic ones,
showing an ID and ticket at the security check point in addition to the
counter, and eliminating curbside check-in. This is an outrage! America
needs much more stringent security provisions. Americans must immediately
require that the Federal Government take charge and implement proper measures
to ensure the security of all Americans and all passengers flying within our
borders and on our airlines. I call upon you to copy the letter below and
send it to your local elected officials, Congressman or Congresswoman and the
two U.S. Senators from your state. You can find their email addresses at the
following web site. Additionally, I have included some names and email
addresses of key Congressional leaders who are responsible for this issue.
Remember, it is critical that you add your mailing address and name at the
bottom of the letter. Congressional leaders want to know that you are one of
their constituents!
Locate your elected leaders and their email addresses here:
<A
HREF="http://www.berkshire.net/~ifas/activist/index2.html";>http://www.berkshi
re.net/~ifas/activist/index2.html</A>
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
Senator Ernest Hollings SC b Chairman <A
HREF="mailto:senator@hollings.senate.gov";>senator@hollings.senate.gov</A>
Senator John McCaine AZ b Ranking Member <A
HREF="mailto:senator_mccain@mccain.senate.gov";>senator_mccain@mccain.senate.g
ov</A>
Aviation Subcommittee of the Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation
Senator John Rockefeller WV b Chairman <A
HREF="mailto:senator@rockefeller.senate.gov";>senator@rockefeller.senate.gov</
A>
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison TX b Ranking Member, <A
HREF="mailto:senator@hutchison.senate.gov";>senator@hutchison.senate.gov
</A>
House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Representative Don Young AK b Chairman <A
HREF="mailto:don.young@mail.house.gov";>don.young@mail.house.gov</A>
Representative James Oberstar MN, Ranking Member <A
HREF="mailto:oberstar@mail.house.gov";>oberstar@mail.house.gov</A>
Aviation Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
Representative John Mica FL, Chairman <A
HREF="mailto:john.mica@mail.house.gov";>john.mica@mail.house.gov</A>
Representative William Lipinski IL, Ranking Member (no email yet, mail to:
U.S. Congress, Washington DC 20002)
Please do your civic duty, help us out in our effort to protect our families,
our children and ourselves from any further tragedies like the ones we have
seen this week. Finally, please distribute this email to as many people as
you can.
Peace be with you all,
Cameron Clarke
Fellow American Citizen
Copy this letter into the email:
As an American and a citizen in your district I am writing this letter to
implore you to immediately and swiftly execute legislation, which establishes
appropriate security measures for Americans who travel domestically and
globally on U.S. carriers. I was absolutely horrified and shocked last
evening to discover that the FAA had taken what appeared to be only limited
security precautions at U.S. airports to counter the unfathomable events of
the last few days. My sources of information are interviews conducted by the
media last evening with passengers who flew yesterday under the supposed
b newb protective measures, and the following story which has been
syndicated
throughout the media.
At Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, a pilot and two ground
crew members for Northwest Airlines intentionally breached security -
the pilot didn't have proper ID, and the crew members carried a knife
and corkscrew - to make a point about the continued existence of
security gaps, according to the AP. That supports the contention of
Clark Onstad, a former FAA chief counsel, who told the Financial
Times, "The airlines are not the 82nd Airborne. They catch the insane,
they catch the sloppy and they catch the ignorant, but they're not
going to catch a sophisticated terrorist." b The Industry Standard September
14, 2001.
This is a total outrage and I call upon you to implement the following
measures immediately:
1. Instruct the FAA to immediately place armed skymarshals on all
domestic and international American carrier flights, who have been trained in
counter-terrorism skills and can handle hijacking situations. These people
should be armed with weapons that require biometric identification in order
to fire their weapons ensuring that hijackers canbt use them against
passengers.
2. Replace the unsophisticated, low wage, and improperly trained
airport security personnel in every U.S. airport with a professional and
properly trained force who are federal employees and can ensure that weapons
do not breach security. There have been far too many instances of these
breaches to date, even by the FAAbs own admission.
3. Replace the flimsy airplane cockpit doors with properly secure
doors and require that pilots remain inside the cockpit in all instances of
hijacking.
4. Establish a committee in Congress to oversee the FAA directly to
ensure that the FAA swiftly and properly implements all of the
above-mentioned provisions. The lack of oversight of the FAA to date is
shameful.
Finally, every American has a right to these provisions, just as we have a
right to a strong FBI. The Federal Government, travelers, and the airlines
share in this responsibility. However, this should be implemented as a
Federal Government program and therefore should be funded by the Federal
Budget. We look to Congress to ensure our protection.
Thank you and I look forward to a swift response from you and your office.
Sincerely,
[Add your name here]
[Add your mailing address here]
[Add your email address here]
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