I’m flying on Veterans Day, and this day ‘ when we remember and honor our veterans for their profound sacrifice for our nation ‘ has my mind spinning. I always find working my way through airport security lines thought-provoking, and doing so on November 11 is even more so.
I take a guzzle, toss my half-empty water bottle at the garbage can the next lane over, and miss. It rolls over to a guard, who picks it up and sinks it for this lousy basketball player. The can is filled with plastic bottles. That pile of petroleum products, along with the plastic slippers and Ziploc bags provided to help people get through security, remind me of oil ‘ and have me pondering why we have to stand in these lines.
Going through security at airports, with all the uniformed security agents, I recall that many travelers joke that TSA stands for “thousands standing around.” In small airports, there are often more security agents than travelers. In this airport, they have “Team SFO” printed across their shoulders. I wonder what’s in the minds of the legions of Americans who get up before sunrise and put on those TSA uniforms. What’s their relationship with their senior officers? Do the pep talks really pep them up?
With each pass, I wonder if all my little packing transgressions will trigger a more extensive search. I’m impressed as the system evolves over time…we rhythmically take off and put on our shoes, and the plastic bins are cycled around more efficiently all the time.
Veterans Day was originally Armistice Day, established in 1919 to celebrate the end of the war that was promoted as “the war to end all wars.” Our government declared that Armistice Day would celebrate “the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed.” Then, in 1954, Armistice Day (which celebrated peace) was changed to Veterans Day (which celebrates our soldiers for their sacrifice and patriotic valor). Even though our veterans are statistically far more homeless, suicidal, and prone to depression and psychological disorders than our society as a whole, at least this is a day when we remember their contributions. Thankfully, whether they support our current wars or not, Americans take this day to appreciate and honor those who have served in our military.
It’s so easy to clap for veterans once a year. But what if it’s actually a day to soothe the conscience of the society that sends these people into war? As a society, it’s healthy to look honestly at our situation. Exactly who’s fighting? And who are they fighting for? I believe that the relatively small number of deaths in our latest wars masks the huge number of suicides and broken people our military adventures leave us with. On any given night in our country, at least 100,000 veterans are homeless. Over 600,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been patients in the VA system. About half of those have been mental-health patients, and a more than quarter have been treated for PTSD (nervous-system and stress disorders related to their service).
The big topic among travelers seems to be whether or not you’ll submit to the full-body scanners that are being purchased en masse to be sure we have nothing dangerous in our body cavities. Or will we refuse and go through the punitive, intensive, old-fashioned body search? While nearly all walks of life in America will be subjected to austerity budget cuts in the coming years, we’ll continue ramping up the money we spend for things like multi-million dollar banks of scanners.
Waiting my turn, I observe “Team SFO.” Some TSA ID-checkers make cheery small talk. Others plod through their work. I can’t imagine an eight-hour shift of this. What do they really think about their work? How do they keep it interesting? Or do they even try? What kind of people end up in this TSA program? What’s the camaraderie like? Imagine wearing rubber gloves for eight hours straight. I wish someone would write a TSA tell-all.
For some reason I never get frisked, while much safer-looking people before and after me do. Sitting on the bench and putting my shoes back on, I observe two small boys watching while their dad puts his feet on the footprints on the rubber mat and the man in the uniform pats him down as if painting every inch of his body. What is everybody really thinking? Nice job. Get me outta here. I’m helping my country. This is a sham. Thank God for our first defenders. I’m tired of being polite to the public. I want to scream. God bless America. This is a drag, but if we save one life from a terrorist, it’s a small price to pay.
It’s poignant to mix thoughts of security and veterans on November 11.