National Guard Posted at Airports

“Troops Posted at LAX, S.F. Airport” (Oct. 6) left me with just a few questions. First, my hat’s off to the men and women called up to serve. I pray for their safety. And I hope everyone else does too. Their M-16s are not loaded. At least that’s what your story said. What are they supposed to do if they encounter a suspected terrorist threat? Yell “Bang!”? Why have them there at all if they can’t defend themselves, let alone the traveling public? If we’re going to train them to do what they do and then call them up in a time of crisis or tragedy, we ought to at least make sure they have all the tools to do the job.

One more thing. I don’t believe the media help anybody when it is reported that they are not carrying loaded weapons.

Ed Deusenberry

Trona

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I had difficulty stomaching even a glass of orange juice after I read the Oct. 7 letter regarding the U.S. stationing soldiers at airports and its jab at a less-educated class of citizens. People with high school educations (and less) have without hesitation answered the call, fought and died since 1776 to obtain, defend and preserve our civil liberties. No, I am not in the National Guard, but I know and respect many who are. These people are true patriots, who at great personal sacrifice and very little pay volunteer for this duty, to help protect the citizens of their country in times of war and peace. Soldiers at airports remind me of who is responsible for protecting our civil liberties. Try thanking one of them for a change.

Terry G. Schauer

Sherman Oaks

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Re “FAA, Airlines Stalled Major Security Plans,” Oct. 6: I am not surprised at the FAA and the airlines’ failure to implement the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security recommendations. Besides missing a number of important security issues, and like a lot of government policy, the recommendations are neither measurable nor do they have an implementation plan or schedule. Further, there is no stated vision of the overall outcome of this activity.

Beyond the issue of government failure, private airline companies would still allow smoking if the threat of massive secondhand smoke lawsuits hadn’t eliminated another miniature weapon of mass destruction, the cigarette.

Roger Newell

San Diego

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On Oct. 6 I flew from Burbank to Sacramento and then back after attending a wedding. I went through security at both airports with a carry-on bag containing a book, metal case with reading glasses, a cell phone and a pager. At neither airport did anyone search my bag, even though the metal case could have held a knife rather than reading glasses and the cell phone and pager could have been dummies that contained explosives or weapons. I guess your view of airport “security” as either a joke or an outrage depends on your motives for boarding the plane.

Rich Varenchik

Valencia