Hobby Airport Road Checkpoint

[iflyabeech]

Yes, they are looking for you and your guns. After all, there is no defintion of what is a terrorist and there have been some pretty weak claims made for it so far.

no, they aren't looking for us.

[iflyabeech]

Your argument about other things being more important than terrorists is asinine. It belittles every single one of those folks who died that September day in 2001. Muslim extremists are trying to kill us.....How do you propose we stop them?
I am not sure what you are talking about. You don't have to be killed to be a affected by terrorism...Thats kind of the definition of terrorism- to inflict terror. We need to take the terrorists out. I am not afraid of them, but, by God, I will do anything in my power to protect my family, friends, and fellow Americans from them.
I refuse to forget.
I hate tell you, but if Billary is elected, you might have your way, and we will all be affected.

It is a slap in the face of all Americans to bow into what the point of terrorism is, to change our way of life. Why is it ok for our government to randomly search us, to listen in on our conversations, or to hold people as terrorists without a speedy trial (Americans, not gitmo). Why are we accepting such treatment, even if there is a chance of terrorism? There always has been, and always will be terrorism. The key is a good intel network overseas. Rely on good police work and legal intel here. Beyond that, leave us alone. Terrorists have already won here, they've got us thinking photographers are terrorists, that it is ok to allow the government to shread our rights a bit. People should be able to do as they always have before 9/11. Airlines are private companies and should be able to decide what legal item comes aboard their planes, not the government. I shouldn't be stopped for a random search ever. I shouldn't have to worry about things I say that might be suspicious and get unwanted attention from the "OMG a terrorist" crowd. If that results in more dead Americans then so be it, at least they would die with the freedoms they deserve, that hundreds of thousands of other Americans died to give them.

If Hillary gets elected nitrogen won't have his way, it will only get worse.

Wow.....lets let them run us over!

[austin]

There is a rule, by TSA, that when they decide to up the security threat level, they can stop and search all cars in a certain area in the airport. Is this a proper law that meets the Constitutional requirements? I do not think so, as it has not been proven to be the best way to do its intended function. Does it help calm the masses and make them think the government is fighting terrorism? Yes, because they really do not understand how the real world works.

Timothy McVeigh was found out by a traffic stop. Thats how most felons are found.

If I had spent a year planning something and thought it would be found out by a random stop, then I would not attempt it.

Speaking of propery rights, who owns the airport? Enough said.

[iflyabeech]

Hmmm... "iflyabeech". General Aviation, I presume?

Tell me: who checks you, your passengers, or what you load into that Beech before takeoff, to make sure you're not carrying a full load of avgas and dynamite on a kamikaze mission against an innocent civilian target?

....*crickets chirp*....

Nothing stops you from doing that, except your human decency.

A car bomb wold be totally ineffective as a weapon of terror, compared to a Twin Beech taking off from the GA side of Love, and crashing fast and level in a suicide bombing through the Southwest concourse.

Hmm, you sir don't know a thing about aviation. . . .Actually I am an air ambulance pilot, and I get the run around from the airport cops all of the time. I was stopped and damn near arrested for "felony" operation of an aircraft with an invalid registration in Florida. (It wasn't invalid.) I do contest the fact that I would have committed a felony if I had made a small paperwork error!

The only thing that makes an airplane more effective as a terror weapon in the hype factor. . . .Same goes for why the media hates guns more than knives and why you see every airplane crash on tv, but only the real bad car crashes. . . .People are scared of the unknown, and most don't know a thing about airplanes.

[iflyabeech]

How do you propose we stop them?

Well that is a loaded question, pull up a chair...

It would involve obtaining launch codes and authorization, and me winning the 2008 Presidential election...

I'll vote for you!

[iflyabeech]

There is a rule, by TSA, that when they decide to up the security threat level, they can stop and search all cars in a certain area in the airport. Is this a proper law that meets the Constitutional requirements? I do not think so, as it has not been proven to be the best way to do its intended function. Does it help calm the masses and make them think the government is fighting terrorism? Yes, because they really do not understand how the real world works.

Timothy McVeigh was found out by a traffic stop. Thats how most felons are found.

If I had spent a year planning something and thought it would be found out by a random stop, then I would not attempt it.

Speaking of propery rights, who owns the airport? Enough said.

Austin has it right.

It amazes me how many gun owners share their liberal views about searches. On PDO a few months ago, some guy was whining about the Border Patrol checking his car after leaving Mexico. My question that never got answered there was, what do you propose we do to stop the flow of illegal drugs, illegal aliens, and terrorists into this country? You guys need to wake up...Our old laws weren't working, as evidenced my Sept. 11.

I haven't forgotten.

[MrsFosforos]

I find us in a catch-22, considering our inalienable rights and freedoms weighed against what measures need to be taken for our government to protect those very rights and freedoms.

It's "OK" to listen to their (terrorist's) conversations, and monitor their travel, and monitor their personal finances -- but not OURS by God and the Amendments!

But who are "they"?

"WE" are not "they", because WE'RE AMERICANS.

"WE" expect security to let us go through the checkpoints uninterrupted ...(it's our right to not be bothered).

How can the government find out who are "WE" and who are "THEY" without some kind of screening process -- which unfortunately will also screen some of us during the process? I can't see how it isn't inevitable.

It's not as simple as asking the boys to go to the left, girls on the right.
Good Americans move to the left, Terrorists move to the right... lets make another line in the middle for Bad Americans (just in case).

[Liberty]

How do you propose we stop them?

Well that is a loaded question, pull up a chair...

It would involve obtaining launch codes and authorization, and me winning the 2008 Presidential election...

Ya, got my vote!

[KBCraig]

It is a slap in the face of all Americans to bow into what the point of terrorism is, to change our way of life. Why is it ok for our government to randomly search us, to listen in on our conversations, or to hold people as terrorists without a speedy trial (Americans, not gitmo).

Wow.....lets let them run us over!

So to stop terrorists from taking away our freedom and destroying our American way of life, we're going to... take away our own freedoms and destroy our American way of life?

Here's an idea: to stop them from "run(ning) us over", we'll just pay DHS, TSA, ATF, et al, to do it to us instead.

A wise man named Ben Franklin had something to say about those who would purchase safety by giving up liberty. It's a shame more Americans don't understand that.

[nitrogen]

So to stop terrorists from taking away our freedom and destroying our American way of life, we're going to... take away our own freedoms and destroy our American way of life?

Here's an idea: to stop them from "run(ning) us over", we'll just pay DHS, TSA, ATF, et al, to do it to us instead.

A wise man named Ben Franklin had something to say about those who would purchase safety by giving up liberty. It's a shame more Americans don't understand that.

Dang, you beat me to posting this by one post.

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.

My personal view: I'm a bit paranoid on the subject.
Take a look at England. The British gave up lots of rights during "The Troubles" with Northern Ireland. The Troubles are over, but the British government is famously inching toward a socalist dictatorship right now. I'm scared to death that giving up our God given rights will eventually lead our country down the British path.

My ancestors were persecuted because of a completely invented threat in 1930's Germany. (PLEASE don't think I'm comparing our government to the Nazi monsters, just bare with me though) My point is, your ordinary Germans were decent people who gave up their rights and way of life out of fear. That fear turned them into monsters. While this is an extreme example, it sets off alarm bells mentally when I hear, "We have to give up our rights because of the current problems"

Iflyabeech, I think we'll just have to agree to disagree. I'd rather have a disagreement with you, someone who cares as much about our country as you obviously do, than others who just don't follow news and politics, and are ignorant or worse.

[anygunanywhere]

Very little of the actions that the federal government has taken domestically since 9-11 has anything at all to do with stopping terrorism.

I travel a lot. I am in a lot of airports. I see a lot of things going on in a lot of cities.

Facts - most terror is perpetrated by middle eastern males between the ages of 18-50. Take care of the obvious.

Pretty much everyone but the Isrealis are trying to fight a politically correct war while going to the extreme to prrevent collateral damage.

Can't be done.

/rant

Anygun

[stevie_d_64]

BTW, Wife Unit and I went to visit some friends that live in the nieghborhood across from Hobby airport...

And I made a point to look up on that ramp (crossover) entry into the passenger drop-off and pick up, and saw no checkpoint there...

My question is not to disprove the claim at all, but is it still there??? And exactly where in that drive up to the front of the main building??? Maybe we just didn't have a good chance to spot it...

And is it actually in place 24/7 or are they taking the weekends off...

We were passing by about 3pm this afternoon...

Just curious...

[CHL/LEO]

I was at a LE seminar in Houston on Thursday and when we flew out of Hobby that afternoon the checkpoint was up and operational.

[iflyabeech]

Thanks for the PM Nitrogen. . . I can agree to disagree with you folks. . .

However, I don't feel that I have given up any freedom, liberty, or right, or that these have been taken away from me.

I believe that we should profile more at airports, but we shouldn't overlook others in the process. I believe that we should do all we can to prevent future terrorist acts.

I have been inconvenienced by security measures since 9/11. I take this inconvenience knowing that my inconvenience is saving lives.

As for the random searches, there is no right being violated. You can deny permission for the search, and they have to either let you go or get a warrant. If you are acting legally, you have nothing to worry about. I do not like getting searched myself, but it is a small inconvenience to suffer for the greater good. It is not a loss of a right, liberty, or freedom. I have nothing to hide.

For those of you who commented about GA aircraft, please research the following links:
http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/ ... curity.htm
http://www.aopa.org/airportwatch/

[stevie_d_64]

How do you propose we stop them?

Well that is a loaded question, pull up a chair...

It would involve obtaining launch codes and authorization, and me winning the 2008 Presidential election...

I'll vote for you!

That's one...