america the land of the free and the home of the brave

These days, we accept these intrusions as part of being an American.įrom where I sat at Gate 22, I could watch as people exited the main airport security, bound for Managua, Quito, Cancun, and all parts of Central and South America, free to board their plane with shoes, belts, and laptops undisturbed. No one seemed to question why the U.S.-bound travelers and no one else were singled out for this treatment. We sing about the land of the free and the home of the brave…but, today, we Americans often appear neither free nor brave. Just one more intrusion into their lives, among a long list these days. They lined up like so many cattle and shuffled glumly through the security line. Just a scant 15 paces after going through airport security in Panama, seconds after replacing their shoes and belts, this unfortunate group was going through security all over again, a “special,” additional security check just for U.S.-bound passengers.Īnd the worst of it was that these Americans seemed to feel their extra screening was completely unremarkable. The scene we were watching was the group of travelers bound for U.S. “They’re going to the land of liberty.” She and her man both laughed at the quip and walked off, arm-in-arm, to board their flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil. “ Eles vao terra de liberdade,” remarked another young lady with a smile, as she watched the spectacle from a few feet away. Apparently finding nothing but the breasts themselves, the agent allowed the woman to pass. As I sat in the Panama City departure lounge last Saturday, I watched as the female security agent’s hands ran briefly over the breasts of a 30-something traveler, making sure that the traveler had no weapon in her bra.

America the land of the free and the home of the brave