Instead of invading passengers’ privacy, let’s profile real threats
Re: “Get the government out of our pants,” Nov. 16
Washington refuses to accept the fact that the real enemies of the United States are terrorists, not little old ladies. Profiling terrorists — an absolute no-no in today’s “politically correct” world — is far more effective and less costly than looking for a needle in a haystack. The lack of profiling is an absurd denial of reality.
In some places, such as the U.S. border with Mexico, profiling is not needed because everyone running across the border or wading across the Rio Grande is an illegal trespasser. On the battlefield, whoever wears the enemy’s uniform is the enemy. Cops depend on various profiling methods to focus on those with criminal histories or who exhibit suspicious behavior.
The Transportation Security Administration’s intrusive body scanning and groping is an outrageous invasion of privacy. Just because one properly labeled terrorist slipped by the security net and attempted to blow up a plane with explosives hidden in his underwear is no reason to subject millions of decent, law-abiding, and non-threatening air travelers to such searches. Selecting certain inhabitants of the world at war with the United States for more intense scrutiny at airports is the more proper thing to do.
Louis Ginesi Dominguez
Instead of gas tax, cut spending across the board
Re: Higher gas tax, fees urged for Md. roads,” Nov. 15
Isn’t it surprising that right after the elections, Maryland Democrats are speaking in favor of tax increases — including state Senate President Mike Miller last week? This time they want to raise the terribly regressive gasoline tax, which hurts the poor the most,
Their impeccable reasoning is that since the gas tax hasn’t been raised since 1993 and revenues are down, taxes must go up. So why don’t taxes go down when revenue goes up?
This is baloney. Maryland needs to start cutting spending 10 percent across the board, not play Gov. Martin O’Malley accounting games by stealing from one account to finance another — and certainly not raping our wallets. Cut a few million here and a few million there and pretty soon we’re talking road repairs.
William Luksic
George Soros wants a legalocracy
Re: “Soros uses billions to undermine democracy,” Nov. 14
If financier George Soros had his way, America would be ruled by the liberal legal establishment, not the rule of law. Soros is making every effort to undermine democracy by having the states appoint all judges rather than having them elected to their positions, and/or confirmed or rejected by voters.
Indeed, in addition to influencing public and political media with his millions, the Hungarian-American anti-American billionaire power monger is doing everything he can to undermine our constitutional democratic republic by every insidious way possible.
Unfortunately for freedom and most Americans, the legal establishment has far too much power already without any help from Soros. The federal judiciary has usurped power from the states and become a Star Chamber legalocracy, which is more damaging to our country and society than anything else.
Daniel B. Jeffs
