Last Monday, federal prosecutors brought felony charges against Nathaniel Heatwole, a student at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. He is accused of smuggling dangerous items aboard an aircraft.
Heatwole, it seems, successfully managed to smuggle various concealed weapons onto aircraft on multiple occasions since last April. Among the items smuggled aboard were box cutters, bleach and modeling clay used to mimic plastic explosives. Heatwole smuggled the items aboard in a move of civil disobedience. He wanted to demonstrate the enduring flaws in airline security.
He should be commended for what he has done. To be the voice of civil disobedience, to be a “whistle-blower,” especially when speaking alone, can be difficult.
Since 9/11, the American public lives with the fear of another attack against our nation. Intelligence reports indicate that terrorist organizations still consider attacks using American commercial aircraft as a viable option.
The only reassurance the public has is the assertions made by the federal government guaranteeing the safety of airline passengers. Without these guarantees, the airline industry may well receive a hit from which it can’t recover.
Anyone who has traveled can attest to the efforts put forth by the Transportation Security Administration to enforce the new safety standards. And one can certainly be sympathetic to the daunting task before them.
Not only is the TSA posed with ensuring the safety of the passengers and crews, but they must also do so in such a manner as not to disrupt the flow of traffic to a degree that makes air travel unfeasible or unattractive.
Endless lines at security checkpoints while bags and persons are scrutinized over seem to provide reassurance that our airways are safe. However, results are all that matters.
The merits of Heatwole’s defense rest with the particulars of the case. Once the items were smuggled aboard the plane and well-hidden within the lavatories, Heatwole informed the TSA of his actions.
Not only did he send an e-mail with the details of his actions along with the flight numbers and exact locations of the items, he was kind enough to include his name and phone number.
Amazingly, weeks passed before either the e-mails or items were discovered. Faced with the embarrassment of a devastating failure in safety standards, the TSA has rushed to bring charges against Heatwole in attempt to direct attention from itself.
Without courageous people such as Heatwole who are willing to risk personal freedom and persecution, our country would remain unsafe. Perhaps they would prefer a terrorist discover the weaknesses in our safety standard? I am glad that I’ve got someone on my side willing to step up to the plate.
As the American public, we are the last line of defense against all our enemies, foreign and domestic. When those enemies manifest themselves as false reassurances and half-truths by our government, it is our responsibility to act.
When our government agencies become complacent-especially when the issue at hand is something as vital as our safety-drastic action is needed.
As weaknesses in the security grid are discovered, the American people will take back the trust that they have so cautiously given following 9/11. We live in troubling times, and constant repeats of “not if but when” reassure us that the threat of terror remains.
If our government continues to fail to provide the safety and security we deserve, our civil duty requires us to take matters into our own hands.
Joshua Welch is a graduate student in industrial engineering. He can be reached at [email protected].