Why airliners are still not secure

In the car today I heard on radio news of the story of Lieutenant John Miller, an active-duty military officer (Army, I think), who was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat in Afghanistan. He was wounded in the face and jaw, and as part of his treatment his jaws were wired shut. He was given a small set of dental wire cutters to use in case he had an emergency (nausea, for example).

Well, this American hero - truly - was sent home on convalescent leave. He landed at the Air Force base and went to the nearest civilian airport to take a flight home. Lt. Miller was stopped at security and his dental wire cutters were confiscated as a potential weapon.

(How many of you thought that was what you would read before you read it? Most, I'll bet. Does that tell us something about what we think of security at airports?)

The newscast said that after some time, the cutters were returned and Lt. Miller proceeded. An airport spokesman was reported as attributing the event to a "misunderstanding."

No, sir, there has been no misunderstanding. We understand perfectly well that airport checkpoint procedures are idiotic to the extreme. That is why an El Al security analyst said that America does not have a system for airline security; it has a system for harrassing passengers.

To treat every passenger as an equal threat is so unspeakably foolish that I cannot find the words to describe it. Lt. Miller is a serving military officer. He is a wounded veteran of combat against the terrorist enemies who struck us Sept. 11. But he was treated by the "security" apparatus as a real danger to the airliner - because he was carrying dental wire cutters issued to him as part of his treatment.

More words fail me. If anyone has any more details on this, such as which airport, please email them and I'll post them.