Papers Please!

I'm sitting in the airport waiting to board my flight. I've already been through security, where we were subjected to the wands and all kinds of modern technology. So, I'm sitting here, and a TSA agent walks past me. I noticed because she had a cast on her foot. Actually, I noticed the limp, then the cast, then the TSA uniform. Well, the TSA agent proceeded to walk through the seating area asking for boarding passes and IDs. Then, a second TSA Agent appeared; doing the same thing. As a person who has flow a million miles on two different airlines, I know what security was like before 9\11. And, I cannot tell you how happy I am that the TSA was put in place.

As the TSA agents were making their way through the seating areas, I had a thought. I'm sure there is value in random searches. And, I am not about to second guess their methods. But, a thought occurred to me: what if they are just doing this because they don't have anything else to do? Then another thought occurred to me: how is this any different than an Arizona police officer asking for immigration papers? And finally, I had a flash back to the movies where Russian police and Nazi SS were walking around constantly asking people for their "papers please".

First, I certainly hope we are not just throwing federal dollars at all the various federal agencies, telling the supervisors to "find them something to do". Surely, we would not spend money just to spend money. Right?

Next, how is this different from Arizona trying to protect their citizens? The federal government (TSA agent) could discriminate against someone just as easily as an Arizona police officer could. The situations are exactly the same. Yet, I hear democratic congressmen saying that asking for papers could be discriminatory. Please, someone tell me what the difference is here, other than one is not being subjected to a political agenda.

Finally, doesn't the idea of a federal agent walking up to you and asking for your papers bother anyone else? I get that we need security. And, I have already said how much I appreciate what the TSA has done to improve airplane security. But, the federal government puts the effort into protecting airports, rather than protecting our borders. Why is that? Why wont the federal government put the effort into protecting the borders? They seem to be able to hire TSA folks. Why not give the police on the border the support they are begging for?

By the way, when is asking for your papers "over the line"?