Our Government Loves Us

I recently read about how an official in the Department of Homeland Security is interested in requiring ever air plane passenger to wear an "Electronic ID bracelet." These bracelets contain information about the passenger (taking the place of a boarding pass) so passengers could be easily tracked and it would have the ability to act as a taser device against the wearer if necessary. These devices would supposedly be very effective to fend off terrorists while in air.

I found it interesting when reading about this bracelet that the government only seems to want to use them to protect plane passengers. I mean, planes are one type of transportation that could be targeted by terrorists, but what about buses? Can't you imagine a terrorist wreaking havoc on buses and trains killing dozens of innocent passengers just as easily as on air planes? Sure the air plane is more difficult to exit in an emergency, but buses are in even more public places than planes, allowing for people who are not even on the bus to be hurt.

For that matter, why should we restrict the use of these bracelets to buses and trains? What if a terrorist is walking around on the streets of some major city and decides he is going to whip out enough explosives to blow up a city block? What if a terrorist is on the run and no one knows where? An electronic tracking device/taser seems like the perfect remedy for these horrible situations.

In conclusion, I believe the proponents of this device at the Department of Homeland Security should broaden the scope of their argument and look into requiring this bracelet for any person, citizen or not, who resides or will soon reside within the United States at any time. After that they should consider installing cameras in every television set sold and seeking enough funding for the Department of Homeland Security enough so that every citizen can be monitored at all times to ensure they are staying out of trouble and only eating trans fats on weekends.