Remember a time when going to the airport was actually fun? You didn’t even have to be the one traveling to get excited about the energy at the airport. It was so exciting to see the droves of people and wondering about all of the exciting places that they might be headed to. A constant stream of people who were all gathered in one spot for a brief moment, but who would be strewn across the globe in just a short period of time. Even if you could not afford to take the trips, the airport was such a great spot for people watching.

Have you been to the airport lately? Is it not enough that we have to remove everything from our watches to our sneakers at the security stations? And, even then, we learn that some security stations can actually see through our clothing. Believe me, this is not welcomed news to many of us. And, it has nothing to do with a security threat. It has more to do with our own personal insecurity threats. There are certain things beneath our clothing, of the physical sense, that we are just not excited about declaring at the old security line. During this process of dress and undress, and of Superman like X-ray vision and a general odor of a whole bunch of stinky feet, we are constantly bombarded with the intercom system telling us of the latest security threat. My goodness, flying at 30,000 feet in an aluminum tube with wings is now the easy part. By the time that you get through the security process at the airport, the actual flight and all the risks that are involved, is a piece of cake. And now, just when you thought that going to the airport could not possibly get anymore stressful, we find out that we are wrong.

The State of Georgia and the City of Atlanta are now in a battle to decide whether or not you can carry a gun to the airport. According to a recent law that was passed, people who possess a license to carry a weapon can now carry them to the general assembly area of the airport. You cannot carry them through the security lines, but you can carry them in the ticketing area, the baggage areas and the retail food areas that are outside of the security checks. The City of Atlanta feels that this new law does not apply to the airport because the airport area is a public gathering venue in which the new law would not apply. In summary, the current law says you can, and the City says you cannot. I will admit when I first heard about this law, I was a bit taken aback. I am not a gun fanatic by any stretch but I am a strong proponent of Constitutional issues such as…the right to bear arms. Those who are gun activists are in favor of the new law stating that it was long overdue. Those who are not so crazy about the guns believe that it is the silliest thing that the General Assembly has ever done.

I approached this issue, like all issues I approach; by attempting to use common sense. At some point and time, I will learn that there is little demand for common sense in today’s world. The fact that something just makes sense or is practical is of little use if it does not also satisfy the political appetite of one side of an issue or the other. But, yet again, I tried. In looking at the issue, I called on a personal experience whereby I was pulled aside and slightly admonished by TSA for having a set of nose and ear hair clippers in my carry on bag. Actually it was the clippers and the aerosol deodorant that labeled me as someone to be watched. I reluctantly surrendered these items only to go on a week long trip with nose hairs exposed and body odor emitting. I had a great trip but I am not so sure that those I encountered were having as much fun as me.

But, it did seem somehow bizarre that I could not have the tweezers and the Rightguard, but that it was okay to openly walk into the busiest airport in the world with a Smith and Wesson firmly attached to my side. My analogy had nothing to do with gun rights or Constitutional concerns, homeland security or anything else that was probably argued during the passing of this law. It is based entirely on common sense. Does it make good common sense to invite a weapon into a venue that we are attempting to get weapons out of? Apparently, with the passing of this law, they felt that it did. And, apparently, it is still the opinion of those who are mandated to keep the airports as safe as they can possibly be, despite the passing of the law, that it makes no sense whatsoever. It will be very interesting to see how this whole matter unfolds. Being the old fogy that I am, I believe that if it is the law, it is the law. You may not agree with it, but it is the law until someone changes the law to something else….and then that is the law. And so on and so on until this issue will get to the point most laws do; we have no idea what the law actually is anymore until we violate it and we are then quickly reminded of the current law.

Until then, and based on my interpretation of the current law of that we can now carry a weapon into the airport, I feel very comfortable in walking right into the airport with my nose hair tweezers openly and proudly displayed. And, if it is a bit humid I can now stand right up and do a little deodorant spritzer without fear of reprisal. My friends from my last trip already love this new law.