Flying at 34,000 – post 911

Writing somewhere over Texas, on our way to LA, it is possible to reflect on many things as I sit next to my wife, Linda, and watch the shadow of our 737 on the clouds to the side and a bit below us.

At the Fort Myers airport our IDs were checked, our bags x-rayed and examined and we were both patted down. We are very thankful for the security protocol which tens of thousands experience at America’s airports now. It was undreamed of on September 10th, 2001. When what MUST be done becomes clear, goals can be articulated and what has to be done gets done.

A great deal of our travel experience would have been undreamed of on July 26, 1990 when the Americans With Disabilities Act became the law of the land. Linda has MS. Because her walking is limited, she needs to be brought to the plane in a wheel chair, and then assisted with an aisle chair to her seat. Airlines just didn’t do this prior to the ADA. Now it is routine, and it makes a big difference for people with disabilities. When what MUST be done becomes clear, goals can be articulated and what has to be done gets done.

Like the triple headed hydra of Greek Mythology, America faces three challenges which MUST be addressed simultaneously - national security, dependence on imported oil, and our national carbon footprint. Al Queda is at war with us and works round the clock to cause our grievous harm. Our dependence on imported oil makes us vulnerable to efforts by al queda to disrupt our oil supply. The more fossil fuel we use, the greater our national impact on global warming.

We MUST bring on line, as rapidly as possible, EVERY source of clean, renewable domestic energy available to us. When what MUST be done becomes clear, goals can be articulated and what has to be done gets done.