‘Threats’ Keep Security Agencies in Business

“Damage From the Alert System Is Alarming” (Commentary, Jan. 19) is right on the mark. Crying wolf too often causes no one to believe you when the wolf finally comes. Unfortunately, I fear that the alert system will be with us for a long time. A homeland security agency will keep finding new “threats” to justify periodically raising the level -- and thus its existence. Likewise, the Transportation Security Administration will continue to claim that confiscating knitting needles from old ladies and Medals of Honor from veterans are preventing hijackings. I think we will find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq long before we see the alert level at something below “elevated.”

Jim Winterroth

Torrance