I see the inevitable comments about 'racial' profiling have started to appear....

This begs a question. If the suicide hijacking threat was the Ku Klux Klan instead of Muslim immigrants, how cool would profiling opponents be with immigrants of color being strip-searched while rednecks wearing Confederate-symbol clothing were waved through by security? How upset would they be if there was a no-fly list based on the Southern Poverty Law Center's hate group database and David Duke couldn't travel by air to speaking engagements?

Get real.

IF YOU FEAR SOMETHING,

YOU’LL SEE SOMETHING

If you fear you’ll die due to a suspicious package

or an activity on an airplane or in an airport

planted by some suspicious-looking person

who looks just like those suspicious-looking terrorists

in the newspapers and on TV,

then chances are your paranoia will take over

and you’ll start seeing things.

The U.S. government and the media

are drilling fear into your head non-stop,

and this could activate prejudices

that you didn’t even know you had.

So be vigilant — of yourself.

(This is adapted from a poster appearing in the Tube in London.)

Apparently airport security cameras from Quito show that Alpizar was already out of control there, shoving and shouting at a fellow passenger. It was an antisocial act for his wife to allow him to travel in such a condition.

That being said, it seems like there ought to be some way for security to immobilize a threat without filling a man full of bullets. What happened to "set phasers on stun"?

I am struggling to control myself here. I am agitated and angry. I cannot believe the stupid arrogance of Constantine Peabody-Pandis.

"Mr. Alpizar was killed because he was a terrorist. He terrorized passengers and crew into believing they were going to die at his hands."

Just what the fuck do you think a terrorist is? Are you really so stupid that you think that a mentally ill man who is not in control of himself is in the same category as someone who intentionally murders people to make a political point?

Wait. You do. I have just reread part of your comment, and you DO think they are the same:

"Did any or all the hijackers of all the planes on 9/11 suffer from mental instability?"

You are far more dangerous than Rigoberto Alpizar. How many other mentally ill people would you kill? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? All of them?

I hope I never have to fly on a plane with someone as stupid and as arrogant as you are, and I pity anyone who does.

Yes, the shooting of Mr. Alpizar was an act of social insanity.

----

Some observations: The media never mentioned where was his wife, except they tried to ask at the news conference and the question was shunted aside.

Where was the poor woman? Being browbeaten and hounded after having her husband shot?

...

Everyone went on how he said he had a bomb, but nothing was mentioned of exactly how he said that, or under what circumstances. It really seemed IF he even mentioned the word "bomb" that he just wanted to get off the passageway and back into the somewhere he felt safe.

...

The newscasts totally dropped the story off TV and websites after 24 hours. I had to do a special search to find his name.

...

The man mentally ill or not, had obviously panicked and was desperate to LEAVE the plane and especially the connecting tunnel he was in.

..

The Air Marshals provoked the situation. Whatever the man said, it was because he wanted to LEAVE not stay. And demanding and shouting at him is what obviously provoked him. Of course if you shout at a Disturbed Person you provoke an aggressive reaction. I know that. I've experienced it. But the Air Marshalls learned that in their training course didn't they? Yeah, right. ....

After realizing their mistake by seeing there was nothing in the knapsack and hearing what his wife said they still blew up three suitcases of the man's underwear in a very public display in order to justify shooting him.

..

The ritualistic "Blowing Up of the Underwear" looked staged for the cameras. Very futuristic and terrifying.

...

Similar to Nazi Show Trials and somewhat reminding me of the public executions in "The Forbin Project" where the computer's enemies were executed and supervised in view of view of the Computer's videocameras.

..

What if the wrong action had simply been having your name spelled incorrectly (being similar to a No-Fly person) or having a wrong telephone number on your boarding pass?

And then you protested at being harassed?

..

Or what if you had the hiccups at the wrong time, at the wrong moment? or hesitated because you stammered?.......

Listen to this:

"This shows that the program has worked beyond our expectations," said Rep. John L. Mica "This should send a message to a terrorist or anyone else who is considering disrupting an aircraft with a threat."

Whatsn'that? HUH? Sending a message to the mentally ill are we?

WE have seen the enemy and it is us, it is me. I confess, comrade. Shoot me Quickly! Quickly. End my pain.

They shot and killed US, they killed every one of us, because it could be any one of us.

They killed the public that they are supposed to protect.

How does anybody suffering from mental illness or even a litle neurosis feel about travelling on planes now in USA? A little timid, I would gather.

..

As a Canuk, I have often taken cheaper flights that travelled through America on my way to international destinations. Seriously now, "Amerika" scares me. From now on it's direct flights bypassing the USA. I don't think it is so safe there anymore. And it's not terrorists I am worried about.

...

It seems the world we know is an insane 1984 meatgrinder and the Ministry of Media feeds us into it.

The introduction of armored cockpit doors, along with the increased vigilance of passengers and crew (with a number of pilots now authorized to carry guns), provides more than sufficient protection against hand-held weapons. The time and manpower saved by easing up on the confiscation of sharp objects can then be reassigned to other, more urgent tasks, such as hunting for explosives.

You should research the number of pilots that are actually able to get a permit... It's amazing how irresponsible some bureaucrats are dragging their feet on purpose.