The first time I ever understood the meaning of the word “ruse” was while watching Clerks. It was just before Randal Graves gave the annoying video renter the boot. Ever since I have been a fan of anything Kevin Smith and any opportunity to use the word.

I may get a lot of flack for this, but were I a conspiracy theorist, I may just have to call 9/11 a government sanctioned ruse. It was a plot to trick the entire country into thanking the government for taking away every civil liberty we used to hold so dear. Was a few thousand deaths really that large a price to pay for the willing complacency of the entire nation?

CNN is reporting, Airline lighter ban takes effect, which basically means you can no longer travel with a lighter, period. For the past 30 years you have not been able to bring lighters on a place in your checked luggage, which I can understand as it is a safety risk. While I do not fully see the logic in it, I suppose a lighter could explode due to changes in air pressure where the luggage is stored. What I do not understand is how hairspray, which is equally flammable, gets to escape such scrutiny! At any rate, fine, I can keep my lighter in my pocket, no big deal. At least I could, up until a few days ago.

According to the article, this was in part inspired by Richard Reid, a loon who tried to ignite explosives hidden in his shoes. The amusing part about this is that he used matches, which you are still allowed to carry on any plane, as long as it is not more than four books of safety matches.

What really irks me about all this is how accepting everyone is of this. The general sentiment of folks I ask about this is that “it is about time”.

“This is a commonsense step to protect passengers in the face of a proven threat,” Wyden said.

Mark Peterson, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, appraiser who was grabbing a smoke outside Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday, wondered why it took so long.

“It’s been 31/2 years since 9/11 and they’ve finally figured it out,” Peterson said.

David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said the lighter ban is long overdue. But he said matches ought to be included, too.

Are these people really that stupid? I can think of a dozen ways to get something far worse than a lighter on an airplane. A flint wheel and some hairspray would make a nice bomb, a shorted laptop battery could explode, a edge sharpened steel compact disc could be hidden in a laptop, the list goes on and on. Terrorists are not stupid, those with a will, surely can and do find ways.

When all is said and done, the only thing this ban on lighters is doing is instilling a false sense of security in Americans. We all run around thanking the government for taking away civil liberties we once held dearly and fought for strongly. Long gone are the days of questioning otherwise broad reaching and infringing rules placed on us, we now say thank you and ask for seconds. I am quite certain that the government is less than happy that 9/11 happened, it was a terrible day for everyone. I am also quite certain that the government is very happy about the spin it has allowed them to put on fast tracking consumer and personal rights in the name of national security.

In the case of the lighter ban, you really have to weigh out consumer inconvenience against the actual increase in safety it provides. I can not find a single site on google proving that a lighter has ever been used as a weapon on a plane over U.S. soil. So, if it is safe to assume there is little safety gain from this, why bother? The only gain we get from it is problematic, as if longer lines at the airport are desirous. I just can not believe how many people are behind this ban. In part, I know it has something to do with smokers in general being cast out as an unfavorable. Sure, go ahead and get shitfaced drunk on the plane and start a fight, god (intentional lowercase :-)) forbid you are a smoker though, call a lynch mob, just don’t forget to pat the drinker on the back for being “cool”!

Everyone needs to wake up, 9/11 was a shitty day for all intents and purposes, but it is no reason for any of us to change the quality of life we are all accustomed to. In many ways 9/11 was a victory for the terrorists, they were disgusted by our way of life. It took no more than two planes to forever alter the way every one of us lives. Sounds to me like they accomplished their goals. For every new rule, law or step we take to inconvenience the general public for the sake of a false sense of safety and security, I can almost hear some terrorist laughing. If I end up never posting to this blog again, you can assume my conspiracy theory is correct, and I have been taken care of.