I found this interesting and relevant:
Libertarians support right of airlines
to decide own security policies
WASHINGTON, DC –The federal lawsuits accusing airlines of ethnic
discrimination should be dropped, Libertarians say, because they will
interfere with the fight against terrorism.
“Plaintiffs’ attorneys and special-interest groups should stop terrorizing
the airlines with ridiculous lawsuits,” said Steve Dasbach, Libertarian
Party executive director. “This is no time to be punishing airlines whose
employees make honest mistakes as they try to prevent another nightmarish,
September 11-style hijacking.”
Dasbach was reacting to the lawsuit filed on Tuesday against four major
airlines by five men who were denied boarding in the wake of the attacks on
the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Other passengers had complained that
the presence of the men, who were perceived to be Arabs, made them
“uncomfortable,” and said they feared another hijacking.
The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, which filed the suit on
behalf of the men, claims the airlines’ response is part of a “new and
disturbing trend” of removing passengers because of their “perceived
ethnicity.”
“There is a new and disturbing trend in America, and it’s called
terrorism,” Dasbach said. "The airlines have been put in a no-win
situation, in which they will be blamed if another hijacking occurs, yet
criticized if they deny seats to the people they think might cause it.
"Yes, people who appear to be Arabic have rights. But what about the rights
of the airline pilots and flight attendants; the rights of the hundreds of
passengers on the plane; and the rights of thousands of Americans who could
be killed in skyscrapers or on the ground if another hijacking occurs?
“Considering the earth-shaking consequences of another hijacking, doesn’t
it make sense to give airlines the benefit of the doubt when it comes to
deciding who can board their planes?”
Of course, airline security personnel will sometimes make mistakes and deny
boarding to innocent people, Dasbach acknowledged.
But consumers who believe an airline is cavalierly rejecting customers
simply because of their ethnic background, and not just over safety
concerns, have a way to punish them, he pointed out. “You can take your
business to another airline or even organize a boycott,” he said.
"Thanks to the power of the free market, airlines and every other private
company have a compelling reason to treat customers fairly: Their jobs and
their profits depend on it. They have an incentive to let as many
passengers board the plane as possible, regardless of their ethnic
background.
"When it comes to determining which passengers pose an actual threat in the
aftermath of September 11, the real question is: Who decides?
“Libertarians would rather have that crucial decision made by airline
employees with their lives on the line than by lawyers and plaintiffs with
dollar signs in their eyes.”
