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Marybeth Gormley

Professor Jason Torrente

WRT 1050

19 September 2017

Airport Screening Debate: Rhetorical Analysis

Airport screening has been debated since the September 11, 2001 terror attack on the

United States. Some citizens believe airport security violates their rights and is unnecessary,

while others believe it should have been done sooner and is a very effective tool in protecting

traveling citizens. Marc Thiessen, John Pistole, Nick Schulz and Arnold Kling all believe airport

screening is a positive change in the U.S. and seek to convince United States airline users that

they should appreciate it more. With the use of rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and

logos they share their view points on airport screening.

Marc A. Thiessen has a lot to say about the argument is his article Airport Security Is

Critically Important and Vastly Underrated. He is an author, political columnist, and former

White House speechwriter for George W. Bush from 2004 to 2009 (Thiessen, Airport

Security). Thiessen explains to United States airport users, if we have learned anything about

al-Qaeda in the years since 9/11, it is that they are obsessively focused on destroying planes

(Airport Security). Thiessen starts his article using logos to help citizens see what is really

happening in airports. He brings up the time when a passenger snuck a bomb onto a plane in his

underwear and nearly blew it up over the city of Detroit (Thiessen, Airport Security). He

applies epimone repetition involving time, such as just four years after al-Qaedajust eleven

months after an al Qaedajust weeks after al-Qaeda (Thiessen, Airport Security Is Critically

Important and Vastly Underrated) to stress how frequently al-Qaeda is attacking the U.S and
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how important it is to have the airport security measures. Thiessen uses logos to talk about

profiling in airports. Thiessen believes, profiling alone is insufficient (Airport Security). He

explains that the terrorist groups are aware of profiling and they recruit all different types of

people from all over the world to get around that tactic (Thiessen, Airport Security). His use of

logos guides the reader to realize what is happening in airports and why they should want the

screening. Reminding the reader of past events and can be a very effective tool.

Thiessen uses other devices throughout his article such as ethos. He shares his own

experience when he asked to go through both procedures [millimeter wave machine and

enhanced pat down] to see what all the fuss was about (Thiessen, Airport Security). Ethos

shows the reader that the author has experience with the situation and knows what he is talking

about. Thiessen compares the scenario to, if a burglar wants to break into our homes, we all

know he can burst through the window- but does that mean we leave our front doors unlocked

when we go to bed at night? (Airport Security) to explain the importance of luggage

screening and full body screening. He utilizes pathos when expressing his concern about

abandoning methods used for screening what past terrorists have tried to use such as shoe

bombs, liquid explosives hidden in sports drinks, and, yes, underwear bombs- we would be

inviting them to use those methods again (Thiessen, Airport Security). He also says, so when

we stop to give thanks for all our blessings this weekend, lets give thanks for the people who

spend their days and nights working to stop terrorists from succeeding- including men and

women of the TSA (Thiessen, Airport Security). Thiessen starts and ends his article telling

the reader to give thanks to the Transportation Security Administration to make a personal

connection to the reader. This use of pathos is to make the reader want to appreciate rather than

complain about the security. An opposing view claiming airport security violates the fourth
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amendment, is void in Thiessens eyes. He bluntly states that buying a plane ticket is purely

voluntary activity in this countrywe all agree to submit to screening when we decide to travel

by plane (Thiessen, Airport Security). The use of these rhetorical devices is to persuade U.S.

airport users to appreciate airport security and screening for keeping them safe. Marc A.

Thiessen does a good job of persuading and stating his opinion in more of a factual way with a

little emotion worked into it to get his point across. His use of logos and pathos allows the reader

to relate and understand his argument.

John S. Pistole expresses his opinions in his article, Passenger Screening Policies Are

Effective, Safe, and Respectful of Privacy. He is the administrator of the Transportation

Security Administration (TSA). He starts by disclosing the back ground of the TSA when it was

created through Congress legislation and ATSA [the Aviation and Transportation Security Act]

(Pistole, Passenger Screening Policies). Pistole applies pathos to assure U.S airport users that

their mission has always been to protect our nations transportation systems to ensure the

freedom of movement for people and commerce (Passenger Screening Policies). Throughout

his article, he repeats his point of protecting citizens rights. He exercises pathos when talking

about the 50th anniversary of the Federal Air Marshal Service. Pistole explains, the Federal Air

Marshal Service began building the legacy of protection which todays officers uphold every

time they board an aircraft (Passenger Screening Policies Are Effective, Safe, and Respectful of

Privacy). Pistole discloses how the TSA has changed security measures since September 11,

2001 using logos. Airports now check passengers against the terrorist watch lists in advance, and

more technology for screening, more security, and faster communication within security has

been put in place since the terrorist attacks (Pistole, Passenger Screening Policies). One of the

new screening processes the TSA has been working on is the TSA Pre (Pistole, Passenger
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Screening Policies Are Effective, Safe, and Respectful of Privacy). Pistole utilizes logos to

explain, more than 460,000 passengers around the country have experienced expedited security

screening through the TSA Pre and the feedback weve been getting is consistently positive

(Passenger Screening Policies). The new screening has been used for active-duty U.S. Armed

Forces members with a common access card or CAC (Pistole, Passenger Screening Policies).

As he attempts to connect with veterans and other military members, he utilizes pathos to explain

that the U.S. service members are entrusted to protect and defend our nation and its citizens

with their lives, and as such TSA is recognizing that these members pose little risk to aviation

security (Pistole, Passenger Screening Policies). Pistoles use of pathos is very effective in

persuading the reader because it shows respect and concern for those fighting for our country.

Pistole uses this information to help the reader see how he is improving the company. He points

out that in total, 1,306 guns were detected at airport checkpoints in 2011 (Pistole, Passenger

Screening Policies). The use of logos opens citizens eyes as to what the TSA has been doing to

ensure their safety. Pistole uses ethos when he shares his experience of 26 years in a variety of

positions within the FBI (Passenger Screening Policies) and how that experience has helped

him as the TSA leader now. Citizens appreciate the ethos because they know the facts are

coming from the leader of the TSA. Pistole utilizes ethos, pathos, and logos to get his argument

across that the TSA is doing its job and protecting citizens and their rights (Passenger Screening

Policies).

Nick Schulz and Arnold Kling wrote Privatizing Airport Screening Would Improve

Security and Efficiency to share their thoughts on airport security. They are the authors of

Poverty to Prosperity: Intangible Assets, Hidden Liabilities and the Lasting Triumph over

Scarcity as well. Schulz and Kling also mention the underwear bomber on the plane to Detroit
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(Privatizing Airport Screening), like Thiessen, to express logos. They go on to add, President

[Barack] Obama said the security system failed in a potentially disastrous way (Schulz and

Kling, Privatizing Airport Screening). Schulz and Kling apply logos to share their opinion on

how the U.S. system failed before 9/11 occurred. They believe the U.S. treated terrorism like

the distant threat we believed it was (Privatizing Airport Screening). Schulz and Kling

explain that private airline companies need security to keep them running, if they have an

accident [terrorist attack] in their company, people will stop using their business and they would

be forced to shut down (Privatizing Airport Screening). They share what they believe to be a

solution to the problem. The government should collect intelligence on high-risk suspectsand

share this intelligence with the private airline security firms (Schulz and Kling, Privatizing

Airport Screening). They believe in imposing fines if lapses occur (Schulz and Kling,

Privatizing Airport Screening) in this new system. Schulz and Kling utilize logos to get their

argument across to those who use airports. Schulz and Kling also seek to get a connection with

those who do not approve of the U.S. government. They blame the government for the past

failures of the system that caused 9/11 to happen and their use of language and beliefs can

effectively convince others (Schulz and Kling, Privatizing Airport Screening). Schulz and

Kling do mention the benefits of competition (Privatizing Airport Screening) within the

government that helps us get the top security in airports. The authors use of logos is not as

effective in persuading citizens to support airline screening because this article shares

information referring to the whole system instead of how it effects the individual directly.

Marc Thiessen, John Pistole, Nick Schulz and Arnold Kling all use rhetorical devices to

help persuade U.S. airline users that airport screening is a positive change and people should

appreciate it more. With the use of ethos, pathos, and logos each author makes a strong
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persuasive argument to help the readers understand the situation and what the cause and effects

of the screening process are. The use of pathos is most effective in persuading the reader.

Creating repour with the reader and digging into their emotions is more effective with this topic

rather than ethos and logos because the reader can relate to emotions and better understand the

importance of security. Thiessens article is more persuasive than Schulz and Klings article

because he expresses more pathos. Pistol utilizes more ethos which can be effective, but can also

be interpreted as biased. Readers like to see more from an airline passengers point of view,

rather than head of transportations view. Passengers are going to be more honest, where the

administrator of the TSA is going to say the system works because thats his job. The authors

express concern amongst the increasing threat of terrorism and work inform and persuade others

to be concerned too.
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Works Cited

Pistole, John S. "Passenger Screening Policies Are Effective, Safe, and Respectful of Privacy." US

Airport Security, edited by Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2013.

Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010858212/OVIC?u=lom_oaklandu&xid=836cf47a.

Accessed 14 Sept. 2017. Originally published as "Counterterrorism, Risk-Based Security and

TSA's Vision for the Future of Aviation Security," TSA.gov, 2012.

Schulz, Nick, and Arnold Kling. "Privatizing Airport Screening Would Improve Security and

Efficiency." US Airport Security, edited by Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven

Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010858226/OVIC?u=lom_oaklandu&xid=a4417c31.

Accessed 14 Sept. 2017. Originally published as "Airline Security: Let's Go Private," USA

Today, 10 Jan. 2010.

Thiessen, Marc A. "Airport Security Is Critically Important and Vastly Underrated." US Airport

Security, edited by Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing

Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010858207/OVIC?u=lom_oaklandu&xid=406a3ca9.

Accessed 14 Sept. 2017. Originally published as "Let's Give Thanks for the TSA," National

Review, 23 Nov. 2010.