The Post-9/11 World of Security: 10 Years On

This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks--and a fitting time to reflect on the state of America's security.

It's hard to believe that 10 years ago today, the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration didn't exist. Air passengers could still be greeted by friends and family at the gate of their arrival city. And the words "millimeter wave" and "backscatter" were completely unknown.

It's impossible to quantify the ways in which 9/11 changed our lives. In the wake of the most deadly, most jarring attack on U.S. soil, security technology, policies and measures went into overdrive--sometimes to ridiculous ends.

And even in 2011, the questions persist: Are we safer now? Would terrorists still be able to find a way? How much does the added security in airports, on trains and around major events impact our lives? And how far can security measures edge into our lives before our privacy is forever compromised?

This weekend, my thoughts will be with the 3,000 people who died that day, as well as their family and friends. But I'll also be thinking about our security, privacy and way of life. And of those last few days before 9/11, when we were all ignorantly enjoying the kind of normalcy that we'll never have again.

Some Airports to Ditch TSA?

As reported by NPR, some airports are considering ditching TSA agents altogether.

By federal law, airports can use private-sector screeners. This possible recourse is led by Republican Florida congressman John Mica, who is a critic of the TSA.

This month, he wrote letters to the nation's 100 busiest airports asking that they request private security guards instead.