Clark Howard's Tips

Nun targeted on "Terrorist Watch List"

Sept. 27, 2005

Have you heard the story of the "non-flying nun?"

Sister Glen Anne McFee, the head of education for the Catholic Church in the U.S., was put on the terrorist watch list several years ago.

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She is not a terrorist, but she flies frequently to various countries so somehow she made it on the list. The problem was that the federal government had no procedure in place to get her off the list.

So, for two years, she would go to the airport not knowing what ordeal she had to go through. Finally, she had to use political connections in the White House to remove her from the watch list.

Tons of innocent people have ended up on this list, and the TSA has no way of correcting it.

Even worse, the government has decided to shut down the "Trusted Traveler Program," which has been very effective in countries like Israel where terrorism occurs daily. The program uses eye scans and biometrics to check people and it's worked for years in other countries.

If we're going to have real security, we need to target the right people instead of isolating and mistreating people who pose no threat whatsoever. Let's use our intelligence intelligently.

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