With time off from work or school, chances are many of you are flying or recently flew this season.

You probably have to take off your shoes, likely go through a full body scanner, forced to leave all your liquids at home or take a checked bag (and pay for it), and either way can’t have your drink when you get to the gates. You may wait a long time in line for security, possibly longer than you expected, worrying about being late for your flight, and then reach the end and have to rapidly take off and unpack a number of things. Some of you accidentally left something in your carry-on bag and then were forced to choose between missing your flight or discarding the item – possibly something useful, or with sentimental meaning, or that cost some money.

All for nothing.

None of these practices contribute in any way whatsoever to anyone’s safety. All they do is increase stress, delay, cost, and the risk of theft (when your expensive stuff is waiting in a tray at the end and you’re still going through the scanners). We are literally spending large amounts of money just to make our lives worse, with no benefit to balance it. Just to waste our time and destroy some of our possessions and make travel stressful and less pleasant.

Why? Because our political leaders are afraid of us. They fear that not only do we demand this stuff, but that if anything bad happens, they might be blamed for not having done enough. Many of them know this security theater at airports is harmful, but they’re afraid that we don’t know it, and they’ll be punished if they try to change it.

Show them that may not be true. When it’s still fresh in your mind, after you’ve just flown somewhere or returned home. Call them and ask them to end it.

You can look up your US Senators and Representative’s phone numbers on lots of sites, such as this directory.