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THE WORLD IS FULL 
OF GOOD PEOPLE

   It's the holiday season, and like most people, I'm tired of all the bad news that dominates the airwaves and the newspapers each and every day. This is supposed to be the time to rejoice, so I'm going to give it a shot.
   I was thinking about this while waiting in line at a security checkpoint at SFO last week for a short business trip. I know it sounds strange, but I've rejoiced before in security lines. I looked around at all the travelers patiently waiting their turn, and had only one thought: We've got the terrorists outnumbered.
   This world is filled with good people, and a prime example of that fact is an airport security line. Every race, creed and color is represented. Every nationality is represented. Every age, from babies in strollers to elderly in wheelchairs, is represented.
   Every one of them, including me, waits patiently in a security line to prove once again that they are good, law-abiding human beings who mean no harm to anyone.
   Some are in the TSA Pre line, for "known travelers." Others are in the regular line, but there is no real difference. We're all trusted travelers. We're all on the same side, for once.
   While there's certainly much to dislike, that's what I love about security lines at airports---we're all on the same side. Political differences, social differences, cultural differences--- it's all forgotten and ignored as we empty our pockets and put our carry-ons on the conveyor belt. When we willingly and happily enter the metal detector, knowing the experience is coming to an end, we're doing it as a team.
   The TSA employee nods and waves us through, letting us know we are all good people. Sometimes I get a little extra attention, maybe a pat down, maybe a bag check, but that's okay. It's all for the common good, and I readily acquiesce. In the end, we're given the seal of approval, and we head to the gate with our compatriots from all over the world.
   I'm not saying we're necessarily safe. Studies show the scanners are far from foolproof. What I'm saying is that we all are pursuing the same goal---trying to be safe. And we're all in it together.
   Our team is winning, and it's not even close. That's what I want to say in this holiday season. There will always be bad guys, but standing in a security line at the airport proves to me that the good guys outnumber the bad guys by a zillion to one. To me, that's very comforting and reason to rejoice.
   If security lines at airports doesn't strike you as a reason to rejoice (and I wouldn't be surprised), use your own example of human teamwork. Maybe it's The Chronicle's Season of Sharing fund, maybe it's the United Nations, maybe it's the way drivers wait for the green light.
   During this holiday season, try to think of something, because we are a world filled with an overwhelming majority of good people who mean no harm to anyone. The bad guys may win a battle or two, but they'll never win the war.
   For me, the security lines at the airport drive the point home. I look at the families, the businessman, the disabled veteran, the tattooed biker, the honeymooners, the orthodox Jew, the woman wearing a burka, the bearded Arab, the grandmother in a wheelchair, the student with a backpack. We're all the same, politely waiting in line to prove we mean no harm.
   For some reason, standing with my fellow travelers makes me feel optimistic about the world. I understand many people probablyfeel the opposite. To some, security at airports is a reminder of all the evil in the world.
   So be it. Terrorism has been around since the beginning of time, and will never cease. During this holiday season, I choose to dwell on the 99.999% of people in this world who wish me no harm.
   So I stand in line with my fellow human beings, with no pushing or shoving, and we empty our pockets together. No matter what we look like, or how we dress, we pass through security with a stamp of approval, and then get on with our distinct but all so similar lives.
   We are one and the same. In the end, we all empty our pockets.
 

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