Travellers in the post-9/11 world are willing to put up with a lot in the name of safety, but for even the most tolerant among us, there's a breaking point.

Some folks have hit that point, among them Mayor Gord Van Tighem, Great Slave MLA Bill Braden and others who frequent the Yellowknife airport.

Why so many guards? Why do the lineups always seem so long? Why, why, why?

Enough questions are being asked to warrant some attention on security at Yellowknife's airport, to make sure people are getting through quickly and efficiently.

Some travel industry representatives say we should just be happy the security is there, even though it sometimes leads to delayed flights, missed connections and traveller frustration.

We wonder why there's so much emphasis on front line security when items continue to go missing from checked bags. It wasn't that long ago that a theft ring was busted at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

Most travellers go through security, whether it's in Yk, Edmonton or Cancun, with no problem. But we have all heard horror stories of horrendous delays, overzealous security guards or even guards standing around doing nothing.

Many of the problems are due to traveller ignorance, but it's our right as Canadians to question security levels that seem over the top. We have the right to ask why placing a tube of toothpaste in a plastic bag makes it safer than if it was inside a toiletry bag.

As well, travel agents and airlines can help their customers by making sure travellers understand the rules and have everything in order prior to going through security. Many people remain ignorant of travel rules. During the most recent three month period reported, 18,351 knives with blades longer than three inches were seized by security screeners across Canada, along with 3,459 box cutters and 40 firearms.

Most of all, we expect the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority to make sure the 350,000 or so people who go through Yellowknife's airport each year go through without unnecessary delays.

According to the security agency, 90 per cent of travellers spend less than eight minutes waiting in line to go through security. What is it in Yellowknife? National stats based on other airports don't tell us what's happening here.

If staff turnover is a problem, raise wages and find other ways to make this important job more attractive. If the rules are unavoidable, apply them with common sense. Weíre not all terrorists.

With the importance of air travel to the North, that's not too much to ask.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

It is encouraging to see teachers and staff at so many schools across the Kivalliq becoming more interactive with the communities they serve.

The more open the lines of communication between educators and the community, the more fruitful the exchange of information and ideas will become.

For the most part, long gone are the days when teachers could only be found at the school.

And, while there have always been Kivalliq teachers involved with activities outside school curriculum, these days that has become the definitive rule, not the exception.

As Nunavut continues to develop its educational system, success will ride on the ability of elected officials, bureaucrats, educators and administrators to strike an effective balance between traditional knowledge, trades training and those old standbys, reading, writing and arithmetic.

That balance can only be found in a curriculum set up to meet the needs of today's society and workforce, combined with effective elements of traditional knowledge geared towards cultural sensitivity, language preservation and the skills necessary to be successful in Canada's harshest climate.

We'll be the first to admit that it sounds a lot easier than it is, especially with the lack of one accepted dialogue as the language of instruction that would bring the costs of resource materials within the realm of possibility.

That being said, the first step in striking that balance is mutual respect between the parties involved.

And that's one area growing leaps and bounds in the Kivalliq as school staff members get more involved with their communities.

Yes, we still have an area or two where some people are having a hard time letting go of that us-versus-them mentality, but those areas are rapidly dwindling in number.

Being active in the community equates to getting to know your town and the people who call it home.

And, oddly enough, those people include District Education Authority members, youth leaders, elders and vast numbers of parents with youth in the school system.

There is no doubt many a great idea has been born in formal settings.

But, to borrow a line from our neighbours, Nunavut is a distinct society with distinct cultural needs.

The more those needs are understood, the easier they are to meet, and that begins with knowing the people around you.

There are few, if any, areas that open the lines of communication better than mutual respect.

While professional respect can certainly be garnered in the workplace, the respect of one's neighbour is a totally different matter.

People talk differently and share more with those they consider a friend or neighbour.

The community involvement we're seeing from so many of our educators will, eventually, break down barriers and increase the level of understanding between them and those they teach.

Relationships forged in the community pay big dividends in our classrooms.

And those dividends lead to both a healthier education system and healthier communities.

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum

I was sitting at my desk on Monday morning, checking my e-mails when I read some disturbing news regarding a former Inuvik teacher.

Al Nicholson died of a heart attack while teaching in China, only two days before Christmas.

I don't know how many of you remember Al.

He was a math teacher at Samuel Hearne from 1998 to 2001.

He was also the director of a production of Anne of Green Gables, which was performed by students at the school.

When I read of his death, I froze in my seat and a feeling that I can't describe came over my body.

One of the people who was instrumental in my graduation has passed on.

During that morning I spent time remembering some of the lessons he taught me, none of which was math-related, because he was an academic teacher and, well, I was not an academic student.

It always hurts when we lose one of our teachers, like when the late Cliff King passed away.

Both men did a lot for the school, in their own time.

Al did not serve here nearly as long as Cliff did, but still he made an impact.

While Cliff had computers and accounting under his thumb, Al managed to accomplish something rare.

He made math interesting, even to those not in his courses.

Al had a way of reaching the students in his classes with his friendly attitude and positive outlook on life.

Al was a role model in our community and a fine one at that.

I like writing about people who do positive things in the community, because it's what we need.

Phillip Jacobson is another positive person doing the right thing with his energy.

For all the years I've known Phillip, he has always been encouraging others.

I'm glad he is sharing his skill at Arctic sports with the youth of the community.

Those games will keep you in good shape and promote the culture at the same time.

While I was talking with Phillip, he spoke about returning to Tuk and working at the youth centre.

I like that, because it shows that he has a genuine concern for his community.

While we are always losing role models to fate, we should also take pride knowing that there are young people like Phillip out there willing to take up the torch and contribute to their communities.

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum

There's nothing like a motor vehicle accident to bring the fragility of life into focus.

One minute you're driving along and the next, for whatever reason, something goes wrong. The consequences could be minor, like a dented fender and some sore muscles, or people could end up changed for life, or even dead.

You don't need to be in an accident to have a taste of its effects. Just driving past one on the road, like some residents of Fort Simpson did last Saturday, can be enough.

The sight of a battered truck on its side in the ditch leaves a person wondering what happened to the people inside and what went wrong to cause the accident.

In this case, alcohol, speed and poor judgment -- things that are avoidable -- were likely factors.

It's lucky the accident happened early on a Saturday morning when there wasn't more traffic on the road, otherwise it could have been a multi-vehicle accident. In this case, a densely-packed snowbank was the only other thing that was dented.

It's even more fortunate that no one involved in the crash was seriously hurt.

Everyone, especially youth, believes they are invincible and will live forever, or at least for a long time.

Vehicle accidents are a reminder that these concepts aren't true.

Hopefully this accident will shake up people who may have grown lax in their vehicle safety. Accidents can be caused by a large number of things from animals to mechanical failure, and people need to be on the lookout for them and also make smart decisions.

I hope everyone will remember to drive safely so there won't be any more serious accidents to report in the Drum.

It's good to see that Fort Liard has an almost- full hamlet council again after there were no candidates in the municipal election last month.

As John McKee stated, it's not unusual for vacancies to be left on hamlet or village councils. This makes it all the more significant when people step forward to take on that responsibility.

It's hard to say if Fort Liard's one new and three returning councillors are there on their own volition or if some arm- twisting was involved, but they deserve a round of applause either way.

Being a councillor isn't the most enjoyable job in the world.

There is lots of paperwork to sort through and reading to do. Councillors have to attend meetings when there are other, more enjoyable, things that they might like to be doing.

People also count on councillors to make the right decisions. If they disagree with a decision the council makes, the council members and the mayor are the ones who will hear about it every time they leave their homes.

All and all, being a councillor or a mayor isn't the best position in the world, so those who step up to the plate should be recognized for their efforts and community involvement.

RCMP Const. Resus Organ's name was incorrectly spelled in last Friday's Yellowknifer, and in the edition published on Jan. 17. Yellowknifer apologizes for any embarrassment or confusion caused by the error.