They make us take off our shoes and throw away our water. I think we can all admit to being frustrated when we're screened to get into an airport terminal. But nobody questions the value of transportation security officers. It is their job to make sure that we never have another September 11. Transportation security officers truly are on the front line of defense of our nation's security. But, thanks to former President Bush, transportation security officers have been second-class employees in the federal government for eight years.