Ben Stein stresses better security

On Wed, Oct. 17, media icon and TV host Ben Stein spoke to a packed Shriver Hall in the fourth lecture of the MSE Symposium, "A New Forum for Debate: Late Night TV." Students and visitors quickly filled Shriver long before the 8 p.m. lecture began.

According to Aashrey Kannan, a member of the MSE Events Staff, it was the largest turnout yet in the Symposium's fall series.

Students stood crowding the doorways as Stein took the stage in his infamous sneakers.

"I do have a speech," he said, as he rambled on for a few minutes about the state of Maryland, his own hometown. But his humorous tone took a serious turn as he began to speak of the unavoidable "giant elephant sitting in the living room": terrorism."To everything there is a season," Stein quoted from the Bible. "A time of war and a time of peace, a time to speak and a time to be silent. Now it is time to speak."

Stein spoke at great length about the terrorist attack on America. This "struggle of light versus darkness", as Stein called it, "is the most frightening struggle of all time. Let's stop this right now. It's a simple matter - it's them or us."

Amidst his relation of the horrors of the attacks, Stein offered an encouraging viewpoint. "We're a strong society - we will triumph with will and resolution."

Stein spoke of the importance of family and community in the "social quilt of America." According to Stein, every American plays a role in keeping this quilt together by fostering community and working hard. "We're all soldiers in this war," said Stein. "Each of us has a part to play. The home front is the front-line."

Stein criticized the FBI and the CIA, claiming that their failure to fully utilize national security tools was "criminal." He also criticized the lack of security in airports which, according to him, is still present even after the attacks. Stein defined the airports' "top-notch security procedure" as the question: "Did you pack your own bag?"

According to Stein, the "criminal negligence" on the part of airports, who are "getting a bail out from the taxpayers", is due in large part to inexperienced and unqualified workers, who are hired at less than minimum wage to ensure security. Stein suggested that "$3 more an hour for those checking bags" would be a better use of taxpayers' money. Stein also suggested that the wages of military, police force and firefighters be raised. He went on to say that he would be willing to give up his tax cut to make this possible.

"Let's stop being so cheap with the people that save our lives," he said, to the loud applause of his listeners. Stein shifted gears as he went on to speak about his new book, How to Ruin Your Life, a response to the countless books written on how to improve one's life. He read aloud some of its guidelines:

"Assume you are the center of the universe... never accept any kind of responsibility for anything that goes wrong... don't ever save any money. Everybody loves criticism; the world owes you a living; money is the measure of everything."

According to Stein's book, these are the sure ways to ruin your life. "Do this, and I'll see you standing by the side of the road, offering to wipe my windshield," said Stein. Stein went on to offer advice to his listeners, listing the things he wished he'd been told in college: "Be grateful for being young, be grateful for everything, work hard, and choose work you like." He warned against excessive drug use and encouraged bravery and tenacity in pursuing a career. He also slipped in a reminder for students to call their parents.

"Show them love. The best 10 cents you spend is the 10 cents you spend talking to family," said Stein.

Stein fielded a number of questions at the conclusion of his speech, ranging in topic from international relations and patriotism to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the movie in which he played his short but well-known role as Ferris' teacher.

When asked for his opinion about the situation in Israel and the Middle East, Stein expressed his confidence in the Arab people, of whom he said "there are no braver or more talented". When asked how he would feel if searched at an airport, Stein referred to the hijackings of the late 60's: "The hijacker's profile looked just like me - I was always searched. It didn't bother me a bit."

Stein recited a famous line from Ferris Beuller upon a student's request. He also agreed to give an eager fan a hug on stage. Stein was at ease with the young audience as he fielded the variety of questions. Stein also mentioned the subject of bias in the media, saying, "I'm the only Republican in the Screen Actors Guild." The speech ended with a personal note from Stein about the changes he has seen in Maryland since his childhood, which was spent in Silver Spring.

He related his experiences of being a Jew in a highly-segregated area, finally noting that Maryland "has [since] accommodated itself to a sense of justice." Stein's speech was a mixture of politics, humor and fatherly advice and was clearly a hit with students, who eagerly crowded around the celebrity as he made his way to the reception that followed.

"It was terrific. He did a great job of combining humor, political discussion and other topics," said MSE Symposium co-chair Gregor Feige.

Stein, who has taught many students in his career, told the audience that his favorite student was a kid named Matthew Broderick, who played the role of Ferris Bueller. He then quoted Broderick's famous line: "Life goes by pretty quick. If you don't slow down, you just might miss it."

Said Stein to his listeners, "You are young and American in 2001; slow down.