A soleful apology to Homeland Security

There's bird flu in Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, China, Nigeria, Egypt. You can read about that stuff anywhere. But it's Saturday, so you'll get this, my apology to Homeland Security. Because good manners are always timely.

I confess I've been openly skeptical about the efficacy of the requirement to remove my shoes at airport screening stations. Shoe bombs? Gels? Give me a break, I thought. It's no wonder Richard Reid didn't succeed. It's almost impossible to pull this off.

But then I found this AP story:

In 2006, U.S. agents increased their seizures of counterfeit goods by 83 percent, making more than 14,000 seizures worth at least $155 million.

The figures were released by the Homeland Security Department, where two agencies are involved in stopping the phony goods at U.S. borders, and investigating and prosecuting those responsible for producing them.

China was the source of 81 percent of all phony goods seized in 2006, according to figures from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Forty-one percent of the bogus items confiscated last year were shoes -- the largest category of fakes. (Daily Mail)

Don't see the connection? It comes in the very next sentence:

"There was an explosive growth in footwear last year," said Therese Randazzo, director of risk management for Customs and Border Protection, adding that counterfeiters change their products often.

Exploding counterfeit footwear coming from communist China, made by illegal pre-immigrants.

Dear Homeland Security: Forgive me for doubting you.