I think you're right, but remember the utter lack of qualification one needs to become a police officer in this country and despair over the TSA ever becoming a more effective force.

because what exists now is a gigantic waste of time and money

In 1995 it was pretty easy to bring a gun on a plane, for anyone, and now it's almost impossible! I've never personally experienced safety lapses from TSA agents I've encountered; on the contrary they all seem over-zealous in the execution of their jobs. (However on two occasions I've "subverted" the system due to extenuating circumstances and on both they've been understanding and humane.)

I would agree that anyone (say a child) first encountering the TSA security measures would be frightened and have a bad experience, but that seems like a price that has to be paid.

Racial profiling is a separate argument. Using stereotypes is efficient, unfortunately. I'm also completely sure that at some level the TSA higher-ups have instructed the agents on the ground to profile on the basis of race. There's blame to go around there, maybe, but it's different blame.