Domestic flights in New Zealand are incredible. Single X-Ray machine, toss your bag on the conveyor, and it goes through just as fast as you can walk to the other side. No body scanners, no metal detectors.
The security 'theater' is what we pay for a high level of freedom in the US, especially in conservative states. You may reach the end of the queue faster, but what if there's a bad guy with a gun there? Where will the good guys be?
Presumably standing around outside, waiting for the SWAT team, and not letting anyone else enter the building. How the Uvalde PD didn't all get charged with aiding and abetting is beyond me.