The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is out of control. The pat down searches for most people who can't get through the metal detector and cannot or will not use the full body scanners are intrusive, humiliating, abusive, and ultimately useless. For others without medical devices implanted in their bodies, the full body scans "randomly" required are similarly "effective" and are a serious government intrusion on the rights of Americans against unreasonable search which our constitution is supposed to protect us against.
If the purpose of these enhanced searches is to provide us with additional security, then they are an abysmal failure. The scanners cannot detect explosives such as the "underwear" bomber used. While actually checking the underwear of airline passengers could probably detect that explosive, it is probably possible to use a different chemical formulation that would not be detected by the same test. Also, the explosive could be embedded in other fabrics that are carried on or worn, but are not searched.
On the other hand, if the searches are meant to desensitize us to violations of our constitutional rights and increase the erosion of them, then they have been successful. Twits who say things like "I don't mind being searched because I want to be safe" and "If everyone is subject to the same rules [even if they are unreasonable searches] then it's OK since only terrorists should be bothered by these rules" signify the danger to freedom our republic faces. Routine acceptance of these violations of our rights and intrusions into our privacy are eroding our freedom. Meekly accepting sexual molestation as a condition for riding a commercial aircraft makes citizens who are self-ruling into subjects of government bureaucrats. Consider that the specific regulations requiring this are administrative rules authorized by a law rather than a specific act of Congress.
In addition, the so-called "random" searches requiring a full body scan or pat down are done at the discretion of a TSA official with no truly random selection at all. When I was forced to submit to this kind of search, I was told the reason is that there was a line at the routine metal detector, so this would be faster (for the TSA apparently). When I pointed out that the TSA obviously had no problem with having people stand in lines waiting for everything else, and that I was willing to wait for the metal detector, I was told that since I had been told to go to the scanner, my only choices were to go through the scanner or get a pat down search. I opted out of the body scanner and was subject to the search. When I objected to having my testicles touched by a TSA agent, I was told that I would have to submit to the procedure or that I would not be allowed to fly. When I asked why I was being searched, I was told that the TSA randomly selects people for search. I told the supervisor that I was not randomly selected; I was selected because there was a line at the metal detector. The supervisor didn't care and didn't seem to actually understand what random selection actually means. Of course, even a random selection is an unreasonable search. Another supervisor and three Phoenix city police were then summoned to tell me that I had to submit to the search if I wanted to board my flight. They said they could get someone from the airline to explain the policy to me which I told them was ridiculous since this was a government policy that my airline has no control over. I was finally forced to submit to the search as a condition for flying a commercial airliner. I told the TSA employees and the Phoenix police officers that they should be ashamed of themselves for what they are doing to American citizens. One of the police officers "kindly" reminded me that Grayhound doesn't do these kind of searches if I want to avoid them. I suspect that is not because of a lack of desire by the TSA. I reminded him that the government - not the airlines - requires these searches. I told him that if airlines were allowed to implement their own security and passengers could choose airlines with more reasonable security, then what he said would make sense. That police officer officer said that he didn't like the policy, but that's the way it is. One of the TSA agents also said that their policy is just the way it is. My response is that the rising and setting of the sun is the way things are, but setting up instrusive, unreasonable searches is done by someone and implemented by others; they are not something that needs to be accepted as part of nature. Their behavior reflects a willingness to follow orders of "superiors" while suspending their own sense of judgment either because they are drones unworthy to live in or serve a free society or value job security and paychecks over their consciences which makes them little more than mercenaries. Justifying unacceptable behavior because of "just following orders" has had bad consequences in history. It is something Americans should consider an early warning of the free character of our citizens disappearing and should be a cause of great concern.
Interestingly, at one of the terminals at Ft. Lauderdale airport, those full body scanners were nowhere in evidence which raises obvious doubts about how necessary they are for airport security. Why in Phoenix and not in Ft. Lauderdale? Actually, why are they needed anywhere? Finding bad people rather than bad items is what is really necessary, and the Department of Homeland Security has done this poorly. A sharp pencil in the hands of a terrorist is more of a danger than a Swiss Army Knife (much less nail clippers) in my pocket.
This has been going on for some time, but there is nothing like pesonally suffering through it yourself to get you riled at the unreasonableness of the government and its employees. It was such a disturbing experience that I could understand how authority figures with badges (such as the TSA agents and Phoenix Police who participated in molesting me as a matter of government policy) could be thought of as "pigs" which I had previously thought was a wholely unjustified reaction by 1960's radicals. Since I am a basically law abiding citizen, this bothered me because thinking of the police and government as enemies and oppressors rather than as public servants made me realize that there is something fundamentally wrong with how our country is functioning.
To counter the excesses of the TSA, many airports have requested that they be able to replace TSA personnel with their own private security. Some of these requests were granted, but, when it became obvious that the TSA would be deluged with these requests, the TSA director refused a request and said he saw no reason why any request would be approved in the future. The TSA employee labor union unsurpisingly supports this position. This is another arbitrary act by the Federal government to keep citizens and private and local government bodies that operate commercial airports under a Federal thumb when this is not required by law. Refusing these requests also maintains the TSA's bureaucratic empire.
The House of Representatives should refuse to appropriate money for the TSA unless applications for airports to use private security are routinely approved. There should also be consideration given to not funding the TSA unless it adopts more reasonable procedures that do not require submission to sexual molestation as a condition for flying on commercial aircraft.
People should tell their representatives in Congress to rein in the TSA, and people going through unreasonable searches by the TSA should tell individual agents subjecting them to these searches that they should be ashamed of themselves for engaging in this behavior and violating the Constitution they swore to uphold.
If the purpose of these enhanced searches is to provide us with additional security, then they are an abysmal failure. The scanners cannot detect explosives such as the "underwear" bomber used. While actually checking the underwear of airline passengers could probably detect that explosive, it is probably possible to use a different chemical formulation that would not be detected by the same test. Also, the explosive could be embedded in other fabrics that are carried on or worn, but are not searched.
On the other hand, if the searches are meant to desensitize us to violations of our constitutional rights and increase the erosion of them, then they have been successful. Twits who say things like "I don't mind being searched because I want to be safe" and "If everyone is subject to the same rules [even if they are unreasonable searches] then it's OK since only terrorists should be bothered by these rules" signify the danger to freedom our republic faces. Routine acceptance of these violations of our rights and intrusions into our privacy are eroding our freedom. Meekly accepting sexual molestation as a condition for riding a commercial aircraft makes citizens who are self-ruling into subjects of government bureaucrats. Consider that the specific regulations requiring this are administrative rules authorized by a law rather than a specific act of Congress.
In addition, the so-called "random" searches requiring a full body scan or pat down are done at the discretion of a TSA official with no truly random selection at all. When I was forced to submit to this kind of search, I was told the reason is that there was a line at the routine metal detector, so this would be faster (for the TSA apparently). When I pointed out that the TSA obviously had no problem with having people stand in lines waiting for everything else, and that I was willing to wait for the metal detector, I was told that since I had been told to go to the scanner, my only choices were to go through the scanner or get a pat down search. I opted out of the body scanner and was subject to the search. When I objected to having my testicles touched by a TSA agent, I was told that I would have to submit to the procedure or that I would not be allowed to fly. When I asked why I was being searched, I was told that the TSA randomly selects people for search. I told the supervisor that I was not randomly selected; I was selected because there was a line at the metal detector. The supervisor didn't care and didn't seem to actually understand what random selection actually means. Of course, even a random selection is an unreasonable search. Another supervisor and three Phoenix city police were then summoned to tell me that I had to submit to the search if I wanted to board my flight. They said they could get someone from the airline to explain the policy to me which I told them was ridiculous since this was a government policy that my airline has no control over. I was finally forced to submit to the search as a condition for flying a commercial airliner. I told the TSA employees and the Phoenix police officers that they should be ashamed of themselves for what they are doing to American citizens. One of the police officers "kindly" reminded me that Grayhound doesn't do these kind of searches if I want to avoid them. I suspect that is not because of a lack of desire by the TSA. I reminded him that the government - not the airlines - requires these searches. I told him that if airlines were allowed to implement their own security and passengers could choose airlines with more reasonable security, then what he said would make sense. That police officer officer said that he didn't like the policy, but that's the way it is. One of the TSA agents also said that their policy is just the way it is. My response is that the rising and setting of the sun is the way things are, but setting up instrusive, unreasonable searches is done by someone and implemented by others; they are not something that needs to be accepted as part of nature. Their behavior reflects a willingness to follow orders of "superiors" while suspending their own sense of judgment either because they are drones unworthy to live in or serve a free society or value job security and paychecks over their consciences which makes them little more than mercenaries. Justifying unacceptable behavior because of "just following orders" has had bad consequences in history. It is something Americans should consider an early warning of the free character of our citizens disappearing and should be a cause of great concern.
Interestingly, at one of the terminals at Ft. Lauderdale airport, those full body scanners were nowhere in evidence which raises obvious doubts about how necessary they are for airport security. Why in Phoenix and not in Ft. Lauderdale? Actually, why are they needed anywhere? Finding bad people rather than bad items is what is really necessary, and the Department of Homeland Security has done this poorly. A sharp pencil in the hands of a terrorist is more of a danger than a Swiss Army Knife (much less nail clippers) in my pocket.
This has been going on for some time, but there is nothing like pesonally suffering through it yourself to get you riled at the unreasonableness of the government and its employees. It was such a disturbing experience that I could understand how authority figures with badges (such as the TSA agents and Phoenix Police who participated in molesting me as a matter of government policy) could be thought of as "pigs" which I had previously thought was a wholely unjustified reaction by 1960's radicals. Since I am a basically law abiding citizen, this bothered me because thinking of the police and government as enemies and oppressors rather than as public servants made me realize that there is something fundamentally wrong with how our country is functioning.
To counter the excesses of the TSA, many airports have requested that they be able to replace TSA personnel with their own private security. Some of these requests were granted, but, when it became obvious that the TSA would be deluged with these requests, the TSA director refused a request and said he saw no reason why any request would be approved in the future. The TSA employee labor union unsurpisingly supports this position. This is another arbitrary act by the Federal government to keep citizens and private and local government bodies that operate commercial airports under a Federal thumb when this is not required by law. Refusing these requests also maintains the TSA's bureaucratic empire.
The House of Representatives should refuse to appropriate money for the TSA unless applications for airports to use private security are routinely approved. There should also be consideration given to not funding the TSA unless it adopts more reasonable procedures that do not require submission to sexual molestation as a condition for flying on commercial aircraft.
People should tell their representatives in Congress to rein in the TSA, and people going through unreasonable searches by the TSA should tell individual agents subjecting them to these searches that they should be ashamed of themselves for engaging in this behavior and violating the Constitution they swore to uphold.
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