Another example of groping for government and how the government handles those who would rather not be molested any time they wish to travel.
After a woman refused to go through a full body scanner she was pulled aside and made to undergo the pat down procedure. When the TSA agent touched the woman’s breasts, she broke down into tears and screamed for a police officer.
Of course the officers only threatened the woman, rather than help the assault victim. Then agents threatened to arrest her son for recording the incident. If we’ve learned that there’s anything the government hates it people that assert their rights, especially the 1st and 4th amendment rights.
That story makes these next two all the more satisfying.
The bill to ban the TSA’s molestation in Texas was scuttled recently after the TSA threatened to ground all Texas air traffic. (A move similar to the Stalinist threats used by the feds to revoke highway funds or otherwise cripple state economies of any states who oppose them.)
However, Rep. David Simpson (R) suddenly found renewed backbone after reconsidering the measure and deciding to try to move forward again.
“Gentlemen, we find ourselves at such a watershed moment today,” Simpson continued. “The federal government is attempting to deprive the citizens of Texas of their constitutional rights under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 9 of the Texas Constitution. If we do not stand for our citizens in the face of this deprivation of their personal rights and dignity, who will?”
And it looks like Utah’s joining the club:
“Opened a bill file today which will prohibit TSA pat downs in Utah without reasonable suspicion,” [Rep. Carl] Wimmer [(R)] wrote on his Facebook page this week. “Texas needs us to stand with them.”
The TSA makes the laughable argument that the bills are nullified by the supremacy clause of the Constitution, the very document they ignore in performing the “freedom groping” to begin with.
David
June 4, 2011
This would merit some sort of credibility if the woman herself didn’t freak out over what she should have known has become a standard in air travel. A full body scan machine was created for the specific purpose of avoiding pat downs of travelers. Yet, if people do not want to go through this, they must go through the accustomed pat down. Do you actually think the TSA gets off on patting down fat ugly women? The TSA agent who “molested” her was a woman for the specific purpose of making the woman feel more comfortable. Does that mean the TSA woman wanted to touch the breasts of an old, fat lady?
And of course, the old lady is going to completely overreact to so simple a procedure because she probably has never has read a newspaper, or watched the news. According tot he TSA and the government, these screening procedures are necessary for safety. Instead of helping her cause, she caused a disturbance of the peace, for TSA agents who already have to deal enough with thousands of air travelers an hour. You can’t say that what she did, with the screaming and the crying, when she is in absolutely NO physical danger, no one was touching her, in fact, as soon as she felt she had been violated, the screening stopped immediately. People are so quick to jump on the shit jobs that average Americans have to perform. Are you suggesting there shouldn’t be any sort of screening period?
Your outrage is futile and unnecessary, especially since pat downs and screenings have been apart of air travel since the dawn of air travel. Hundreds of thousands of people travel via airplane every day. Yet you focus on the one batshit crazy lady who felt her rights had been violated over a standard screening procedure.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
In response of 50 cent party* member David
June 4, 2011
So, molestation or irradiation is standard part of security policy for air travel in USA now?
And even though hundreds of thousands of people put up with it doesnt mean that is okay or right. If you think it is then you should go jump of a cliff like the Disney-lemming you are.
Pat downs and screenings werent part of air travel since the dawn of air travel. Those came in effect later when gunmen wanted to take a lot of people hostage. Learn or at least look up your history before you spout this nonsense.
* 50 cent party: so called because the paid shill gets 50 cents for each comment he or she posts
David
June 5, 2011
According to your warped definitions of security policy for air travel, apparently yes, molestation and radiation poisoning are indeed apart of air travel. See, by most rational Americans, going through airport security is complied with because we don’t want people bringing concealed weapons, sharp objects, guns, and hazardous chemicals onto planes to blow up or crash into buildings. Random pat downs are thus performed in order to prevent such measures. Just because one woman felt she had been molested, when she clearly wasn’t, does not mean the entire process should be changed.
Hundreds of thousands of people don’t have a problem with it because they don’t have a problem with it! You, kind sir, are making a problem of it by posting ridiculous crap such as this, and making people believe it’s a problem when it’s clearly not. You just want to start an argument over a petty issue, and I unfortunately fell for it. Now this brings up another concerning point of why conservatives are so quick to attack people, instead of arguments. You defend yourself by calling me a Disney lemming, which A) proves my point, and B) is really mature coming form a doo doo face like you!
And by the way, your nonsense was way more nonsensical than my sense. Again, you focus on the minor altercations between the TSA and irrational air travelers, and might I remind you, that the TSA was established by your savior, George Bush after the 9/11 attacks. Baggage screenings and walking through metal detectors have indeed been apart of air travel since the dawn of air travel.
Boo yah!
Josh Saint Jacque
June 6, 2011
First of all, none of this enhanced screening was enacted until several years after 9/11. Can you explain why it’s necessary to shred the constitution when planes weren’t any more likely to fall out of the sky prior to our rape of the 4th amendment? I’m curious how you feel about random searches and pat downs at sports stadiums, buses trains and subways? Is there anywhere the constitution actually matters, or shall we dispose of it as soon as some fear-monger can make any argument that we might be slightly “safer” without it?
Shouldn’t we have random home searches or random car searches as well? Wouldn’t that dramatically reduce crime and make everyone “safer”? Of course it would. And likely it would save many lives as well. But that doesn’t mean we want to trade the private terrorism criminals for the government terrorism of police.
This is a problem to anyone who values constitutional liberty and limited government, to anyone who believes that leaving ones home does not mean one abandons his or her liberties, and to anyone who beliefs that the federal government cannot appropriate for itself more power without the consent of the governed through constitutional amendment. I do not consent to have my liberty taken from me, and you, sir, seem to be all to happy to abandon yours.
It never ceases to amaze me that people think I hold Bush as some kind of “savoir”. I assure you I do not. Bush shredded the constitution as well and I am critical of his administration for doing so. But at least he had the excuse of 9/11, what’s this administration’s excuse for unending war and the crippling of our liberty that “justifies”? I’m a libertarian Republican.
David
June 7, 2011
Thank you for your eloquent response to this matter Josh. and I’m glad we can agree on something, that Bush was a hack, and did more harm to this country than any sort of good. And no, without any doubt, there should never be any sort of randomized searches of personal and private homes, cars, and properties without obtaining a warrant. Those are clearly protected by the 4th amendment, and as of now, I’ve never heard of any sort of randomized home searches in the name of protecting America from terrorism. Yet randomized pat downs are a necessity at public forums such as sports stadiums, subways, buses and trains because these are public places anyone can walk into. This supposed “rape of the 4th amendment” you mention is up to interpretation of the particular facility or traveling facility, and whatever protects their asses from getting sued, is exactly what they are going to do. Besides, passing through metal detectors, not bringing in any sort of outside food or drink, and bag checks again have been done at every single public sporting event I have gone to. They’re standards!
Don’t you see how illogical your argument is? The 4th amendment states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated…” The key words we are focusing on are “persons” and “unreasonable.” Now think about this. Is is really that unreasonable for the TSA, sporting facilities, or any sort of traveling venue to perform random pat downs of random people when the pat downs are not,by any means, unreasonable? The Constitution are vague outlines of civil liberties, ones that every single Congressman and civilian interprets in their own way. There are no absolutes, yet extreme Constitutional interpretations of any sort should never be considered.
I’m all for constitutional liberty, but it’s frustrating when people use this document as an excuse for their own extremist attitudes towards society, and equality for all. Federal government is necessary for uniformity in this country, especially since there is such a diversity of opinion, ethnicities, distance, and ways of life. That’s why it’s the United States of America, not the States of America. Limited government is a hindrance to the success of this country as a whole.
If you don’t believe me, go watch this foreign film from China called Hero, circa 2004. It has Jet Li in it. It’s awesome.