Ron Paul, Standing up to Govt. and the TSA

[Guest]

I wish I could vote for this guy. Ron Paul is my hero of the moment.

He says everyone in Congress and the Executive Branch of government should go through the backscatter imaging machine and look at the picture that results, and then should have to go through the invasive groping, genital probing pat down search and then opine on this procedure.

I would add that they also should be made to watch their wives and children go through the same procedure.

Rep. Ron Paul believes it's time to stop behaving like cattle and behaving like freeborn Americans.

People are starting to revolt at this governmental overreach and some of our representatives are beginning to speak out in our behalf. Maybe I will be able to fly again in the future.

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/clip.php?appid=599164944

[Guest]

I may not agree with everything coming form the Paul family (Ron and his son Rand) but I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with this.

I forget who it was who proposed a Constitutional Ammendment that basically said Congress shall pass no law that it is, itself, exempted from.

[Guest]

In today's Boston Globe, Derrick Jackson writes a column that is basically pro-scanning/patdown. Jackson has a different view of innocent African Americans being pulled over randomly while driving, but I digress.

The comments section got very heated in places but one of the comments stood out to me:


How would the passengers of the four planes used on 911 feel about body scanners. I bet they would be scanned or searched without complaining. No one says you have a God given right to fly in a plane. If you object, take another mode of transportation.


My response? How would those passengers feel if they knew, going on to that plane, that the security guards ignored the metal scans that everyone goes through and allowed the terrorists on the planes with boxcutters? You know - the security agents that at least had to have a high-school degree, unlike the TSA agents today.

[Guest]

I have been diligently writing to my senator, the ACLU, never thought that would happen, TSA civil rights division. The list is endless but I am doing my part. I fly into a rage when they say but its only 1% percent of the travelers that get the pat down. And why is it that only 1% percent have the honor of being groped? Mainly because you have some type of metal implant or medical device which you can't remove before you go through the metal detector. Everybody thinks they are safe because we 1% are patted down...have they forgotten? The shoe bomber went through a metal detector no problem that is why we take off our shoes now. The underwear bomber went through a metal detector no issues. That is why they are "touching our junk now". But they are only touch the junk of people who set off the metal detector.....think about it. Who has the makings of a bomb in his or her pants? Any metal parts? If not then BOOM!!!

Fly safety this holiday season...I am driving. Go Buffs Beat the Huskers.

[Guest]

In today's Boston Globe, Derrick Jackson writes a column that is basically pro-scanning/patdown. Jackson has a different view of innocent African Americans being pulled over randomly while driving, but I digress.

The comments section got very heated in places but one of the comments stood out to me:



My response? How would those passengers feel if they knew, going on to that plane, that the security guards ignored the metal scans that everyone goes through and allowed the terrorists on the planes with boxcutters? You know - the security agents that at least had to have a high-school degree, unlike the TSA agents today.



We dunno if this kind of story made it around (didn't notice it in the VDS!), but we first heard it on one of those alternative airways yesterday, so we assumed it might have a bit of conspiratorial tone, so we searched words like scanning, lobby, etc....

here was one result:

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=100758

We just flew back from Lisbon, Portugal (in the nick of time we just heard!) this week and took several flights to and from through some of the 'tightest' places on the planet, Amsterdam and Paris.
It was very fast, but rules and contraband varied.
The French never liked plastic yarn scissors! AMS didn't like some of the bike parts and tools(heavens, even a small roll of duct tape, ?)
Jeepers, they have metal cutlery in business class, and their headfones could strangle the pilot (who gets scanned even though he'
s driving a megaton bomb and has a sidearm!?!?)

Driving the van from Spain into Portugal was a surprise.
An open border for decades, this year, they mobilized the troops for three days and pulled us over for a check.
After pleading 'no speak' (though our son knows the tongue) they found an English tongue
"Obama's coming, 'Naht-o meeting', everybody out, what's in the back?"
"personal goods and our daughter"
The rear door opened, she rose to a shotgun-toting guard, thankfully not pointing.
They were nicer than they needed to be, one admitted they ar4e on strike but still had to do their thing.
The dog was friendly and we passed the sniff test in and out and left no hair on the seats.
They asked about any alcohol, tobacco, weapons, and one time pacifist materials.
Good heavens, dare say someone bring in peace to a country hosting a nato conference!

Personally we are not offended by the touch and Xray, but are appalled at the money, time, and delays this system is imposing.
There must be a better way. Maybe we will look back and laugh as we do now at the time wasting , twice and thrice repeated interviews of old "has anyone put anything in your bag without your knowledge?"
Is an airthug gonna say "there might be a gun in there"

We often think that turning over airport protocol and crowd management to Diuney would be the best.
Maybe the whole world?

L and L

[Guest]

Where are the protesters?I think most people arn't bothered by this. Don't like it don"t fly.

[Guest]

Internet sites, News media, e-mail discussions, etc.


Remember when Bush tightened up on security and the left-wingers cried foul and made a big stink about losing our personal freedoms?

Have you noticed that they are no longer afraid of losing said freedoms?

Hypocrites no? I guess it is alright now that Comrade Obama is in White House?

[Guest]

Where are the protesters?I think most people arn't bothered by this. Don't like it don"t fly.

Obviously you are very out of touch. Did you miss the part about the flight attendant, a breast cancer survivor, having to take her artificial breast off? How does she give up flying and why should she. Did ya miss the part about the guy having his artifical bladder ripped off by one of these searchs? He was flying to a wedding.

You should be a ashamed for such flipant comment.

:cus::cus::cus:

[Guest]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a8jGVXOMsw

[Guest]

Internet sites, News media, e-mail discussions, etc.


Remember when Bush tightened up on security and the left-wingers cried foul and made a big stink about losing our personal freedoms?

Have you noticed that they are no longer afraid of losing said freedoms?

Hypocrites no? I guess it is alright now that Comrade Obama is in White House?

Come On....Comrade? Enough. And this is NOT a left wing protest. Get real.

[Guest]

I have been diligently writing to my senator, the ACLU, never thought that would happen, TSA civil rights division. The list is endless but I am doing my part. I fly into a rage when they say but its only 1% percent of the travelers that get the pat down. And why is it that only 1% percent have the honor of being groped? Mainly because you have some type of metal implant or medical device which you can't remove before you go through the metal detector. Everybody thinks they are safe because we 1% are patted down...have they forgotten? The shoe bomber went through a metal detector no problem that is why we take off our shoes now. The underwear bomber went through a metal detector no issues. That is why they are "touching our junk now". But they are only touch the junk of people who set off the metal detector.....think about it. Who has the makings of a bomb in his or her pants? Any metal parts? If not then BOOM!!!

Fly safety this holiday season...I am driving. Go Buffs Beat the Huskers.

Have you noticed that the people who are standing behind the TSA and this new security, WHICH IS A VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT, are the liberals in the news. Chris Matthews on his show railed about the opposition of these new procedures, and claimed the protesters are stirred up by the Right Wing extremists. His support of these procedures, he said, is that Obama would get blamed for a terrorist getting through security.

Chris Matthews is the same man who a few years ago screamed bloody murder about warrantless wiretapping that was authorized by the Patriot Act, but never utilized.
By the way, you did know that the Patriot Act was penned by Joe Biden. It's all coming full circle.

Once the Fourth Amendment is effectively rendered obsolete by our acquiescence to the governments implementation of continued and escalating security protocols, can we consider ourselves "free Americans"? Can we continue to expect privacy in our personal life? Do you really think that they only want this much intrusion into our lives and then, "that's it"?

The only way for the Socialist/Communists to advance their agenda to the next level is to eat away at our views of "personal freedom" and "personal privacy" and "rights of the individual". This is only the beginning of the incremental eradication of the American ideal.

All on the pretext of our "safety" and "security".

__________________________________________________ _____

P.S. I'm also driving this holiday season and for all my traveling in the foreseeable future until this abominable incursion into our personal privacy is eliminated. My future traveling dollars will now be spent on gasoline, restaurants and hotels. This should make those who say "YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T FLY" happy, as they continue to have themselves and their children photographed naked and probingly groped.

[Guest]

Come On....Comrade? Enough. And this is NOT a left wing protest. Get real.

What I was saying is that many on the left that protested during the Bush years about losing personal freedom are strangely silent about the current happenings at airports. Do Obama supporters like what is going on at airports? If they don't then why are they now silent?

[Guest]

Obviously you are very out of touch. Did you miss the part about the flight attendant, a breast cancer survivor, having to take her artificial breast off? How does she give up flying and why should she. Did ya miss the part about the guy having his artifical bladder ripped off by one of these searchs? He was flying to a wedding.

You should be a ashamed for such flipant comment.

:cus::cus::cus:

I stand but I said. How many people have been screened? and you come up with 2 .You need to start living in the real world.I still feel thats a small price to pay to be safe.

[Guest]

I stand but I said. How many people have been screened? and you come up with 2 .You need to start living in the real world.I still feel thats a small price to pay to be safe.

And when they come for you, who will be left to speak up?

[Guest]

I say to heck with the Fourth Amendment. Our Founding Fathers had no idea what the world would be like in the 21st century. I think the TSA and the federal government should be able to conduct searches and seizures without warrants or reason to suspect.

It is the same as with the right to bear arms and separation of church and state. The Founding Fathers didn't mean guns in your homes or being able to pray in schools. It was another world back then. We have to allow judges and the government adapt and interpret the Constitution to our situation.

Even if it is a 90 year old woman or someone with a doctors affidavit that says they have a medical apparatus or a child who has been sexually abused, I say let the TSA search and search away. Search every cavity. If it keeps me safe. Fine and detain if anyone pulls that bologna Constitutional crap. If you don't have anything to hide, what are you scared of; if it keeps us safe?

If it keeps us safe, let the government come into our homes and search. Let them search our work and personal computers and track our phone conversations. I have nothing to hide.

If someone is driving down the road and the police get a tip you may have something explosive or dangerous, they don't have time to go before a judge and get a search warrant. Let them pull us over and strip you on the side of the road and impound the car. If it keeps us safe.

I think the government has a right to put out a shoot to kill order, like they did on U.S. Citizen Anwar Al-Awlaki, without a military tribunal or trial. If it keeps us safe.

I say let the government check my debit card and bank account to see what I'm buying. Check my library records or the movies I rent. If it keeps us safe. Put a tracking devise on vehicles. Put up security cameras in my neighborhood and listening devises in our homes. If you don't have anything to hide, you shouldn't be worried.

If it keeps us safe, we should be willing to give up freedoms and liberties, right?

[Guest]

Tommorrow I will be at my American Legion feeding 50 navy recruits like I do every year,These kids will be off the base for the first time.We feed them,have phone banks,can go bowling or the show and film them and send copies to their parents.I also go to the va hospital and bring clothes,money,sundries and play bingo and just talk to these vets.These are the people that give all of us the right to voice are opinions.Last week I went to a wake for a 20 yr old Marine who had been married in are post.We stood in line for 2 hrs,His parents thanked me for my service which was nothing I was their to show them people due care.I just get tied of people who complain about nothing and most of those don't give back at all!Tommorrow I will sleep like a baby because we gave someone a memory they will have forever

[Guest]

Tommorrow I will be at my American Legion feeding 50 navy recruits like I do every year,These kids will be off the base for the first time.We feed them,have phone banks,can go bowling or the show and film them and send copies to their parents.I also go to the va hospital and bring clothes,money,sundries and play bingo and just talk to these vets.These are the people that give all of us the right to voice are opinions.Last week I went to a wake for a 20 yr old Marine who had been married in are post.We stood in line for 2 hrs,His parents thanked me for my service which was nothing I was their to show them people due care.I just get tied of people who complain about nothing and most of those don't give back at all!Tommorrow I will sleep like a baby because we gave someone a memory they will have forever

You are right on there, buddy. I noticed that the biggest complainers never served their country in any capacity at all. It should be mandatory for every citizen to contribute to this country. If not in the military then the Peace Corp or some reasonable facsimile.

[Guest]

Tommorrow I will be at my American Legion feeding 50 navy recruits like I do every year,These kids will be off the base for the first time.We feed them,have phone banks,can go bowling or the show and film them and send copies to their parents.I also go to the va hospital and bring clothes,money,sundries and play bingo and just talk to these vets.These are the people that give all of us the right to voice are opinions.Last week I went to a wake for a 20 yr old Marine who had been married in are post.We stood in line for 2 hrs,His parents thanked me for my service which was nothing I was their to show them people due care.I just get tied of people who complain about nothing and most of those don't give back at all!Tommorrow I will sleep like a baby because we gave someone a memory they will have forever

I understand what you are saying hdh1470. I hope you understand what I'm saying in my above post. I am honestly thankful on this Thanksgiving Day, and every day for veterans like you. You are included in my list of true patriots and people deserving of respect.

I hope I didn't offend you. If I did, I am sorry. I was just making a point. I don't want to give up any of the liberties and freedoms you and others fought and gave their lives and limbs to protect. There just has to be a better way to have protection against terrorist at airports than what we are moving towards.

Anyway, God bless you and yours and Happy Thanksgiving. Give those men and women a hug from me. My son-in-law was one of those young recruits last year, only he was in Connecticut. Sincerely, B.K. Cunningham

[Guest]

I say to heck with the Fourth Amendment. Our Founding Fathers had no idea what the world would be like in the 21st century. I think the TSA and the federal government should be able to conduct searches and seizures without warrants or reason to suspect.

It is the same as with the right to bear arms and separation of church and state. The Founding Fathers didn't mean guns in your homes or being able to pray in schools. It was another world back then. We have to allow judges and the government adapt and interpret the Constitution to our situation.

Even if it is a 90 year old woman or someone with a doctors affidavit that says they have a medical apparatus or a child who has been sexually abused, I say let the TSA search and search away. Search every cavity. If it keeps me safe. Fine and detain if anyone pulls that bologna Constitutional crap. If you don't have anything to hide, what are you scared of; if it keeps us safe?

If it keeps us safe, let the government come into our homes and search. Let them search our work and personal computers and track our phone conversations. I have nothing to hide.

If someone is driving down the road and the police get a tip you may have something explosive or dangerous, they don't have time to go before a judge and get a search warrant. Let them pull us over and strip you on the side of the road and impound the car. If it keeps us safe.

I think the government has a right to put out a shoot to kill order, like they did on U.S. Citizen Anwar Al-Awlaki, without a military tribunal or trial. If it keeps us safe.

I say let the government check my debit card and bank account to see what I'm buying. Check my library records or the movies I rent. If it keeps us safe. Put a tracking devise on vehicles. Put up security cameras in my neighborhood and listening devises in our homes. If you don't have anything to hide, you shouldn't be worried.

If it keeps us safe, we should be willing to give up freedoms and liberties, right?

As I read your first two paragraphs, I was getting a little irritated untilI realized you were being sarcastic. Good post.:thumbup:

[Guest]

I say to heck with the Fourth Amendment. Our Founding Fathers had no idea what the world would be like in the 21st century. I think the TSA and the federal government should be able to conduct searches and seizures without warrants or reason to suspect.

It is the same as with the right to bear arms and separation of church and state. The Founding Fathers didn't mean guns in your homes or being able to pray in schools. It was another world back then. We have to allow judges and the government adapt and interpret the Constitution to our situation.

Even if it is a 90 year old woman or someone with a doctors affidavit that says they have a medical apparatus or a child who has been sexually abused, I say let the TSA search and search away. Search every cavity. If it keeps me safe. Fine and detain if anyone pulls that bologna Constitutional crap. If you don't have anything to hide, what are you scared of; if it keeps us safe?

If it keeps us safe, let the government come into our homes and search. Let them search our work and personal computers and track our phone conversations. I have nothing to hide.

If someone is driving down the road and the police get a tip you may have something explosive or dangerous, they don't have time to go before a judge and get a search warrant. Let them pull us over and strip you on the side of the road and impound the car. If it keeps us safe.

I think the government has a right to put out a shoot to kill order, like they did on U.S. Citizen Anwar Al-Awlaki, without a military tribunal or trial. If it keeps us safe.

I say let the government check my debit card and bank account to see what I'm buying. Check my library records or the movies I rent. If it keeps us safe. Put a tracking devise on vehicles. Put up security cameras in my neighborhood and listening devises in our homes. If you don't have anything to hide, you shouldn't be worried.

If it keeps us safe, we should be willing to give up freedoms and liberties, right?

As I was reading your post I, anticipating your usual mindset on issues of freedom, started giggling, and then outright laughing as I got to the end of your post.

What greatly amused me would be the government overreach apologists agreeing with your brilliant post at the beginning and then as they read through it, and your rhetoric escalated, they would start to say "NOW WAIT A DOGGONE MINUTE!!.

If we start abdicating our freedoms now in the name of security, when will we say "ENOUGH!!". By then it may well be too late.

"Big Sis" Janet Napolitano is already saying that we'll need to secure our rail stations and bus stations soon. The TSA is at around 50,000 employees now and in the future there will be many, many more. The Federal Labor Relations Board has ruled that they can now vote to be union represented. This will be a union protected private police force with the accepted ability to deny you your personal rights and freedoms.

This is only the beginning.

Again, brilliant post BK:coolsmiley:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-
eye/2010/11/tsa_employees_can_vote_on_unio.html

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/why_have_67000_tsa_employees_l/

[Guest]

Major newspapers go along with Obama regime. These are the same papers that protested about privacy rights when Bush was president.

http://reason.com/blog/2010/11/24/shut-up-and-bend-over-part-ii

[Guest]

Right on, Ajack. Darn hippie commie newspapers like New York Times, Daily Sun, and Washington Post.

[Guest]

Right on, Ajack. Darn hippie commie newspapers like New York Times, Daily Sun, and Washington Post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouTyLqT9WuI&feature=player_embedded

[Guest]

experienced promoters.
How effective any of the enforcement agencies in Afganistan/Iraq, including our military's finest efforts?
Just think about all the profiling (that does go on there), all the check points, all the vehicle searches, etc and yet the public bombings killing both civilians and military continue.

Now what kind of force would be required to have the same kind of coverage here in the US? And also think about the death and destruction that would/could happen, ANYWAY!!!!

It can only become effective when the government and some of we the people stop worrying about offending minority groups (not race) and think that searching innocents and looking for devices instead of looking for terrorist and terrorist organizations.

We need to thank GOD every single day that the terrorists have not decided to bomb our trains, malls and outdoor events.

The government, the special interest groups, the permissive pacifists, the don't offend anybody advocates do not and will not allow what it takes to keep us safe while keeping our freedoms in tact.

If those with one brown eye and one blue eye and a missing little finger were deemed to be the culprits...why wouldn't everybody do their part to identify one when they see one. This example is nothing more than an anecdotal example with no targeting of any group in mind.

Think seriously about what you think would have to be done to protect this countries citizens if the terrorists came to our shopping centers? Ball games? Etc? It would require a different mind set of how we live and help protect ourselves and our families, friends and neighbors. It cannot be done by politicians or the "office chair" experts who lack the experience and for sure don't want to offend ANY potential voting block.

The governments approach to game fishing would be to use a big enough net to haul everything in and then hope they find what they are looking for.

btk

[Guest]

Right on, Ajack. Darn hippie commie newspapers like New York Times, Daily Sun, and Washington Post.


Actually, the NY Times is pretty much considered a joke by most of the mainstream media. Used to be a great paper and I still read it every day, but they dont even try to hide where they are coming from any longer.

[Guest]

I stand but I said. How many people have been screened? and you come up with 2 .You need to start living in the real world.I still feel thats a small price to pay to be safe.

So you think it is totally ok to humiliate a flight attendant who is breast cancer survivor while allowing the pilots to opt out? Guess you are wrong now because TSA just announced that flight attendants no longer have to be screened.

So here are a couple of my world points for you. I have flown close to 2 million miles in the last 21 years. I will do about 75,000 this year alone.


The shoe bomber walked though a metal detector with a non metallic bomb in his shoe. The underwear bomber walked through a metal detector with a non metallic bomb in his crouch. They just sent package bombs as cargo which is very clever because we don't screen cargo we only screen passengers and their luggage.

My last point will be I have been patted down hundreds of times in the last 7 years and no once have they found anything. Cause I am NOT a terrorist. The people that are paying your so called "price" are the disabled.

Fly safely. I am driving to Florida.

[Guest]

And when they come for you, who will be left to speak up?

:agree::agree::agree::agree:

[Guest]

So you think it is totally ok to humiliate a flight attendant who is breast cancer survivor while allowing the pilots to opt out? Guess you are wrong now because TSA just announced that flight attendants no longer have to be screened.

So here are a couple of my world points for you. I have flown close to 2 million miles in the last 21 years. I will do about 75,000 this year alone.


The shoe bomber walked though a metal detector with a non metallic bomb in his shoe. The underwear bomber walked through a metal detector with a non metallic bomb in his crouch. They just sent package bombs as cargo which is very clever because we don't screen cargo we only screen passengers and their luggage.

My last point will be I have been patted down hundreds of times in the last 7 years and no once have they found anything. Cause I am NOT a terrorist. The people that are paying your so called "price" are the disabled.

Fly safely. I am driving to Florida.

:BigApplause: I can't believe I found something to agree with you on.:thumbup:

I'm scared :cryin2:


Yoda

[Guest]

...and neither of those 'bombs' would have shown up on the full-body scanners - the ones built by the company with ties to the ehad of the DHS>

They WOULD have been picked up by the PED scanners that blow air on you and electronically 'sniff' to see if you've been in contact with explosives.

This is another example of why this is all Kabuki Theater where we are being led down a corrupt path.

And, once again, showing the true value of people who get less training than a UPS driver and who need the education of a high-school dropout, we now have a menstruating woman being fondled becuase the mental midgets at the TSA saw a panty liner and deemed it suspicious.

We're overpaying for scanners that don't work.
We're authorizing people to commit actions that are deemd sexual assault at ANY OTHER TIME - WITHOUT reasonable suspicion or probably cause.

All the while IGNORING technology that costs less and is more effective.

This is our government at work. This is also the reason I think we need a mechanism for national referendum (at least to some degree).

[Guest]

I believe there is a hidden agenda here that has nothing to do with security, but everything to do with acclimating the American people to give up their sense of individual rights and freedom, starting with this limited incursion at out airports, in order to give the idea time to percolate in this limited theatre.

After we all calm down with the governmental control of our belongings and property and especially our sense of personal privacy at our airports and eventual subsequent additional venues, such as transportation hubs, large public arenas, government complexes and other areas of congregation, we can all then acquiesce and accept escalated governmental intrusion and eventual control of our actions, property, and movement.

All in the name of "Security".

Far fetched?; Maybe, but try to tell me it hasn't happened just like this in human history.

[Guest]

I believe there is a hidden agenda here that has nothing to do with security, but everything to do with acclimating the American people to give up their sense of individual rights and freedom, starting with this limited incursion at out airports, in order to give the idea time to percolate in this limited theatre.

After we all calm down with the governmental control of our belongings and property and especially our sense of personal privacy at our airports and eventual subsequent additional venues, such as transportation hubs, large public arenas, government complexes and other areas of congregation, we can all then acquiesce and accept escalated governmental intrusion and eventual control of our actions, property, and movement.

All in the name of "Security".

Far fetched?; Maybe, but try to tell me it hasn't happened just like this in human history.

I couldn't agree with you any more. Also, of interest, IMHO. All of this happening at the same time. Hhmmmm :

http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20101128/PERSONNEL03/11280301/1051/PERSONNEL03

[Guest]

...and neither of those 'bombs' would have shown up on the full-body scanners - the ones built by the company with ties to the ehad of the DHS><snip>


DJP
this is one of many stories that have appeared in both the mainstream (often referred to as 'corporate' by the alternative and so-called 'public' media) and the progressive, alternative sources alike.
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=100758

We just returned from another series of flights and motoring across foreign borders and eluded the scans ands massages. While we and the kids are not fans of scanners and getting gloved, we're by no means phobic, but our real beef is the cost in time, labor, and hassle.
Billions of not trillions in personnel, downtime, missed flights, and more.

Gotta be a better way.
At least we don't have to worry about being asked if anyone might have put anything in our bag without our knowledge :pepper2:

L and L

[Guest]

I couldn't agree with you any more. Also, of interest, IMHO. All of this happening at the same time. Hhmmmm :

http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20101128/PERSONNEL03/11280301/1051/PERSONNEL03

This is the opening act to the formation of a protected, unionized, federally controlled private security force who already have the power of search and seizure over private citizens who are not charged with any crime, unlike any law enforcement body in this country. This power is on limited display at our nations airports at the moment, but this power will grow. I've never known power not to. This federally run private security force is already 50,000+ strong and will grow as the "need" for more security "presents" itself at more areas of "public concern".

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana

[Guest]

Do not attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by ignorance or stupidity.


I don't think there's a Vast Conspiracy to trample our rights. This would require a government that is far more capable of keeping secrets than the one we have, which can't keep so much as a third-rate burglary or botched land deal quiet.

What we DO have are people in positions of power who want to make their jobs easier.

Consider the bahavior on a smaller scale and I think you'll see parallels. Like the school administrator who institutes Zero Tolerance policies so he doesn't have to think or justify his decisions to irate parents when a kid gets caught handing an aspirin to a friend. He can fall back on "It's Official Policy" instead of actually having to use his long-forgotten brain.

I find the same behavior in government.

[Guest]

of the safety and welfare of we the people have other more self serving interests as priorities.
Using the old saying of connect the dots it would be interesting to see the content of the contracts for the manufacture of the body scanners and the contracts for the hundreds of thousands of massage agents. I can't help but think of the poster boy for for graft and favoritism, Charlie Rangle...and wonder about the intent of the awarding of the contracts.

Is it not an interesting dilema to be not allowed to carry certain liquids, devices, et al while in the cargo area of the plane you are traveling with unlimited quantities of the same!!!

The terrorists have successfully swayed the narrow thinking minded in Washington, to focus on a given area while they work and plan other opportunities.

Perhaps it is safer to fly as a result (maybe). But there certainly is no reason to think for one minute anyone is safer in their every day environment...because we are not....my opinion. With the current politicians we certainly are not. They are purely responsive...not preventative minded in thinking.

btk