Sadly, nothing new. The TSA bullies, harasses, robs, and abuses people every day in this country. Destroying luggage is all part of the game. They especially love destroying "TSA-approved" locks. At TSA News we've documented thousands of cases of TSA crime and abuse. I don't have any illusions about things changing in my lifetime, but at least I'll go down fighting.
"It's time to lighten up on those who are doing a thankless job of protecting us all."
No, darlin', it's time to lighten up on the completely irrational belief that there's a terrorist hiding around every corner.
If you think bullying, robbing, humiliation, and sexual assault are "minor inconveniences," there's something seriously wrong with you.
And point of logic: in all the years before October 30, 2010, when the Reign of Molestation was implemented, why weren't planes being blown out of the sky left and right? After all, you say the risk of "screaming as your burnt and battered body is falling in thin air from 30,000 feet" is so high. So where were all the terrorist attacks in all those years before the scanners and gropes were implemented? And where are all the attacks at the hundreds of thousands of non-TSA-protected places??
TSA apologists never want to answer these questions.
The TSA is, as usual, full of sh1t. Yes, you can freely leave the checkpoint once you have entered. Sommer Gentry has done it more than once. She's a professor of mathematics at the U.S. Naval Academy and an articulate, relentless opponent of the TSA's farce.
She writes for us at TSA News, where I'm the editor. I've the put the URL to one of her posts in the link at my name. Click on it, and you'll get to her essay about walking away from the airport goons.
There are many ways to fight back against this abusive agency, and we should be using all of them.
It's not just people in the UK who need to "rise up and speak out against such police-state intimidation tactics, and to demand serious reforms to protect basic freedoms and the value of investigative journalism." It's Americans, too.
We've done the same thuggish things the Brits have. Just ask Laura Poitras. Or Jacob Applebaum. Or David House. Or any number of other American citizens who've been detained at the border, trying to re-enter their own country, and who've been harassed (oops, I mean "interrogated") for hours, and their property stolen (oops, "confiscated") and destroyed.
Alas, we've grown accustomed to the stupidity and incompetence of the TSA. But the sheeple continue to bleat about The Terrorists! The Terrorists Are Hiding Around Every Corner! So they hand over their rights, one by one, to our overlords. How long before Uncle Sam is sticking his fingers up our asses?
Then again, that would be just fine with many Americans, including some members of our much-vaunted journalist class. Here's a missive I received from one of them this morning -- name removed -- this reporter friend works for one of the top 3 TV networks:
"Can you please take me off your crazy list? You are starting to sound like a lunatic and it's really annoying. So please... Remove me from the list for all transportation, strip search, govt jackboot conspiracy nuttiness. I mostly delete it unread now anyway. Thanks."
Yeah, concern about civil liberties is "nuttiness." And these are the people who are supposed to be questioning authority, not buckling under to it.
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TSA abuse - happens all the time
Sadly, nothing new. The TSA bullies, harasses, robs, and abuses people every day in this country. Destroying luggage is all part of the game. They especially love destroying "TSA-approved" locks. At TSA News we've documented thousands of cases of TSA crime and abuse. I don't have any illusions about things changing in my lifetime, but at least I'll go down fighting.
Re: Re: You got it slightly wrong.
"It's time to lighten up on those who are doing a thankless job of protecting us all."
No, darlin', it's time to lighten up on the completely irrational belief that there's a terrorist hiding around every corner.
If you think bullying, robbing, humiliation, and sexual assault are "minor inconveniences," there's something seriously wrong with you.
And point of logic: in all the years before October 30, 2010, when the Reign of Molestation was implemented, why weren't planes being blown out of the sky left and right? After all, you say the risk of "screaming as your burnt and battered body is falling in thin air from 30,000 feet" is so high. So where were all the terrorist attacks in all those years before the scanners and gropes were implemented? And where are all the attacks at the hundreds of thousands of non-TSA-protected places??
TSA apologists never want to answer these questions.
Yes, you can leave the checkpoint of your own free will
The TSA is, as usual, full of sh1t. Yes, you can freely leave the checkpoint once you have entered. Sommer Gentry has done it more than once. She's a professor of mathematics at the U.S. Naval Academy and an articulate, relentless opponent of the TSA's farce.
She writes for us at TSA News, where I'm the editor. I've the put the URL to one of her posts in the link at my name. Click on it, and you'll get to her essay about walking away from the airport goons.
There are many ways to fight back against this abusive agency, and we should be using all of them.
Fascism 101
It's not just people in the UK who need to "rise up and speak out against such police-state intimidation tactics, and to demand serious reforms to protect basic freedoms and the value of investigative journalism." It's Americans, too.
We've done the same thuggish things the Brits have. Just ask Laura Poitras. Or Jacob Applebaum. Or David House. Or any number of other American citizens who've been detained at the border, trying to re-enter their own country, and who've been harassed (oops, I mean "interrogated") for hours, and their property stolen (oops, "confiscated") and destroyed.
TSA is a criminal, out-of-control agency
Amy's experience isn't an anomaly. It's all too common. Take a look:
http://www.travelunderground.org/index.php?threads/master-lists-of-tsa-abuses-crimes.317/
Five Words: Philip Zimbardo. Stanford Prison Experiment.
Alas, we've grown accustomed to the stupidity and incompetence of the TSA. But the sheeple continue to bleat about The Terrorists! The Terrorists Are Hiding Around Every Corner! So they hand over their rights, one by one, to our overlords. How long before Uncle Sam is sticking his fingers up our asses?
Then again, that would be just fine with many Americans, including some members of our much-vaunted journalist class. Here's a missive I received from one of them this morning -- name removed -- this reporter friend works for one of the top 3 TV networks:
"Can you please take me off your crazy list? You are starting to sound like a lunatic and it's really annoying. So please... Remove me from the list for all transportation, strip search, govt jackboot conspiracy nuttiness. I mostly delete it unread now anyway. Thanks."
Yeah, concern about civil liberties is "nuttiness." And these are the people who are supposed to be questioning authority, not buckling under to it.