In the US, the terrorists have won
I'm sure you've all heard the story of John Tyner, the 31-year old computer programmer who refused a full body scan in San Diego on Saturday, and then, after hearing the description of what the TSA agent was going to do to him, told the agent "don't touch my junk or I'll sue you."Videos of this incident have gone viral, but the videos are quite long. Here's an interview with Tyner on Fox News, which features the key part of the encounter with the TSA agent and then tells what happened afterward.
Let's go to the videotape (Hat Tip: Hot Air).
TSA has decided to get back at Tyner by opening an investigation against him. The investigation could lead to a fine of $11,000 - it will probably take far more than that in lawyer's fees to conduct the investigation.
But the losers here aren't Tyner or TSA: It's the American traveling public. Since 9/11, Americans have accepted more and more invasions of their privacy. In fact, so has anyone who travels to the United States. Sure, we have to have security, but is the full body scanner really necessary? Of course not. If you rely on a machine to do the job rather than people, people will find (and have found) a way to beat the machine. The US continues to do what I accused it of doing four and a half years ago: Looking for yesterday's terrorists.
In the US, the terrorists have won. If people stop flying (and many people say they will in light of the strip or grope security), the American economy loses, and one of the terrorists' main goals is to shut down the American economy.
Seen against a full body scan or groping at your private parts, is profiling really so invasive?
Labels: don't touch my junk, full body scanner, John Tyner, racial profiling, strip or grope
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:17 PM
3 Comments:
It's not that profiling is seen as invasive but that liberals see it as evil. To put it starkly, they would rather have three-year-old children irradiated, images of their naked bodies produced, and groped by TSA agents rather than having religion or appearance (which will include racial elements) used _at all_. This is the ideological commitment. You cannot reason with a liberal about this. You try to show him these outrages, and he will get up on his high horse about what America stands for. In other words, America doesn't stand for the freedom of normal people to go about their daily lives without heinous invasions of their privacy. No. In such a person's mind, America stands for anti-discrimination, and that is the ultimate value, before which all others must fall.
By the way, Carl, I've been trying all over the place to find out what law it is that allows the TSA to go after Tyner for leaving, what law it is that says that even if you are willing *not to fly*, you must have scan-or-grope before leaving the airport if you were randomly selected for that humiliation. I can't find it. They must have something in mind. Even the chutzpah with which they say that $11,000 is the "new fine" shows that there's something on the books. I want to know what it is and where it came from, but no one seems to know. If we had real investigative reporters one of them might find out, but no such luck.
If you should find out what the law is that they are investigating him under, let your readers know!
Interesting that TSA felt the need to call a press conference before which to announce their decision, too. I wonder how much of this is payback for going public with the recordings and blog.
Drudge Report has been all over the Gate Rape issue.
http://drudgereport.com/
If I need to travel, I'm driving!
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