“Whatever it takes”…

I have been watching the news and cringe at the interviews where a reporter is standing in a terminal interviewing a traveler regarding security procedures. These words have become all too common and frankly scare me, “whatever it takes” to keep us safe. OK, let’s explore that sentiment.

The government creates a new security force that is assigned to do “whatever it takes” to keep us safe. A knock comes on your door and it is one of these agents that want to search your home just to make sure you are not a terrorist. You have nothing to hide so you let them in because they are doing “whatever it takes” to keep you safe.

The same government agents stop you as your walking into your favorite restaurant and ask you to empty your pockets and put your hands on the wall so they can frisk you. You have nothing to hide so you submit to the intrusion because we need to do “whatever it takes” to be safe.

Random searches, invasion of privacy into our homes, the right to assemble when we choose, and the right to travel without being harassed are basic constitutional rights. Plane travel is no different from entering any place of residence, commercial establishment, car, bus, or train. Terrorists can attack anywhere there are people, and when we surrender our rights the terrorists have won. “Whatever it takes” to keep us safe is something we cannot allow to happen.

The next step is the confiscation of our right to bear arms under the guise of “whatever it takes”. Instead of encouraging gun ownership, the people currently serving in this government believe gun ownership is a safety problem. And I would agree if they thought it was a safety problem for the criminals and terrorists. You see, an armed citizenry is the best protection of our rights as individuals. “Whatever it takes” is a very dangerous position to take.

Americans have become very easy to intimidate and scare into giving up basic rights. The left wing radicals know this and that is why they thrive on chaos. They leverage a “post 9/11 world” to justify trampling our constitutional rights. Americans need to start thinking in terms of the “slippery slope”. Once you allow invasions based on airline travel, what happens when a terrorist attacks another form of transportation or restaurant?

We need to be diligent in knowing the people around us and be prepared to inform police in local communities of these suspicious behaviors. If you go to any local community you will find that the people in those communities often know who the problem is. Law enforcement needs to start profiling and monitoring activity that is suspicious and utilize it to keep us safe.

Most of the people going through the airports are not a threat but they are the ones being investigated. The last few terrorists all had a few things in common, their sex, religion, and travel that included terrorist nations. The Christmas and Time Square bombers both fit the MO. We need to look at people that fit that MO and do “whatever it takes” to investigate their intentions and behavior.

But instead we harass our grandparents, kids, and wives while we ignore the fundamental problem of terrorism. It is fueled by a religion that is bent on dominating the world. We should do “whatever it takes” to get the facts out about the real threat to our safety…

TSA Says When We Buy an Airline Ticket we Surrender Some of Our Rights; really?

The citizen outrage over the TSA “pat downs” and use of X-ray machines that create X rated pictures is completely justified as American citizens protected by the constitution are being molested and abused by representatives of our government. This argument is not about security it is about rights, and what we are willing to accept as a “price” for security. There are better ways to keep planes safe than the ones the TSA uses. But I want to focus on a particular comment and policy of the TSA.

The recent publication of a passenger telling a TSA agent “if you touch my junk I will have you arrested” has caused me the most constitutional concern. The passenger decided he wanted neither the enhanced pat down nor the X-ray option. He wanted to go through the metal detector just like 80% of the passengers at San Diego airport were allowed to do. He was denied that option so he chose to get a refund and was escorted to the American ticket counter to do that. A discussion ensued with a TSA supervisor that he could not leave the airport without finishing the procedure he started or he would be subject to an $11,000 fine. He was also told that when you buy an airline ticket you give up certain rights. I have heard this comment from a number of TSA representatives and people not so interested in the constitution.

Let’s think about that. I fly often and I generally purchase my tickets weeks and sometimes months in advance. When I buy my ticket months in advance have I given up my fourth amendment rights? Can a TSA agent or some other government agent come to my home without a warrant and search my home and me because I have purchased an airline ticket? Is the fourth amendment null and void when I buy that ticket? I would argue that the purchase of any ticket is not an opportunity for a government agency to ignore our constitutional rights.

So why is an airport any different? If I as an American refuse to be molested or scanned, I should have the choice to leave without being accosted by the government. If the government believes I am a risk then they can go through the process of submitting evidence to secure a warrant for further investigation through due process. To suggest that this policy of forced interrogation once I enter an airport security area is to ensure terrorists don’t come to the security area to gather some kind of intelligence and then leave is ludicrous. Terrorists would most likely not risk the spotlight that kind of action would place on them.

So where does my fourth amendment constitutional right end? It doesn’t. The TSA needs to be disbanded and replaced with real law enforcement professionals trained in profiling behavior. The arrogance of the TSA leadership to stomp our constitution is unforgivable. I want to fly on safe planes but there are many better options than government agents chuckling over naked pictures, feeling up our wives and daughter’s breasts, our sons private parts, trampling our dignity and rights. We have created another gigantic, ineffective, and embarrassing agency. Let’s look at a better option in the best interest of our security, the airlines, and our constitutional rights….