TSA: A Patdown By Any Other Name Would Be Illegal

A recent comment on a video post to my facebook page spurred me to throw this info up here for anyone who may still be in the dark regarding the new-ish airport full-body scanners (aka backscatter, x-ray, naked body scanner). The following is the video I posted with my comment, followed by a friend's comment, and my reply.

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Me: "This is disgusting, and exactly why my family won't fly from any airports that employ these techniques. Teaching little kids it's EVER okay for a stranger to touch them like that.... God have mercy on us."



Friend: "so what's the story? did they scan her and see something usual? I wouldn't put it past any terrorist or drug dealer to place something on a child thinking they could get away with it. sure the mother looked "nice" but you can't tell by looking at someone what's going on. the little girl didn't seem upset about it and the security person kept the mother and child informed of everything she was doing. sorry it happened to her but that's just how the world (US especially) has become."

Me:
@"Beth", I find it really hard to believe you would have allowed a stranger (or even family!) to look at or touch "Hannah", "Gina", or "Lucy's" private parts FOR ANY REASON when they were kids, or that you would allow it to happen to your granddaughters. If you would, love ya, but remind me not to let you babysit =D

You just basically said:
1. That because it's possible for someone to put something illegal on a child, it's okay for TSA to touch their privates. It's illegal for a police officer to do that without probable cause, and even then they wait for the same gender unless there is probable cause to suspect imminent danger.
2. That sexual assault is okay as long as the child doesn't protest, and the offender notifies the parent of the abuse!

Touching ones genitals or squeezing their breasts, even though clothes, is wrong. Period. Would Jesus touch your privates, or say its okay for me to touch yours? If I implemented a policy (to keep my home "safer") of requiring visitors to allow me (or Jae) to touch every inch of their body, do you think I'd have any visitors?

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Now, let me drop some knowledge. Limited as mine is, sadly it's far more than the average American!

-IT'S STANDARD: This "enhanced patdown" as they call it is performed REGULARLY, DAILY all over the country. According to TSA, people are RANDOMLY selected for the backscatter machine. If you don't want to be seen naked in this machine, and sustain the radiation, your ONLY other option is to be fondled. I even saw this done to a lady at my little airport in Greenville, MS, and we don't have the backscatter machine. It was gross and embarrassing for everyone. If this were done by anyone else, it would be called what it really is, sexual assault. It would be illegal for even a police officer to touch someone in this manner except there be probable cause. Badges have been stripped because an officer touched someone inappropriately in a patdown. Buying a plane ticket is NOT probable cause for a patdown, a police term to describe the way a suspected criminal's body is checked. Also noteworthy is the fact that if a husband and wife were to touch each other in this manner, in an airport, or anywhere in public, they would be arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious behavior!

Here's a video in case you're unfamiliar with the machine. Pay special attention to the third person, the first man. It's a boy!



And here is the "enhanced patdown".



And another....



-ILLEGAL: It is not the government's respsonsibility to keep us safe. They don't have the authority to do in an airport anything they don't have the authority to do on the street. The airport isn't the only place they cross the legal line and violate our rights, especially since P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act was passed. But, the bottom line is THIS STUFF HAPPENS BECAUSE THE CITIZENS OF THE USA ALLOW IT. I for one will not.

The good Judge Napolitano explains it best:



-ILLOGICAL: Let's assume for a moment that these practices are really the answer, the ONLY effective method for keeping us safe on a flight. Do you think the "terrorists" will give up terrorizing? Have they ever, in all of history, given up? No! They'll move to train stations, bus stations, malls, walmarts.....where do we stop? So, where do we draw the line? Imagine if on your next visit to Walmart, the greeter informed that in order to enter the store, you must let him/her grope every part of your body "for safety"? Would you consent? Really imagine for a moment, what percentage of shoppers do you suppose would actually enter the store? (More on this in a video below)

-FOLLOW THE MONEY: Michael Chertoff, former head of homeland security pushed hard for the federal government to buy the body scanner machines, with the ACLU and others in vehement opposition to the invasion of privacy. Right in the midst of his national tour, what do you know, somebody allegedly hides explosives in his underwear. So, SEE the government MUST looks into or feel your underwear now! ::sarcasm:: Come to find out, Chertoff HAS A STAKE in the transaction. Rapiscan Systems, a manufacturer of the naked x-ray machines, is a client of his security consulting firm, Chertoff Group. He was giving the false impression that he cares so much for the safety of the American people, that he's still working for us though no longer actually employed. To add insult to injury, Rapiscan received $25 MILLION in stimulus money too. The alleged "underwear bomber" didn't board his plane in the US, so we couldn't have stopped him with the new scanners anyway. BUT, the airport is run by the SAME security company that runs all the airports the alleged 9/11 hijackers used. Coincidence? I don't believe in them myself.





-SO JUST LEAVE AIRPORT?: So let's suppose you show up at airport security, not knowing about the new machine or patdown, and decide you'd rather drive than be fondled or looked at through your clothes. You will likely be told you're NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE. They probably won't say it outright, but expect to be delayed/detained for a long time. If you stick to your guns (and natural/constitutional/inalienable rights) like this guy did, and leave finally get an escort to the airport entrance, they will bring a civil suit against you with penalties of $10-15,000 for NOT SUBMITTING TO THE NAKED MACHINE OR ENHANCED PATDOWN!! This is another yet another indication that the purpose is NOT safety. You should ask yourself what it really is.



-BAD PUBLIC SERVANT: In my own hometown of West Palm Beach, FL, Palm Beach County Sheriff Deputies will now be called in on ANYONE who does not want to go through the naked body scanner, or the enhanced patdown. PBSO says they won't arrest everyone, but will detain the travelers and investigate each case. See the Video here: http://www.wpbf.com/r/25855931/detail.html

My question is, where on Earth do they claim to get the authority to even detain a US Citizen simple for choosing to leave the airport rather than have their naked body seen, or genitals fondled?


-GOOD PUBLIC SERVANT: Chief Deputy DA Steve Wagstaffe has stood up for the citizens of his county, San Mateo, California, and made it clear to TSA that their agents will be arrested if they violate the law. The unwarranted touching of the "private areas" of any person over the clothes is a misdemeanor, and skin-to-skin contact is a felony. This guy is a real hero!



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As if the TSA wasn't already out of control, this just adds fuel to the fire. Maybe I'll post about the common TSA harassment that goes far beyond what you've seen here. In the meantime, you can go to youtube.com and search "tsa harassment", and see for yourself.