Thank You Senator Mike Doherty

It is unfortunate that Mr. Doherty and others are having to go to these lengths to protect the 4th amendment, but I am glad he is doing so. I took the following text directly from his legislative site:

New Jersey Senator Michael Doherty (R-Warren, Hunterdon) announced today that he has introduced three pieces of legislation drafted to eliminate any immunity TSA agents might enjoy when violating New Jersey law during unnecessary and invasive airport screenings:

“For more than a month now, the TSA has quite literally stuck their finger in the eye of law-abiding American citizens while trampling on their constitutionally guaranteed liberties,” Doherty stated. “We call upon every state legislature in our great country to immediately act to put our federal government on notice that the dignity of our citizens shall not be the cost of a failed federal open border policy.”

The following bills were introduced:

*Makes certain body searches third degree crime of sexual assault under certain circumstances. View as PDF.

*Prohibits use of body imaging scanners to screen passengers and airline crew members. View as PDF.

*Specifies that certain images generated by body scans violate State statutes, prohibiting invasion of privacy, pornography, and endangerment of child welfare under certain circumstances. View as PDF.

“All of these bills remove any claim that TSA agents are immune to any state statutes that they violate when searching passengers or crew,” Doherty concluded. “If we don’t take strong action against these violations, where will it lead? Today planes, tomorrow trains and buses, what then? Will the drive to the market be viewed as a ‘privilege,’ the walk to church? Will we stand upon the slippery slope of paranoia that leads to invasive searches becoming a way of daily life, or say ‘No’ and defend our rights to privacy now while we still have them.”Senator Doherty has launched an online petition to support his efforts to stop invasive TSA screening procedures at www.stopthetsa.org.

National Opt Out Day

Tomorrow is National Opt Out day for scanners and genitalia searches.

As far as I'm concerned, every day is Opt Out day!

We still have the 4th amendment in place and the current TSA protocol is in clear violation.

There is NO LAW requiring us to submit to such offensive, oppressive tactics.

Yes, it's a different world since 9/11. But, I don't remember anyone saying anything about dissolving the 4th amendment. Until we do that, we don't have to allow a search of our genitalia to leave town. If we allow fear to rule our intellect, history tells us we are on a dangerously slippery slope.

Let's not let the argument be misdirected; this is NOT about being forced to absorb radioactivity (although a valid argument), it is about privacy and our inalienable rights.

Fear does not overrule the Constitution of the United States.

Mr. Pistole, the TSA Administrator, in his US News and World Report interview said, "We want to treat each passenger with dignity and respect.".

Mr. Pistole, treating citizens with "dignity and respect" does not include the presumption of guilt, rather than innocence and it doesn't include a reach-around!

Matt Kernan provides an example of how to be respectful, not allow the TSA or police to violate your 4th Amendment rights and then be allowed to travel.

Sam Wolanyk also declined. His approach was more attention grabbing.

Stand up for yourself. Stand up for your country.

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.

~Thomas Jefferson

Be Love

TSA Forces Woman to Remove Nipple Piercings with Pliers

The TSA never fails to disappoint with its intellectual approach to protecting the homeland. "Welcome to Texas! Howdy and please remove your nipple jewelry!" Here's another ridiculous safety-associated assault that I initially ran across this on the Roxiticus Desperate Housewives blog:

"The Transportation Security Administration said it will change they way its officers search passengers with body piercings after a Texas woman complained she was forced to remove a nipple ring with pliers in order to board an airplane."

Her attorney said, "The last time I checked, a nipple was not a dangerous weapon."

Personally, I hope that Mandi Hamlin sues the crap out of Big Brother for this one.

You can read the MSNBC story here.