TSA and the Sacrifice of Freedom

- 4 mins read

There’s no big secret where I’m going here. Not too much of a secret where I’ve been either. Most everyone knows that I’m a former police officer — if you didn’t, well you do now. I’m not one to label myself a conservative, liberal, or anything like that. I’m registered NPA (no party affiliation) and that’s exactly like I like it. When I vote, I vote for whom I like, although lately that seems an impossible task… but as usual… I digress.

If I were to lean one way or another, I’d most likely say my beliefs are somewhat libertarian. I believe that government is necessary, but must be severely limited. I want government out of my house, away from my body, and focused on protecting our nation from those that would cause us harm.

With that statement, you’d almost expect me to say that I would support the existence of the TSA. I do not. My political hero remains Mr. Benjamin Franklin. I’ve quoted this many times, and I’ll quote it again:

They that can give up essential liberty
to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin

Sometimes I think, Once a cop, always a cop. Sure, I’m different than I was back then. First of all, I’m fatter — much fatter, and let’s not discuss the lack of hair. Those “changes” aside, I still keep my gun hand free… know my exits… don’t like sitting with my back to the door… and I scan; constantly scan.

Cops are not lawyers… and of course lawyers are the first ones to say that. Without being lawyers, cops do end up being experts in procedural criminal law. It’s kind of a requirement in law enforcement after all. First thing we learn with law? The Fourth Amendment. It’s short and to the point:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Short. Simple. To the point. Of course, there’s that word “reasonable.” A strip search, or groping of my body, to get on to a plane is not reasonable. It’s not reasonable most of the time. Hell, if you’re arrested for a misdemeanor and brought to jail, you’re not strip searched. Let’s say that again…

If you get arrested for a misdemeanor and brought to jail, you do not automatically get a strip search.

So why must free travelers, not suspected of any crime (let alone arrested for one), expose themselves to a humiliating search or government touching of their sexually private areas? To me, this is completely un-American.

If you think that this is the sacrifice we must make for safety? Well… I’d agree with Ben. If you think that way, you don’t deserve freedom or safety.

This country stood once for Freedom. Volunteers from across this nation sacrifice their freedom to protect ours. Often, these heroes sacrifice not only their freedom, but also their lives, so that we as Americans, can have our lives, our liberty, and pursue happiness.

So let me ask you… does giving up your freedom make you happy? Is exposing yourself to government employees, when you have committed no crime, an exercise of liberty?

To honor those who would sacrifice their freedom for ours, the LEAST we could do is openly protest the attempted extermination of our freedom by our own government.

There are several movements calling for an opt-out of the scanner during Thanksgiving travel. I support this, but only partially. I support the full outright protest of any full body scan and “resistance” pat down offered by the US government prior to travel.

Bottom Line: Don’t expect me to be subjecting myself to be x-rayed or be patted down until “resistance.” As a civilian, I don’t give up my rights, ever. Especially not by purchasing an airline ticket.

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