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TSA's VIPR Bites Rail, Bus, and Ferry Passengers
OverTheGeicoE writes "TSA's VIPR program may be expanding. According to the Washington Times, 'TSA has always intended to expand beyond the confines of airport terminals. Its agents have been conducting more and more surprise groping sessions for women, children and the elderly in locations that have nothing to do with aviation.' In Tennessee earlier this month, bus passengers in Nashville and Knoxville were searched in addition to the truck searches discussed here previously. Earlier this year in Savannah, Georgia, TSA forced a group of train travelers, including young children, to be patted down. (They were getting off the train, not on.) Ferry passengers have also been targeted. According to TSA Administrator John Pistole's testimony before the Senate last June, 'TSA conducted more than 8,000 VIPR operations in the [previous] 12 months, including more than 3,700 operations in mass-transit and passenger-railroad venues.' He wants a 50% budget increase for VIPR for 2012. Imagine what TSA would do with the extra funding."
"Take the train you unpatriotic, small-dicked paranoid liberal!"
Yeah, we all saw this coming. Papers, please.
If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
Look, honestly, what are you going to do about it? Complaining doesn't matter. The TSA will be here forever, and, as much as we hate to admit it, there is nothing that can be done about it. There is too much money involved, and contractors have vast amounts of power, much more so than any collection of outraged stories and messages on the internet does.
Seriously, I hope the TSA is abolished tomorrow, or hell even five years from now. But honestly without fundamental, almost revolutionary changes to the way the US government works this simply will not happen. Money talks, national security lobbyists have TONS of money, and that's pretty much the end of it.
Yes. Those otherwise-unemployable troops overseas have to do something for a living when they come home, right? You don't want angry goons with PTSD, who had to watch their buddies be turned into hamburger for oil and big business, having too much idle time on their hands being unable to care for their families. Better to continue to pay 'em to take their primitive aggression out on those pinko peaceniks and marijuana joints.
The irony is that the DHS labelled that same demographic a potential terrorist threat, causing an uproar.
You know, there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy: "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie, as wisdom and warning. The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged.
If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
I hate to admit it, but his crazy ideas start looking a little less crazy every day. I do respect him for sticking to his ideals but he takes a sledge hammer to things that really need a little more precision.
see there you idiots go again. most of that stuff you just listed is not within the constitutional scope of the federal gov't. if you want it to be, go ahead and pass an amendment. it's because of people like you who want a huge illegal gov't that we get a huge gov't ignoring our rights. why can't you make that connection? the only way to preserve our rights is to force the gov't to follow the rules of the constitution, not just ignore it and pass whatever laws they want.
What makes you think this has anything to do with terrorists.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
Let's see, the TSA authorization bill was sponsored by an R in the house a D in the senate signed into law by an R, became Federal employees due to a D advanced to choice of digital strip search or being felt-up session under a D administration.
The pattern is clear, both major parties care little about personal liberty. Like you, I am surprised to see anyone thinks that either major party cares about the constitution anymore. The R's give more lip service to some parts of the constitution, may actually care about other parts of the constitution. The D's, not so much those parts, but they have other parts they like more than the R's.
If I want to repeal the 16th amendment (the income tax), that does not mean I don't respect the constitution, I just means I want to alter it as provided by the constitution. If I decide that a don't like the 16th and refuse to pay income taxes, then it is truth that I don't really care about the constitution either, just the parts I like. It would be nice if people understand the difference.
Write PAPER letters to your state and national Representatives and Senators (and mayors and governors). Tell them that you want them to OPPOSE this.
Get your friends to write the same kind of PAPER letters to the same people.
If the politicians do not fight this on your behalf, then replace them in the next election cycle.
Get educated. Get motivated. Get involved.
A cynic who stays at home will never change anything.
Please refrain from lumping those hooligans with us, we're gone as far as renaming ourselves the Breast Sucking Aficionados. Hopefully our new acronym won't link us to any other unsavory organization.
The Nazi's didn't go this far.
The threat to buses and trains can be effected from miles/hours away. Case? Stick a large, crooked wedge of metal on a train track to derail the engine. Cost? Almost zero. Effectiveness of the TSA wiping their asses on the Bill of Rights? Less than zero.
Someday, they will tar and feather those who preferred a job with TSA, over panhandling.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
This will ONLY stop when a large number of people begin physically assaulting TSA agents and seriously injuring them. ONLY pain is instructive with these types of people. When the agents are fearful for their lives they will refuse to do what is asked. In a short time, it will stop. There has NEVER been a voluntary surrendering of power/control, and there never will be. Only force counters force.
tl:dr: The Government is the answer as long as The Right People® are in charge.
I love Bruce, but unless he is appointed as head of the TSA for life, he would last a week. The mob would be screaming for his head after he put real security into place. The mob doesn't want real security. They want bread and circuses. They want TSA jobs.
The TSA has had a decade to get its act together and it has failed. NASA put a man on the moon with a mere 3x the annual budget of the TSA. There are some things the federal government can accomplish, but it requires the political will to make it happen. The political will for the TSA to be a well-functioning security machine is lacking. No one wants it. The mob wants to feel cozy. The politicians want to pander to the mob. The authoritarians want the government to be intrusive; and hey, if the TSA fucks up, it's because they don't have *enough* power.
Put this shit back into the private sector. If the federal government *must* have a role (and after 9/11 I'd say they should) let it be to regulate.
No.
I'm an honorably discharged Marine, if there's ever a revolution in this country most of us would probably side with the people. I would take bullets for you and your family.
Given that TSA hasn't caught a single terrorist (but did let two through), I see no reason to keep paying for their idiocy at all.