Posted on 11/18/2010 6:13:10 AM PST by Kaslin
WASHINGTON -- I blame Drudge! Yes, I blame the Drudge Report for this insane controversy about the use of high-tech body scanners and "pat-downs" at airport security zones.
A minor altercation can take place at Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, and it is headlines on the Drudge Report. The millions of American travelers who are utterly insouciant to a high-tech scan or even a pat-down are ignored. The other day, a CBS News poll found that 81 percent of Americans approve of the use of the high-tech machines at airports, but that means nothing to Drudge. How many more Americans would welcome a soothing pat-down midst the hurly-burly of travel at our nation's stress-filled airports I do not know, but count me in -- especially if the patter-downer is a cute little number on the order of, say, Sarah Palin.
Now some of Drudge's troublemakers are organizing a boycott of the scanners for the day before Thanksgiving. That happens to be one of the busiest travel days of the year. One George Donnelly, a self-appointed civil libertarian, says, "We are absolutely committed to getting the scanners and the groping rolled back." Rolled back? What is he talking about, something on a production line? "Groping" is apparently what Donnelly calls a "pat-down." Get your mind out of the gutter, George. Donnelly seems to think that if his followers opt for time-consuming pat-downs rather than quick scans on this busy day, they will foul up airports for hours. Well, if I were traveling on the day before Thanksgiving, I would breeze through the scanner, get on my airplane and insist that it leave on time. Donnelly can confer with his lawyers.
Another like-minded soi-disant civil libertarian, John Tyner, missed his flight completely owing to his protest. He greeted the Transportation Security Administration staff, camera in hand, in San Diego. He had opted for the pat-down in place of the scanner, but he warned, "If you touch my junk, I'll have you arrested." Yes, he referred to his genitalia as "junk." Well, speak for yourself, Mr. Tyner. Now he is threatened by the TSA with an $11,000 fine. That is a bit stiff. He missed his plane. That is enough, but Tyner might keep things in perspective. America is at war.
We are at war with savages who sneak explosives onto airplanes and turn them into bombs. Such brutes have no sense of discrimination between a war zone and a civilian zone. Actually, if they could mark off a war zone, wherever would it be? They are total nihilists and want to kill us all -- and themselves. They cannot possibly win, but surely we can lose, and one of the things we will lose first is our freedom.
The scanners are opposed on two grounds, health and privacy. It is claimed by some that the radiation emitted by the scanners is dangerous. The government denies it, saying more radiation awaits passengers on their flights than comes from scanners. The other ground is constitutional, the right to be free from unreasonable searches. I am not knowledgeable enough in science to address the first matter. Suffice to say, given the choice of a terrorist overhead with a bomb or loose on my airplane and a spot of radiation, I would choose the radiation. On the constitutional matter, I am more comfortable.
Terror poses an enormous threat to the free society. The terrorists can attack us anyplace, which is why I rather like the idea of citizens free to carry arms. The scanners and the pat-downs are a dreadful threat to freedom and personal dignity, except for what they are meant to combat, terrorists -- thugs who would attack the unarmed and innocent. Scanners and pat-downs can be executed with care or with stupid disregard for our dignity. In the event that we are violated, we can protest. We will not have a chance to protest the terrorists.
In an age of Facebook and social networking, it is a little difficult to take all the protests over airport security seriously. How many of Donnelly's legions have a Web presence? And of course, no one is forcing us to use airplanes when we travel. Doubtless, in time we shall have a technological fix for airport security. It seems we always have in the past. Until then, we shall have to live like the Israelis. Be vigilant and thwart terror. They do it all the time, and an Israeli neurotic about personal liberty is just as neurotic as any American.
Mr. Tyrell, I hear Cuba or North Korea are wonderful this time of year.
Me, I'll pass.
The Israelis use profiling. I wish we could do it like the Israelis, but we are not so lucky.
How did the author get away with that word play on Townhall?
Don’t pat me bro!
It never came, and I am saddened that people are willing to tolerate fascism in the name of convenience.
Why is benchmarking a widely-accepted practice in business, but never for our government? The writer assumes our way is the only way & therefore, the best way. Idiot.
Right, so lets make sure American men, woman & children are frisked like criminals. Just make sure you don't offend the ones who we're at war with. What a jerk this man is.
81% approve of TSA’s tactics?
I am guessing that 75% of that 81% haven’t flown for awhile and / or for SURE haven’t been patted down or gone through an image scanner.
When you've been around as long as Bob, you get to use some wordplay
I'd be perfectly content to live like the Israelis, they don't have scanners or pat downs, they have profiling and it works great.
First, I don't believe that or anything else from CBS.
Second, they need to ask the question after the person actually experienced the pat down.
Third, the choice of irradiation or molestation is no choice at all.
Half of the time this reads as if it is a satire. To read it through to the evident conclusion which is that experimentally novel radiation using naked-scanners and indecent touching pat downs are just fine, indicates that the author is himself internally conflicted on the issue.
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Unfortunately, we aren't like the Israelis. They profile, you fool. We treat the traveling public like criminals, subjecting them to offensive "pat-downs" or possible excess radiation.
What is up with these people who are willing to accept this outrage?
I think we need to take a good look at how the Israelis are handling this and perhaps adopt their system.
Oh boy! Emmitt strayed off the conservative plantation and dared to have a different opinion. RINO ALERT! RINO ALERT! Tyrell, over the years, has been one of conservatism’s most stalwart champions. We are becoming like the Taliban here on FR. Only opinions approved by the conservative-purity police are to be tolerated.
Tyrell swings and misses here:
“Doubtless, in time we shall have a technological fix for airport security. It seems we always have in the past. Until then, we shall have to live like the Israelis. Be vigilant and thwart terror. They do it all the time, and an Israeli neurotic about personal liberty is just as neurotic as any American.”
We don’t “live” like the Israelis in this instance, because we don’t focus the airport security on those who are overwhelmingly (on a statistical basis) posing the risk, namely, arab men.
The profile, from all the previous bomb attempts, is not only 100% arab, but the intelligence level of most of them indicates post-hoc that if they had been singled out for questioning, their evil intent would have been obvious. It was only because they were intentionally ignored by the screening process due to political correctness, they were able to threaten the lives of innocent travelers.
so — FIRST the screening procedures should be rational — THEN we can talk about whether they are excessive or required.
I wonder what the percentage of Americans is of Americans that fly? Is the 19 percent folks that fly regularly?
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Agreed!
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