Big Sis Napolitano: A National Embarrassment
Posted on 12/26/2011 3:52:36 PM PST by upchuck
The Transportation Security Administration isn't just in airports anymore. TSA teams are increasingly conducting searches and screenings at train stations, subways, ferry terminals and other mass transit locations around the country...
The TSA's 25 "viper" teams — for Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response — have run more than 9,300 unannounced checkpoints and other search operations in the last year. Department of Homeland Security officials have asked Congress for funding to add 12 more teams next year.
According to budget documents, the department spent $110 million in fiscal 2011 for "surface transportation security," including the TSA's viper program, and is asking for an additional $24 million next year. That compares with more than $5 billion for aviation security.
TSA officials say they have no proof that the roving viper teams have foiled any terrorist plots or thwarted any major threat to public safety. But they argue that the random nature of the searches and the presence of armed officers serve as a deterrent and bolster public confidence.
But critics say that without a clear threat, the TSA checkpoints are merely political theater. Privacy advocates worry that the agency is stretching legal limits on the government's right to search U.S. citizens without probable cause — and with no proof that the scattershot checkpoints help prevent attacks.
"It's a great way to make the public think you are doing something," said Fred H. Cate, a professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, who writes on privacy and security. "It's a little like saying, 'If we start throwing things up in the air, will they hit terrorists?'"
Last month in Orlando, Fla., a team set up metal detectors at a Greyhound bus station and tested passengers' bags for explosive residue.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Just dropped my son off at the airport and saw him go through the TSA gauntlet. I really don’t know why, because our family has gone through these for several years , but looking at the tubs of sh#t stuffed into their stupid uniforms and shiny little badges made me want to puke.
We are all sheep. My only consolation is that most of the airport flunkies will start getting their cancers in about 5-10 years, for women with predisposition for breast cancer. Men will pop up with the thyroid and then big cohort will get leukemias in 10-15 years. F’em all.
The only thing that would make me happier is if only the democrat owners of the corporations making money off of our loss of rights would go bankrupt to make it all good.
Maybe they could check folks on the way into and out from Mosques?
The real T Jefferson would have disagreed with you.
Among sheeple perhaps, but they do nothing except raise anxiety levels amongst the citizens.
TSA has no interest in them. They are after every day americans. It’s about controlling us.
I’m waiting for the weak minded “well you have no RIGHT to fly or you don’t have to fly” cowards to speak up about if we have a RIGHT TO:
Travel by train
Travel by bus
Enter a sports facility
Enter a Town, County, State building without our 4th Amendment rights being violated.
Just when will these cowards reach their breaking point and join the rest of us who detest the TSA and everything they represent? When can we return to profiling the scum of the earth who want to destroy us?. I am all for infringing on the “rights” of mudslime maggots who have openly called for our destruction before we infringe upon the rights of one more real AMERICAN grandmother or child in our PC insanity.
Does this mean that they are going after illegal aliens?
The last time I flew was in 1996 to my Dad’s funeral. I retired in 1999 so that made not flying much easier.
I enjoy driving around our beautiful country.
The Greyhound station in Orlando ought to have a detachment of special forces to keep the peace, never mind the TSA.
I wonder if discouraging travel isn’t part of the game. Reduce carbon footprint and make people easier to control.
This is why I do not do public transportation. One of them would end up touching my daughter and I’d end up ripping his arms off and feeding them to him. It wouldn’t end well for anyone involved. Touch my daughter and I will hurt you very, very badly.
I’ll stick to private modes of transportation. They cross into that area and we’ll have issues.
I haven’t flown since my first experience with TSA where I was poked and prodded by some nasty skinny hands that still gives me the creepy chills! My attitude is this: PHUC ‘EM ... I’ll stay home and not go to any place that has these thugs to harass good people! I will also be the first in line to vote ... in March and then in November.
This weekend I saw a film (true story), “Invincible,” about a young Polish Jew in 1932 that goes to Berlin to work. By 1933, he returns home to warn other Jews that bad things were going to happen. No one listened to him ... today, we seem to be repeating history. Very few really understand and know what is happening. It is sad for me to see families (including my own) that are barely able to remain civil at the dinner table on such matters.
I haven’t flown since my first experience with TSA where I was poked and prodded by some nasty skinny hands that still gives me the creepy chills! My attitude is this: PHUC ‘EM ... I’ll stay home and not go to any place that has these thugs to harass good people! I will also be the first in line to vote ... in March and then in November.
This weekend I saw a film (true story), “Invincible,” about a young Polish Jew in 1932 that goes to Berlin to work. By 1933, he returns home to warn other Jews that bad things were going to happen. No one listened to him ... today, we seem to be repeating history. Very few really understand and know what is happening. It is sad for me to see families (including my own) that are barely able to remain civil at the dinner table on such matters.
There have been VIPR teams searching people getting off trains and road check points. They’ve already started testing the “let’s search all modes of transport”.
We are mo onger free, we slave to pay taxes until August, they are now sepnding the remaining 4 months of our earnings.
“A people who will trade liberty for security deserves neither.”
Like these muslims:
You might want to reconsider. YOU may be next.
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