Posted on 05/22/2005 7:30:03 AM PDT by Dada Orwell
From NHfree.com Man Without I.D. Vows to Board Flight or be Jailed
Manchester, NH May 21, 2005
Inspired by New Hampshire's "outlaw manicurist," another Granite Stater is stepping forward to peacefully defy license-related laws. Thirty-five-year old Russell Kanning of Keene has announced he will approach a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at Manchester airport on June 11 and refuse to cooperate with the requirement to show ID. "I will either board the plane without I.D. or be arrested," he says. "In a free country you do not need government permission to travel."
Kanning has a ticket to Philadelphia and, if allowed to travel there, plans to celebrate by visiting Independence Hall.
Two months after the September 11th attacks, the Aviation Security Act federalized airport security nationwide and granted new police powers to the TSA. Now, an ID is mandatory to travel by commercial aircraft, passengers must travel alone past security checkpoints, and random full-body searches in public are considered normal.
Kanning stresses that he will not resist arrest or do anything that might be perceived as physically threatening. He says this act of nonviolent resistance will follow the model laid down by Gandhi, who used peaceful noncooperation to expel the British from India. "We will tell them everything we're going to do ahead of time. We are not going to disrupt the operation of the airport," he says.
Kanning says the parallels with Gandhi's situation go further than a shared belief in nonviolence. "In South Africa (where Gandhi's protests began), Indians had to have special I.D...so it's very similar that way, and he wanted to burn it...He was appealing to that same basic idea that we have rights to not have to have paperwork to be able to move freely."
Earlier this month another Gandhi admirer, Mike Fisher of Newmarket, used the Mahatma's techniques to protest business licensing. After announcing he would perform an unlicensed manicure in front of the state licensing offices, he carried out his promise, earned a brief trip to jail and received heavy regional media coverage for his viewpoint.
Kanning says Gandhi's and Fisher's examples inspired him to take similar action against the growing "surveillance state." He believes the Real ID amendment passed by the Senate this month will make things even worse. But he says it's important to stay positive. "The goal is we want to get to the point where we can travel without having to have paperwork so, this is the beginning of that. We see light at the end of the tunnel. "
Currently the plan is for Kanning to approach the security checkpoint at 12:30 PM. Journalists and supporters will want to be there by noon.
Summary:
What: Civil disobedience against ID requirements under federalized airport security. Where: Manchester Airport in New Hampshire (exact spot to be determined) When: Saturday, June 11 @ noon Who: Russell Kanning of Keene, NH, supporters from NHfree.com Why: To draw attention to the recent and continuing loss of privacy and freedom due to federalized airport security and National ID. How: By approaching a TSA checkpoint with a ticket but no ID, refusing to show ID, and refusing to cooperate with the law until arrested or allowed to board the plane. Contacts: You can find out more and post questions to the discussion boards at NHfree.com
That's what Mohammed Atta said.
His heart is in the right place, but his head is up his ass.
"I will either board the plane without I.D. or be arrested,"
Your choice, buddy. Yes, it's a free country and you get to choose.
I guess the government will slowly begin providing these "freestaters" a new place to live. Overall IQ of New Hampshire must have dropped 20 points when those morons moved to the State.
Hope he's read MLK, Jr's "Letter from the Birmingham Jail", is prepared to be arrested, because that's what non-violent protest and civil disobedience is all about.
"In a free country you do not need government permission to travel."
In a free country at war, perhaps you do.
If the airport authorities are smart, they will be ready for him and won't give him any time to turn things into a media circus. They should immediately hustle him out the back into a waiting police car. The media won't even have time to focus their cameras and it will be all over.
Then take a hike.
In a free country private companies like airlines can make any agreement with a governmental authority they wish. If Delta or United agrees to allow governmental authorities to prescreen passengers, and you object, fly on an airline that doesn't, if you can find one. Or buy your own plane, or car or walk. Freedom isn't license
It sure did. The FSP helped turn NH from 'red' to 'blue'.
"No one has ever been killed because of lax licensing in manicure"
Killed, perhaps No, but I suggest you look at stats that show the number of injuries and infections cause by both licensed and non-licensed manicurists. Do you see any reason to license physicians, nurses or healthcare professionals? Do you see any reason to license drivers?
Nobody said he needed an ID to travel. just to do it on an airplane. Big difference. Nuance is obviously not this guy's stong suit.
1000's of people were killed because terrorists crashed airplanes into buildings. For that to happen the attackers needed to get thru' flight school, plan the attacks, get financing for the attacks, get US visas, get past the US border, get past airport security, overpower pilots, etc. These attacks didn't happen just "because of lax security at airports", lax security was one of the elements that allowed them to happen - huge difference.
They could just refuse let him pass OR arrest him. What's he gonna do, throw a tantrum?
Or better yet, sign, and cross out and initial the language relating to perjury.
In a free country at war, perhaps you do.
No. Not unless you're on probation for some crime or otherwise restricted by law.
But, nobody is saying this guy cannot travel or does not have a right to travel. He is being told he cannot use certain modes of travel unless he conforms and submits to certain reasonable screening requirements. He's an idiot.
Granted, the airlines may have been coerced into requiring this sort of security. However, they have chosen to do this. And, seriously, in the wake of 9/11, I think the airlines would have voluntarily chosen to cooperate with the government no-fly list, even had they been given an option.
Now, if someday the government required all cars have a GPS system, so that their location could be monitored (which is being suggested in some states, more as means of taxation, rather than security) and Mr. Kanning removed the GPS from his car and drove around, he would have a parallel action to the manicurist.... But this has the wrong target.
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