[ChemistCat]

The most important thing about this story is the chain of lies, often mutually-contradictory lies, the authorities whose job it is to protect both our rights and the airlines have accepted and created in an attempt to make only the father-to-be culpable. He was fined, he was arrested...and they "destroyed the video" though of course at other times they claim to have reviewed it. Since the authorities have not presented or apparently kept any evidence to the contrary, I believe the charges the writer makes about airport security.

Now, a sensible man would have calmed his wife and proceeded (thereby, probably avoiding the greater upset and possible medical complication that resulted from his arrest.) Most people aren't that sensible.

And most of us don't want strangers groping us in public, pregnant or not. Some respect for that fact needs to be injected into the situation.

The Constitution protects us against unreasonable search and seizure. I absolutely do not believe that pregnant American citizens of non-Muslim origin ought to lose that right in airports. All of this could have been avoided if they would pre-screen passengers and created a "trusted traveller" category immune to special search without cause.