Thursday, November 18, 2010

Libertarian Party of Georgia Opposes TSA's Use Of Whole Body Image Security Checkpoints

In response to the recent debate surrounding the Transportation Security Administration's use of Whole Body Image (WBI) scanners, as well as the two cases already recently filed against the TSA by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Rutherford Institute, the Libertarian Party of Georgia announces today their public opposition to the TSA's decision to use these devices in our nation's airports. According to the TSA website (www.tsa.gov) at the time of press, in a statement dated October 28, 2010, "[p]assengers should continue to expect an unpredictable mix of security layers that include explosives trace detection, advanced imaging technology, [and] canine teams, among others."

The Libertarian Party of Georgia holds that these security measures imposed upon private citizens are a direct violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which reads as follows:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." - The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

"The possible health risks associated with the type of radiation used in these machines are not yet well understood, but the detriments to mental well-being and personal liberties are clear," said Daniel N. Adams, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Georgia. "What the TSA is calling an 'enhanced pat-down' is not an acceptable alternative to refusal to enter the WBI scanner. While we understand the importance of National and personal security, we do not agree that WBI scans are a necessary or obligate measure for securing the safety of U.S. airline passengers. The federal government wants us to believe that the act of buying a plane ticket from a private company necessitates the passenger forfeit their right to refuse an unlawful search without a warrant by telling us that we are aiding in 'national security measures'. We respectfully disagree, and hold that no citizen should ever have to forfeit those rights under the guise of security."

The Libertarian Party opposes all interference by government in the areas of voluntary and contractual relations among individuals. People should not be forced to sacrifice their lives and property for the benefit of others. They should be left free by government to deal with one another as free traders. The resultant economic system, the only one compatible with the protection of individual rights, is the free market. The Libertarian Party of Georgia believes that The Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution is an excellent exposition of Libertarian beliefs in individual freedom, limited government, and self-responsibility. Certainly, these measures introduced by the TSA are an invasion of personal right to privacy, and a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment.

The Libertarian Party is Georgia?s third largest political party and the only party in Georgia promoting fewer taxes, less government and personal liberty for all Georgians. To learn more, please visit www.LPGeorgia.com.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Byron York - Amid airport anger, GOP takes aim at screening

Did you know that the nation's airports are not required to have Transportation Security Administration screeners checking passengers at security checkpoints? The 2001 law creating the TSA gave airports the right to opt out of the TSA program in favor of private screeners after a two-year period. Now, with the TSA engulfed in controversy and hated by millions of weary and sometimes humiliated travelers, Rep. John Mica, the Republican who will soon be chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, is reminding airports that they have a choice. More :Byron York - Amid airport anger, GOP takes aim at screening

Monday, November 15, 2010

WND Exclusive: Stop Airport Humiliation: Pink Slip TSA's Perverted Gropers

Conducting interviews on this topic is Washington, D.C. staff writer for WND.com, Brian Fitzpatrick.
Send every member of Congress letter of protest in 1 minute
(c) 2010 WND.com


Do you want to put a stop to airport humiliation through invasive "pat-downs" and "virtual strip searches"?

Now you can generate individual letters of protest of these new "enhanced" security procedures by the Transportation Security Administration to every member of the House and Senate, as well as Barack Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in one minute, announces Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WND, who spearheaded the historic "Send Congress a Pink Slip" campaign that buried Congress in 9 million letters of grievance and another campaign that helped free railroaded Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Campeon.

The innovative campaign called "STOP AIRPORT HUMILIATION NOW" permits anyone to deliver 537 letters, with delivery guaranteed by Fed Ex, to all those officials - putting them on notice that Americans are angry and will not tolerate these abuses of privacy.

Because of the volume of these messages, WND is able to send them less expensively than American citizens could send them individually. Through this program, you can send the 437 messages for only $29.95. To replicate that feat individually, postage alone would cost more than $192. But the impact of participating in the "STOP AIRPORT HUMILIATION CAMPAIGN" makes your protest much more impressive - being a part of a mass movement, rather than an individual grievance, explained Farah.

"You would think these people in Washington didn't notice the election results this month," said Farah. "Well, maybe they need a reminder that the people are not resting on their laurels and will not accept being treated like cattle before they get on an airplane." Americans have been expressing their outrage since the new "enhanced" security procedures by the TSA went into effect Nov. 1.

"Heads should roll over this kind of abuse - namely Janet 'Big Sis' Napolitano's," said Farah.

WND simultaneously established a free on-line petition to these same officials. Similar petitions launched by WND have attracted nearly 600,000 virtual signatures.

"If $29.95 is not in your budget right now, at least sign the free petition," urges Farah. "I understand what politicians in Washington have done to our economy. But don't let them cow you into silence as they march us like sheep down the road to tyranny and degrading subjugation."

As the letter being sent to officials in Washington states, under the new screening protocols, passengers are subjected to a virtual "strip search" by being required to undergo a humiliating full-body scan, resulting in the display of a graphic image of their naked body to be scrutinized by a TSA agent.

If they choose to "opt out" of the full-body scan, they are forced instead to undergo the same kind of aggressive pat-down that criminals and drug-dealers get, including direct manual contact with their breasts and genitalia. Children are not exempt.

While such degrading and invasive searches certainly violate passengers' Fourth Amendment guarantee to be "secure in their persons ... against unreasonable searches and seizures," the generation of naked images of minor passengers arguably amounts to the creation of illegal child pornography.

Moreover, backscatter X-ray technology is known to produce radiation that is potentially harmful to frequent fliers and airline crew members, which is why the American Pilots Association, representing about 12,000 pilots (including almost all of American Airlines' pilots) has strongly warned its members to refuse the full-body scanning.

This humiliating and degrading new program is already massively unpopular, and obviously subject to horrific abuse. As such, it is certain to result in a significant decline in air travel by Americans at a time when neither the airline industry nor the country can afford another economic crisis.

"Don't wait on taking action," urges Farah. "I am participating in this bargain program - and I urge every single American to do the same. Let's recreate the success of the 'Pink Slip' program and other similar efforts and return sanity and decency to our airports."