America: Land of the sexually assaulted
Safety of the mass population is a wonderful concern, but sexually assaulting the mass population to get there is not exactly the best way to go about it. With the new pat-down procedures from the Transportation Security Administration in place, airplane passengers are having a grand old time getting felt up to board a plane.
Not only are commercial passengers being sexually assaulted, but figureheads like congressmen and President Obama are allowed to bypass this procedure. Hillary Clinton even stated on “Face The Nation” that she would not want to go through with it. Obama says they are “frustrating but necessary.” Mr. President, I would like to see how you felt after a TSA agent felt up your children when they passed through security. Rep. John Boehner, who pledged to fly commercial back to Ohio, was escorted right past the metal detectors and body scanners.
The best part: if you refuse to be patted down, you cannot leave, or you face fines of up to $11,000.
So our leaders are always fine under the concept of “innocent until proven guilty,” but we aren’t. There is even a video on YouTube of a child being told to remove his clothes and felt up by the TSA. A survivor of bladder cancer was left in his own urine after he warned the TSA agents multiple times about his medical condition and the equipment he has on his body, and a breast cancer survivor was forced to show her prosthetic breast in public.
If all that isn’t enough, then maybe the fact that the head of the company that sells TSA the scanner machines is the former head of the TSA will be the cherry on top. Corrupt capitalism at its finest. You have three choices: have a completely naked picture taken of you, get felt up or get fined $11,000. This is wonderful.
The TSA has said nothing will be done, and that these procedures are protecting our citizens. This only means the American people have to fight back. If they aren’t going to take our concern seriously, action is necessary. At the least, don’t fly this holiday season. At the most, go buy a fully refundable airplane ticket and when you get to the security measures, refuse. Then, when you go to get your refund, tell the company you bought it from it is because you find the TSA’s security measures unethical. En masse, capitalism can’t ignore a loss in revenue.
I haven’t flown since I was nine years old, but anyone who touches my balls better be three things: 1. A woman 2. Asking me out on a date 3. Writing down my number shortly thereafter. I also am considering telling everyone that TSA stands for “Team Sexual Assault” from now on. Do something about your rights because that very freedom to do something about it is your right.
Check out these stories
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40289750/ns/travel
www.thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/no-security-pat-downs-for-boehner/
www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/nov/16/big-sisters-police-state/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=skkCpnCm7iM
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40291856/ns/travel-news/
Matthew Colwell is a junior integrated language arts major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].