PROTEST THE TSA
So the TSA wants to see you naked.
What can you do?
LEARN.
Having the TSA virtual strip search you or perform an open-handed pat-down on the most private regions of your body is incredibly invasive. It's also unconstitutional. The Fourth Amendment guarantees our right to security in our "persons" - and it doesn't have an "unless you want to travel by air" clause:
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.
It is beyond dispute that the TSA's ever-increasing demolition of air passengers' personal privacy violates their rights and the Constitution. But is it worth the cost? Does this sacrifice of dignity even bring security?
Quite simply, no.
The TSA has never stopped a single terrorist attack. Its methods are grossly ineffective. In fact, security experts say we would be equally safe if we returned to pre-9/11 security levels.
The TSA requires us to sacrifice our liberty and privacy -- not to mention lighters, nail clippers, and water bottles -- for absolutely no reason.
OBJECT.
The airport you next fly out of may not have the TSA's "porno-scanners," but it will have TSA employees trained in the equally dehumanizing "enhanced pat-down." Prepare yourself for what to expect before you go to the airport -- there have been reports of agents putting their hands inside passengers' clothing if the clothes are baggy, for instance, so make sure you don't wear anything too loose-fitting.
However, even if you are well-informed, your family, friends, and fellow students may not be. With the holidays approaching, more people than usual will be flying...and they need you to tell them the TSA is making the friendly skies far too friendly.
Here are a couple of easy ways to attract attention to this important cause on campus:
- Get a large cardboard box (big enough to easily hold a person, like a refrigerator box) and label it "TSA Scanner" or "TSA Porno-Scanner." Set it up in a busy area of your campus and ask passing students to step into the box so you can look through their clothes to keep them safe. When they refuse, hand them information about the TSA's invasive new policies.
- Print out enough of the flyers on the bottom of the page to target each and every dorm room on campus. Before everyone leaves for Thanksgiving, conduct a dorm storm: Slip a flyer into every single dorm room. Make sure to update the flyers to include your chapter's contact information so interested students can easily get in touch with you.
- Chalk and flyer all over your campus. Print out the flyers at the bottom of this page, but make them poster-sized. Then, purchase some sidewalk chalk. At night, cover your campus with anti-TSA messages for students to read on their way to class the next morning.
- Ask your professors to let you speak for three minutes at the beginning of class. Objection to the TSA's invasion of privacy is running high across the political spectrum, so many professors may be sympathetic to your cause. Explain that you want students to be informed about this abuse of their rights and then let the class know what the TSA is up to. Direct them to this page so they too can learn more about this abuse of freedom and privacy.
Here's what the flyers look like. They're available to be printed on a full sheet of paper or four per page with space on the bottom to put in your chapter's contact information:
Download them all at the bottom of this page.
UNITE.
If you aren't already a member of the YAL chapter on your campus, join today. If there isn't already a chapter established, now is a key time for you to start one.
If we let the TSA continue to get away with its unconstitutional and ineffective searches, it will only grab ever more power. Each new terrorist attack will be a new excuse for further searches. Already there are reports of terrorists' plans for surgically implanting bombs inside their bodies, and thus eluding detection even from these scanners and enhanced pat-downs. It's not hard to imagine what bombs inside the body might lead the TSA to do.
Young Americans for Liberty is organizing students nationwide to fight this ridiculous government encroachment. Join or start a chapter today to fight back. Click here to learn more about this easy process.
Next, visit these sites to find useful resources, news updates on recent TSA abuses, and information on national, grassroots action to stop the TSA. If you know of any other sites which should be added to this list, please email YAL Director of Communications Bonnie Kristian with the information.
1. DON'T SCAN US
Since January 2010 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been rolling out what they term Advanced Imaging Technology, or Whole Body Imaging, at airports around the United States. These devices are used to perform a virtual strip search of passengers, looking beneath the clothes to display a picture of the skin. The TSA originally said that these machines would be used only for secondary screening, for those passengers that set off an alarm at the walk-through metal detector or Explosives Trace Detection (ETD) machine. They are now being used as primary screening at 45 airports, to take nude images of passengers who have done nothing more suspicious than present a boarding pass...
[If you opt out, be] aware that the TSA is using what they call an "enhanced pat-down" in many instances. These pat-downs are much more rigorous and often include the TSA using their palms to touch your genitals in a manner that could feel like sexual assault. If you feel that you or your child were inappropriately touched during the enhanced pat-down, call for a law enforcement officer.
Learn about the health and privacy concerns of these virtual strip search machines and download a detailed brochure to share with family, friends, and fellow students at Don't Scan Us.
2. NATIONAL OPT OUT DAY
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 is National Opt-Out Day.
It's the day ordinary citizens stand up for their rights, stand up for liberty, and protest the federal government's desire to virtually strip us naked or submit to an "enhanced pat-down" that touches people's breasts and genitals in an aggressive manner. You should never have to explain to your children, "Remember that no stranger can touch or see your private area, unless it's a government employee, then it's OK."
The goal of National Opt Out Day is to send a message to our lawmakers that we demand change. We have a right to privacy and buying a plane ticket should not mean that we're guilty until proven innocent. This day is needed because many people do not understand what they consent to when choosing to fly.
Learn more about how you can participate in this national day of protest at National Opt-Out Day.
3. FLY WITH DIGNITY
We originally began with a plan to run advertising through major media outlets to gain attention, we now plan this along with other ways to get the public involved and to support our goal of a moratorium on the Backscatter X-Ray machines, as well as the end to pat-downs at the airport, both of which invade our privacy, and are degrading as a human being and American citizen. If you agree with these ideas, we urge you to sign our petition and get involved in our various methods. Anything from a simple phone call or email to opting out at the airports will cause a reaction that will bring us one step closer to our goal.
We are not a politically motivated organization, nor have affiliation with any charities or other groups. We are a literal form of grass-roots, and intend to not make this a matter of politics or special interests. What matters here is the preservation of our civil liberties and protection of our rights when visiting public establishments.
Learn what you can do to promote this grassroots effort (with awesome graphics which they're happy to share) at Fly with Dignity.
Don't let the TSA steal your privacy for false security.
Fight back with Young Americans for Liberty today.
| File Attachments | |
|---|---|
| 161.5 KB | |
| 153 KB | |
| 168 KB | |
| 160 KB | |
| 1.51 MB | |
| 1.5 MB |
Are Body Scanners Dangerous to Your Health?--
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_6617.shtml
By John W. Whitehead
Online Journal Guest Writer
Nov 23, 2010, 00:23
As the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pushes forward with its plan to place full-body scanners in all American airports, experts in the scientific community are raising serious concerns that the full-body scanners are not medically safe for the millions of people that will be exposed to them each year. Even the Allied Pilots Association has urged its members to opt out of the body scanning measures because of the "ionizing radiation, which could be harmful to their health."
In April 2010, four members of the University of California faculty relayed to Dr. John P. Holdren, President Obama's Science and Technology czar, their concerns about the serious health risks posed to travelers by the whole body back scatter X-ray scanners. Dr. Sedat is a Professor Emeritus in Biochemistry and Biophysics, with expertise in imaging; Dr. Marc Sherman is an internationally well known and respected cancer expert; and Drs. David Agard and Robert Stroud are X-ray crystallographers and imaging experts. Suffice it to say, these men know what they're talking about. So when they suggest that an immediate moratorium is needed on the use of the scanners in order to carry out a second independent evaluation to determine that the scanners really are safe, our government, which is supposed to protect us from these kinds of dangers, should listen.
Specifically, these scientists argue that the concentration of radiation on the skin of individuals being scanned poses a serious cancer risk that has been largely dismissed. The TSA has compared the radiation received from the body scanner to the radiation that is absorbed in regular airplane travel or the radiation from a chest X-ray. However, in their memo to Dr. Holdren, Drs. Sedat, Agard, Stroud and Shuman note that this comparison is "very misleading." The TSA estimates only consider the radiation as it would be if absorbed by the whole body, as opposed to how the scanner really operates, which is to concentrate the radiation on the skin. The scientists claim that the body scanners have not received a proper medical review using "key data" which would allow for a proper understanding of the medical impact of the technology which they believe could cause mutations and skin cancer. They suggest setting up an independent panel to review the safety concerns posed by the scanners, a highly reasonable suggestion for a piece of technology that will be scanning millions of people a year.
Other scientists have also voiced their concerns over the devices, such as Dr. David Brenner who heads Columbia University's Center for Radiological Research. He states that radiation produced by the scanners is twenty times higher than the official estimate. Physics professor Peter Rez at Arizona State University echoes Dr. Brenner's claims. He points out that there is a real possibility that a body scanner could malfunction, concentrating unsafe amounts of radiation on one area of the body. "The scary thing to me is not what happens in normal operations, but what happens if the machine fails. Mechanical things break down, frequently."
On a side note, while it's bad enough that the scanners can see through your clothing to an alarming degree, they can also reveal quite a bit about your health history. As Dr. Kristin Byrne, a radiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, points out, "The airport scanners show anything on the surface of the skin and very closely under the skin." This includes foreign objects close to the skin, including piercings, catheters and colostomy bags, as well as breast implants and prosthetic testicles. These are items that most people want to keep private and away from the prying eyes of the public and government officials.
Despite all of this, Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Defense insists that the full-body scanners "are safe, efficient, and protect passenger privacy. They have been independently evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, who have all affirmed their safety." Parroting her, TSA Administrator John Pistole in testimony before a Senate panel on November 16, 2010, claims that the body scanners struck a proper balance between privacy and security and that the radiation exposure was "well within safety standards."
Of course, the FDA, which has been criticized heavily in recent years as being fundamentally broken and even corrupt, has a very dubious track record when it comes to ensuring the safety and efficacy of drugs, biologics and medical devices. Over the years, the FDA has been accused of causing high drug prices, keeping life-saving drugs off the market, allowing unsafe drugs on the market because of pressure from pharmaceutical companies and censoring health information about nutritional supplements and foods. For example, the FDA recently admitted to making a mistake in approving a controversial knee implant against the advice of its scientific reviewers. As the Associated Press reports, "The announcement comes a year after the agency first acknowledged that its decision to approve the device was influenced by outside pressure, including lobbying by four lawmakers from the company's home state of New Jersey."
The question is: if the scanners are potentially dangerous, then why has the government been in such an all-fire rush to implement them?
First, we have to recognize that we are ruled by an elite class of individuals who are completely out of touch with the travails of the average American. The government officials who have foisted these scanners on us -- President Obama, whose stimulus funds are paying for the scanners; members of Congress, who have pushed for the technology to be implemented in the airports; and Janet Napolitano and John Pistole, who have been adamant about subjecting the American people to all manner of indignities and rights violations for the sake of security -- don't have to go through the scanners (they have the luxury of flying on private or government planes and having security clearances that allow them to breeze past such barriers), so there's no risk to them medically.
Second, we are -- and have been for some time -- the unwitting victims of a system so corrupt that those who stand up for the rule of law and aspire to transparency in government are in the minority. This corruption is so vast it spans all branches of government -- from the power-hungry agencies under the executive branch and the corporate puppets within the legislative branch to a judiciary that is, more often that not, elitist and biased towards government entities and corporations. The scanners are a perfect example of this collusion between corporate lobbyists and government officials.
Third, we are relatively expendable in the eyes of government -- faceless numbers of individuals who serve one purpose, which is to keep the government machine running through our labor and our tax dollars. Those in power aren't losing any sleep over the indignities we are being made to suffer or the possible risks to our health. All they care about are power and control.
"We the people" have not done the best job of holding our representatives accountable or standing up for our rights. But there must be a limit to our temerity. Clearly, there are enough concerns about the health risks posed by these scanners to justify placing a moratorium on their use in airports. Something as potentially dangerous as these scanners certainly shouldn't be forced on the American public without the absolute assurance that it will not harm our health or undermine our liberties. At a minimum, Congress should establish an independent commission -- one not comprised of individuals connected to corporations that stand to profit from the scanners -- to fully examine these concerns and report back to the American people. And DHS and TSA need to go back to the drawing board and find a better way to protect national security without sacrificing our health and our freedoms.
About John W. Whitehead: Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. His new book The Freedom Wars (TRI Press) is available online at www.amazon.com. Whitehead can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org. Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at www.rutherford.org.
--
Our courts will never be fair and just again until we force the courts to follow their own rules. Do not allow yourself to be ruled by tyrants. Learn how to control corrupt judges and crooked lawyers so you can get Justice! Learn to litigate: Buy and Study JURISDICTIONARY. The best course available for Pro Se and Pro Per litigants.
I Refuse To Comply With The Unconstitutional Demands Of The Federal Government
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Government is only as strong as those who allow themselves to be governed are weak.
"We have plenty of rights in this country, provided you don't get caught exercising them."
- Terry Mitchell
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free it expects something that cannot be."
- Thomas Jefferson
Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups.
For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
* Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/
* It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls.
* Read the latest breaking news, and more.
Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups.
For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
* Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/
* It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls.
* Read the latest breaking news, and more.
No comments:
Post a Comment