kaukau

Digg.com "Man faces jail time for writing curse on IRS check" I googled it.
Smartypants V. IRS
Verdict: Annual audits for life.

Scifience

From the University of Kentucky:

http://www.uky.edu/SGA/pdf/police_at_your_door.pdf

There was a recent Supreme Court case (Hibel v. Sixth Jud. Dist. Ct. of Nev.) upholding the right of law enforcement officers to ask someone to identify themselves, but from a brief skim of the decision, it doesn't seem to address the issue of any sort of an ID document.

ColKurtz

I think what you did is ridiculous and stupid. I think detaining you for about 25 minutes is about what you deserve. Maybe a little too short. I would have preferred they annoy you for a good 45 minutes or so - hopefully making you miss your flight.

First, you obviously were looking for a confrontation. Either the screeners will not notice what you wrote, or not care - what's the point in that case -- or they will notice and confront you. And the point of your desired confrontation is... to express your opinion that their boss is an idiot? What does that accomplish? Are you just an attention whore, or do you think you're planting some kind of seed of discontent that will spread and lead to Hawley's resignation.

Second, and more serious, your sophomoric little stunt distracted the people who are responsible for our security. If someone bent on harming travellers was behind you in line that day, their odds of getting through security were probably much higher than normal -- for the simple fact that you were consuming the attention of several security and police officers.

You should be ashamed of yourself. Grow up.

Spiff

ColKurtz, I disagree with everything (and I mean everything) you just typed.

ColKurtz

Yes, we should all go and harrass airport security, hoping they challenge our first amendment rights, so that we can... argue with them... and demonstrate our rights... to... what is the point again?

Because airport security isn't annoying enough without people like the OP, who are just waiting to be offended and go around baiting people into confrontations.

redbeard911

To all those in the "ridiculous and stupid" camp, here's a nice read for you.

catocony

We're starting to get more posters like this - the "do what you're told young man and don't ask any questions". Truly pathetic. What was sophomoric about what he did? Who got distracted by nothing and made a big issue out of it? Why, if two or three TSA agents are "distracted", does that mean the open the security checkpoint and just let everyone pass since they're busy screwing with a citizen expressing his displeasure with the system? Did the OP slow anyone down who themselves weren't looking for a confrontation?

As far as the IDs, cops can always ask for whatever they want, but unless they have probably cause that you committed a crime and have detained you, and asking for ID is the way to confirm who you are, no LEO can detain you for not showing an ID when asked. There is no law on the books that says that you have to have a photo ID on you, except a license when driving. Bottom line.

Scifience

To make it known to the powers that be that we will not stand by while they trample on our rights, perhaps? There is nothing in "Kip Hawley is an idiot" scrawled on a plastic bag with magic marker that could even be remotely considered threatening to the security of an aircraft. Therefore, it is not TSA's concern, any more than the book from Barnes and Noble stuffed in your carry-on. Political speech is protected in America, and it will take people like the OP to help people wake up and see what is happening to their rights.

Spiff

The existing manifestation of "airport security" is stupid, un-American, ineffective and is largely pure harassment. Comrade Hawley should be thankful that people aren't surrounding his office waiting with torches and sharp sticks.

We should be demonstrating our rights more frequently as the OP did so that we call attention to just how stupid Comrade Hawley's little insecurity charade really is. The man is a charlatan.

bollar

digg - Man faces jail time for writing a curse word on a check

Presuming this is the one you're talking about, it was not an IRS check, the guy was charged with contempt of court for writing an expletive on a check paying a fine. In any event, the ACLU intervened, believing the charge to be unconstitutional.

Superguy

How do you figure? I'm sure the LEO and the other TSO's could be subpoenaed. There will be an LEO report of the incident.

Heresay? Don't think so.

Bart

Deleted

SDF_Traveler

Ditto on that Spiff.

OP: ^

What you wrote was an opinion of yours about a government official (civil servant) as well as protected free speach.

Request a copy of the police report from the Milwaukee Airport Police. It should be available as public record.

Secondly, did the TSA provide any "Privacy Act" information to you when you requested information? Just for the hell of it, I'd file a freedom of information act request just to see what the TSA has on record.

SDF_Traveler

GUWonder

Detained for writing words that are legally protected? Dictatorships and totalitarian states detain people for calling public figures an idiot; free people in a free land should not be harassing for writing such words and displaying them as was done.

Motivation to write words that are protected speech under the Constitution is irrelevant. The words are considered protected speech and the TSA's core functions does not include being the political thought and writing police. The TSA and others involved in the harassment stepped over the bounds by making stuff up and harassing people on the basis of political expression protected under the Constitution.

If your characterization is correct, then the TSAers and the police who played along at the airport should be fired for incompetence. They should be able to demonstrate judgment and not be distracted by protected political expression; and if they fail at that, they should be fired for incompetence or be accomodated as due a medical condition.

No, people who persecute people for peaceful expression of political opinion should be ashamed of themselves or grow up and old -- preferably in a place like North Korea, Zimbabwe, or Saudi Arabia that better demonstrates their values.

WIRunner

I'd get TMJ4 and Fox 6 all over them... I'll be looking for this next week.
Katrina Cravy doesn't get get pushed around