Originally Posted by Casimir
Let me think, what could the connection be between asking 20 questions at an airport and the government ability to regulate commerce? I know!! Airplanes moving through the skies have been used as weapons of mass murder and destruction!! Wow, it's a close call, but I would say that the means chosen by the government has a rational relationship to this government interest.
The Internet has also been used for that purpose. Would the government thus be reasonably allowed to engage in the 20 questions game before we're allowed to use it, or otherwise implement a Chinese-style monitoring and censorship system?
Driving and rental vehicles have also been used for interstate terrorism. Do you think the government would be justified in asking 20 questions before one is allowed to rent a vehicle? What about having questioning stations on the borders of each state?
The basic argument is the same in each one of these cases.
And does it make any difference whether there's actually and solid proof that the 20 questions can reasonably be expected to prevent terrorism? Doesn't something have to be effective in its stated goal in order to have a rational relationship to a government interest?