Let me explain this to you all...

The TSA, doesnt care that your angry. They dont care about your rights, or your perceived freedoms. Nor does the DHS. Your safety and security is important to them, but NOT in the sense that we believe. Let me explain.

Your safety to them is important so far as the populace doesnt rise up en mass with arms and fight back. Therefore, they use the word 'safety' to mean, just enough courtesy to not piss of 1/2 the people in the terminal, and push you or those around you to act out violently. However, recent events have shown, that Americans can be pushed pretty damn far with out a single person standing up and say 'NO!'

The security aspect isnt for the traditional security we think of, its to protect THEM from we the people. Period. Which is why they dont give out hand guns to every person boarding an airplane.

The courts, have already proven, that what DHS is doing is legal. How so? Every single court has dragged its feet when it comes to ruling on this case. Look how long it took the courts to rule on Mocek's case... 15 months... a case which at most should have lasted 3 months. Try dragging out a criminal court case with stupid BS about 'not being ready' and see what happens...

But because the Govt does it, its ok.

Ino ther countries, the govt is afraid of the people. In the US, the people are afraid of the govt. Helping this veiw of fear for the govt is the media. Our entertainment news. Notice on NOOD, that MOST News sources refused to air people in opposition of the TSA? Notice how they conveniently forget to report the amount of vehicle traffic on road ways over thanksgiving? Notice of the news, has yet to admit that airport traffic over thanksgiving was REALLY low?

Wierd!

And yet we as Americans are supposed to beleive that our news is 'fair and balanced'?

Ever notice how the major news outlets always attempt to discredit blogs? Ever notice how TSA employees are referred to as 'agents, officers, or officials' when they carry zero law enforcement capacity? Ever notice how the media refers to Govt employees/public servants' as 'Officials' This leads a person to believe and to think that the Govt person in question, is somehow 'better' than you, and has power over you. When in reality its we the people who have the power over the govt.

The DHS uses machines that have never been independently reveiwed by anyone outside of govt, and all information regarding these machines and their dangers is classified. Yet we are told they are safe. We are left with speculating the dangers of being in close proximity to these machines.

Lets see...

We now must take our shoes off at airports, exposing our bodies to germs and fungus.
We must allow the govt to do a full background check on us before we are allowed to travel by plane.
We must submit to being physically searched, in the same manner that criminals are. Yet we havent committed a crime, and the bar of suspicion hasnt been met.
The DHS, dresses TSO's in outfits so as to give the APPEARANCE of cops.
The DHS, uses xray vans to drive around our streets to search everyone in mass.
The DHS illegally detains American citizens.
The TSA now patrols major sporting events - Remember the Super Bowl?
You speak out about the abuse and you are harassed with no recourse.
The news calls anyone who goes against the obvious abuses by our govt, 'tea baggers' and conspiracy theorists. Look up the sexual referrence to the term 'tea bagging'

The DHS considers anyone who questions LE, or preaches about the US Constitution, a domestic terrorist. Making ALL of us non TSO's terrorists.
Terrorists, have no rights by the way.

The TSA is now conducting illegal search, interrogation, and detention outside of airports.
The TSA claims to be looking for weapons. However if they find pot in your possession, you will be arrested for drugs... Thought they were looking for weapons?
The DHS operates ABOVE the laws which the rest of us must abide by.

The DHS doesnt answer to we the people.
Therefore, DHS doesnt care about what we think.
The news, you will notice, overall is on the side of DHS. They are NOT on our side.
Look at what the police do to people in philidelpia with their 'stop and frisk' program... coming to a city near you! Notice how the media has COMPLETELY ignored this!

Intimidation, fear of arrest, detention, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, lies and deceite, public demoralization, financial hardship, personal censorship, unwarranted search and seizure of your person, car, house.. belongings...

ANd you think, standing on the sidewalk holding your sign, yelling with a bull horn is going to somehow change what is happening? Really? the 60's are over. Look at the protests that have taken place around the country, and in Washington D.C. Has ANYTHING changed for the better?

No it hasnt, its just gotten worse!

DHS claims all this is to keep our skies safe! In 2005 illegals protested in our streets en mass, our Govt, our 'TSA/DHS' did NOTHING!

Our borders are wide open for any real terrorist to just walk right in but we are going to strip search grandma, and sexually assault our children!

Remember, 80 years ago, a population of people, thought 'It cant happen here' and it did.

Today, the population of the once free nation of the United States, thinks 'it cant happen here' it IS happening here!

'fraid so.

Not only will it not change anything, as the Iraqi war protesters proved, but it will probably get you tazed and/or beaten by the real police. As bad as TSOs are real LEOs are worse. They will tase-torture you for non-compliance, backtalk, and contempt of cop in general. Assert you constitutional rights and get tazed. Try to run? Get tazed and then probably beaten. This country *is* a police state already. The police and even psuedo-LEOs like the TSA are the only ones with rights.


Of course if we can get enough numbers we should still organize protests in public places. Why? Because it shows that we have numbers, and that is the only thing that scares the power holders--being physically outnumbered. They might be thinking, "what if those people get guns too"? And then of course they try to get the already draconian gun control laws tightened up even further.

Since you're giving up, please just roll over and get out of our way.

^^^

I don't like the title of this thread either... hmmm... is there anything to be done to send this one over to OMNI/PR? I don't think it belongs in TS/S.

So you want to suppress an opinion you don't agree with by sending it to OMNI? Or do you genuinely believe it is off topic? If you believe it is off topic or violates forum rules then click on that little exclamation point and report the post to moderators. I think it is actually off topic of you to ask your question and off topic of me to answer. Both of our posts could validly be reported as well.

Giving up? It just means we need to take effective action. Not puss around with protests and flyers.

Protests & flyers help to educate others so that they, too, can help out. This is something that must be worked on several fronts at several levels. All efforts are welcome.

Well I certainly won't try to stop anyone from doing it. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that.

If there were any lessons from the 60's, other than drug use isn't a career path, it is that changing the power structure is most effectively accomplished from within the system.

Protests didn't end the Vietnam war, votes did. The protests only kept focus on the issue.

Another important lesson is that change didn't come overnight. The protests started in 1967, the war didn't end until 1972.

The same applies to TSA reform or any other political effort. A committed and vocal grass roots movement forms that articulates a problem and appeals to the masses at a visceral level.

The movement identifies sympathetic politicians and supports them financially, politically (rallies, campaigning, etc.) or ideally both.

All of those things are in play here. There are a core of elected officials who are vocal opponents of TSA's abuse and deceit. Their ranks are growing at both the Federal and State level.

These officials and TSA's bumbling are keeping the issue in the media and, based on the continuing coverage, are apparently appealing to the masses.

We only need to support those who champion our cause (donation$, letters and turn out), persist in our efforts and allow enough time for them to complete the mission before conceding defeat.

Let's not forget it's only been four and half months since we were blindsided with this lunacy and now TSA is back on their heels on a daily basis. They're adding ATD software to the NoS, retesting x-ray emissions and under constant attack in the press. Basically they're in bunker mode.

They may be publicly exhibiting bravado, but their actions betray a lot of scrambling behind the scenes. Blogger Bob's presentation to the Ad Council illustrates that they knew there would be "venting" and expected it to quell with acquiescence. What they didn't anticipate was a rising level of outrage as awareness of this abuse increased. Apparently they missed the stories on the effectiveness of social media in the 21st century.

For what its worth I'll continue to comment wherever there is a TSA article, write to politicians who support this effort and contribute to those officials and organizations who defend our rights.

I take comfort in knowing that there are others here who are doing the same and and am encouraged by the number of new members that have joined us.

This is an endurance contest and it's waaaay too early to think about throwing in the towel.

Thank you for saying this and saying it so well and thank you for the time you gave for this purpose.

Earlier I stated that I thought the thread title seemed out of place here. This is why... what Fisher1949 said <g>.

I understand the cynicism of the OP, but I refuse to give up "cuz there just ain't no use" and suspect that I am not alone in this sentiment.

The Nazis didn't take over Germany, the German populace voted for them.

Same thing; we voted for this, we share the blame, and now we know we made the wrong decision. In order to make things right again, we need to vote these out.

^ +1 (at a minimum)

Thank you. While I understand Saitek's pessimism, I don't agree and I believe it's far too early for the "let me explain to you why you are wasting your time" kind of mentality. I do feel like it's rolling over and playing dead and I didn't really see how Saitek would prefer this matter be handled. If someone can point out the obvious to me, I'd be grateful, because I'm not seeing anything but what allegedly we are doing wrong or why it's foolish.

I see a change in how the once-a-year and occasional travelers view the TSA every single day. As discontent grows, more will express the same to those who do have the abililty to change things. However, they've not yet experienced it, and the only exposure they get is either by their one flight per year or via protests, op-ed pieces, media coverage and the like. To discount protests, flyers, etc. (whatever educates and draws attention to the matter) is just ignoring how the system actually works (which Fisher1949 aptly described), IMO. Obviously, Saitek's MMV, but luckily the First Amendment seems to still exist on this particular forum so all can share a viewpoint.

Basically, some of us are the frogs that just figured out it's getting hot in here. Some of us just rolled our eyes at the shoe carnival and war against water. The water didn't feel particularly warm until, in my case, I got a groping I wasn't expecting. I've told my friends and family my story and they now are on our side of this argument. It helps our cause when us ordinary folk pass a bunch of TSA at a train or metro or bus station, a protest, read a Facebook post, watch a news story about TSA misbehavior. If it were't for these "the 60s are over" methods of communication, you'd have less people on your side advocating and voting in a manner that might produce change.

Just my .02 cents, though worth far less than that, I'm sure.

The trend seems to be that the more push to get rid of the TSA under this administration, the TSA pushes back three times as hard.

I verbally push back at the checkpoint as well with any errant screener. At FLL one took my computer bag and started to do a hand search of it, I berated him for 30 minutes on not complying with SOP on conferring with me first and that I did want a private screening.