Ron Paul on the TSA

Ron Paul and Daniel McAdams discuss the problems with the TSA and how to protect your rights in this 15-minute video.

End the TSA! End the TSA!

So great to hear of a bill being drafted to end this horrendous agency. Since it's coming from Rand Paul, I don't expect this to be a mere wardrobe change. I also don't have a lot of hope for it's success, but, as Christopher Elliott points out, the TSA has a PR problem, so I could be surprised.

A Senator who stands up

Rand Paul didn't just stand up for himself. He stood up for all of us. Here's an excerpt from his father's fundraising email about the news today:

After an “anomaly” turned up in his body scan as he was trying to board a flight in Nashville, Rand showed that he was clearly no threat and asked to go through the scanner a second time.

Instead of tolerating this common-sense idea, TSA officials demanded he undergo a full body pat-down.

Rand stood up for his rights and refused – and was then detained by the TSA and prevented from getting on his flight.

Though the TSA finally caved after Rand didn't back down for two hours - and allowed him to go through the scanner again - Rand caught a later flight but missed his commitment to speak at the March for Life in Washington, D.C.

Ron Paul promises to end the TSA as President. Note that he always gets the pat-down due to a medical issue that triggers it.

UPDATE: Here's Rand Paul explaining his confrontation to CNN...

Ron Paul for airport freedom

Homeland Security Theater cartoonist, Bill Forster, does a shout out to the Congressman (and Presidential hopeful) who is a consistent critic of TSA policies:

One way Ron Paul has tried to support passengers' rights is by proposing anti-groping and anti-scanning legislation at the federal level:

No law of the United States shall be construed to confer any immunity for a Federal employee or agency or any individual or entity that receives Federal funds, who subjects an individual to any physical contact (including contact with any clothing the individual is wearing), x-rays, or millimeter waves, or aids in the creation of or views a representation of any part of an individual’s body covered by clothing as a condition for such individual to be in an airport or to fly in an aircraft. The preceding sentence shall apply even if the individual or the individual’s parent, guardian, or any other individual gives consent.

Of course, not enough of the other crooks in Washington actually care about Americans enough to pass this law.

Abolish the TSA? Of course!

That's my opinion and I don't see any reason I will fly commercially again until the TSA is gone. Here's Ron Paul on the subject:

Federal anti-groping, anti-scanning bill

From a statesman, not a politician (Chaffetz and Mica, anyone?):

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, on Thursday introduced legislation that would ensure that "any federal employee or agency or any individual or entity that receives federal funds are not immune from any US law regarding physical contact with another person, making images of another person, or causing physical harm through the use of radiation-emitting machinery on another person."
...
"What we ultimately need is real privatization of security, but not phony privatization with the same TSA screeners in private security firm uniforms still operating under the 'guidance' of the federal government," Paul said in a statement introducing the bill. "Real security will be achieved when the airlines are once again in charge of protecting their property and their passengers."

A miniscule victory

Word is that Congress may actually do something about the TSA overstepping its bounds. Don't expect too much, though. Like airport security, it is likely to be a lot of theater. Ron Paul's bill to make TSA agents culpable will be helpful in bringing down morale and breaking the organization from the inside out. It's even possible that Jason Chaffetz's oversight of DHS will play out well - he authored the "Chaffetz amendment" prohibiting TSA scanners before there was a public outcry over them Of course, his amendment failed, which is why Congress is to blame for the TSA abuses and I am not hopeful that much will change.