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This is what elections are for. Did you know you can be stopped and searched without a warrant within 100 miles of the physical border? [1] Between that and t

This is what elections are for. Did you know you can be stopped and searched without a warrant within 100 miles of the physical border? [1] Between that and this new screening policy for re-entry at international airports, I think we've crossed a line. Everyone I talk to about this is outraged. If we still have a functioning democracy, these policies will change. It's somewhat expected that now and then the government will overreach (see the Alien and Sedition Acts, etc). But that's why we have elections. [1]: This band around the border happens to include 2/3 of the US population. http://www.aclu.org/technology-and-liberty/constitution-free-zone http://www.aclu.org/technology-and-liberty/constitution-free...

RyanMcGreal 16y ago
>This is what elections are for. Voting once every two or four years and ceding policy to the politicians in the meantime is a recipe for the kind of bipartisan nonsense that pervades the US government. If you want things to get better, you need to get involved between elections.
aero142 16y ago
You can't get rid of the constitution just because you won an election. That is why it's the constitution. Unreasonable search is a constitutional issue, not a normal policy issue.
gaelian 16y ago
Is this really what elections are still for? I remember the sense of relief and elation of many around me when Obama was elected. Change was coming and many people seemed to feel that the best time for it was when the old system has all but collapsed. I believe Obama himself actually said something to this effect at the time. Fast forward to a few weeks ago just before the US mid-term election and I saw Obama interviewed by John Stuart. His points seemed to boil down to that they couldn't change as much as they wanted to because the US (and by extension the world) was in crisis and that people expected too much. Don't get me wrong, I believe in participating in the political process, I do vote (though I'm not American) and at least try to keep myself informed though I'm no political expert by any means. But I guess my point is that taking into account how things have gone over the last few election cycles both in my country and the US, what this guy did at the TSA security checkpoint seems far more effective than voting if more people were to do it and things like it. But I guess that would mean that we'd all have to handle some amount of inconvenience to protect our rights and that seems to be something that modern citizens of modern societies seem mostly incapable of accepting.
- trunnell 16y ago
  what this guy did at the TSA security checkpoint seems far more effective than voting I would agree that's effective, but civil disobedience is just different than voting. I was not denigrating the OP's effort in any way; in fact I find it commendable (much more so than Tyner who took a similar position but was too combative and rude). My point is simply that if we Americans don't like TSA's policies we can do something about it. We can opt-out, we can complain, we can get media attention, but most of all, we can vote. Our complaints wouldn't mean much if we couldn't vote.
  - gaelian 16y ago
    > I was not denigrating the OP's effort in any way Sorry if it seemed line I was implying this. I didn't mean to. > but most of all, we can vote. I guess this sentiment is what I was replying to, though. I'm starting to think that beyond a certain threshold of imposition on one's personal liberties, voting - while surely important - is no longer "most of all" what we should be doing. But I guess you American's have to decide what that threshold is for yourselves. Hopefully it won't be too much further past where you are currently... you're setting a bad precedent for the rest of us. :)

RyanMcGreal 16y ago

>This is what elections are for. Voting once every two or four years and ceding policy to the politicians in the meantime is a recipe for the kind of bipartisan nonsense that pervades the US government. If you want things to get better, you need to get involved between elections.

aero142 16y ago

You can't get rid of the constitution just because you won an election. That is why it's the constitution. Unreasonable search is a constitutional issue, not a normal policy issue.

gaelian 16y ago

Is this really what elections are still for? I remember the sense of relief and elation of many around me when Obama was elected. Change was coming and many people seemed to feel that the best time for it was when the old system has all but collapsed. I believe Obama himself actually said something to this effect at the time. Fast forward to a few weeks ago just before the US mid-term election and I saw Obama interviewed by John Stuart. His points seemed to boil down to that they couldn't change as much as they wanted to because the US (and by extension the world) was in crisis and that people expected too much. Don't get me wrong, I believe in participating in the political process, I do vote (though I'm not American) and at least try to keep myself informed though I'm no political expert by any means. But I guess my point is that taking into account how things have gone over the last few election cycles both in my country and the US, what this guy did at the TSA security checkpoint seems far more effective than voting if more people were to do it and things like it. But I guess that would mean that we'd all have to handle some amount of inconvenience to protect our rights and that seems to be something that modern citizens of modern societies seem mostly incapable of accepting.

trunnell 16y ago
what this guy did at the TSA security checkpoint seems far more effective than voting I would agree that's effective, but civil disobedience is just different than voting. I was not denigrating the OP's effort in any way; in fact I find it commendable (much more so than Tyner who took a similar position but was too combative and rude). My point is simply that if we Americans don't like TSA's policies we can do something about it. We can opt-out, we can complain, we can get media attention, but most of all, we can vote. Our complaints wouldn't mean much if we couldn't vote.
- gaelian 16y ago
  > I was not denigrating the OP's effort in any way Sorry if it seemed line I was implying this. I didn't mean to. > but most of all, we can vote. I guess this sentiment is what I was replying to, though. I'm starting to think that beyond a certain threshold of imposition on one's personal liberties, voting - while surely important - is no longer "most of all" what we should be doing. But I guess you American's have to decide what that threshold is for yourselves. Hopefully it won't be too much further past where you are currently... you're setting a bad precedent for the rest of us. :)