3 ms·

A government agency that routinely searches and seizes the property of every citizen who passes through its doors, presuming guilt on each of their behalves, an

by bmelton 12y ago

A government agency that routinely searches and seizes the property of every citizen who passes through its doors, presuming guilt on each of their behalves, and subjecting you to advanced body scanning technology -- that jibes with the fourth amendment to you? Edit: I think I read too much into it. I agree that the GP should clarify that the routine execution of the TSA's mandate is (in my opinion) clearly unconstitutional, but if the federal government had simply created an agency that did nothing, that would not necessarily violate the fourth.

dllthomas 12y ago
I am moderately sympathetic to the notion that airport security checkpoints cross lines. However, airport security checkpoints existed before the creation of the TSA - it wasn't "the creation of the TSA" that started it. Further, the mandate of the TSA is much broader than running airport security checkpoints. Removing the unconstitutional pieces would not leave us with "an agency that did nothing".
- bmelton 12y ago
  It is perfectly within the rights of an airport to disallow guns on their airplanes, just as it is my right to disallow guns in my home. With the advent of the TSA and the enforcement of its policies, now the government is searching my belongings before every flight, and the room in which the airlines could compete on features like privacy, is gone. Even if buckeroo bob wanted to start his own airline that was full-size-shampoo friendly, they no longer can, because the government disallows it completely. If Virgin airlines wanted to eliminate the invasive body scanners and compete on convenience, they could not, because the government has decided that it wishes to scan the contents of every bag and person.
  - dllthomas 12y ago
    Per http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/12/travel/la-tr-airline-safety-timeline-20110612 http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/12/travel/la-tr-airline..., the US government placed requirements on airport security since the 70s. "[1972:] The FAA in December issues an emergency rule requiring all passengers and carry-on baggage to be either screened by metal detectors or searched by hand and requiring airports to station armed guards at boarding checkpoints." "[1974:] The 1974 Air Transportation Security Act sanctions the FAA's universal screening rule, which spurs U.S. airports to adopt metal-detection screening portals for passengers and X-ray inspection systems for carry-on bags." And progressively more as we go on.
    - bmelton 12y ago
      Now I get to balance how much I love learning things I didn't know with the terror of learning things that scare me more. Thanks for the information.

by bmelton 12y ago

dllthomas 12y ago

I am moderately sympathetic to the notion that airport security checkpoints cross lines. However, airport security checkpoints existed before the creation of the TSA - it wasn't "the creation of the TSA" that started it. Further, the mandate of the TSA is much broader than running airport security checkpoints. Removing the unconstitutional pieces would not leave us with "an agency that did nothing".

bmelton 12y ago
It is perfectly within the rights of an airport to disallow guns on their airplanes, just as it is my right to disallow guns in my home. With the advent of the TSA and the enforcement of its policies, now the government is searching my belongings before every flight, and the room in which the airlines could compete on features like privacy, is gone. Even if buckeroo bob wanted to start his own airline that was full-size-shampoo friendly, they no longer can, because the government disallows it completely. If Virgin airlines wanted to eliminate the invasive body scanners and compete on convenience, they could not, because the government has decided that it wishes to scan the contents of every bag and person.
- dllthomas 12y ago
  Per http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/12/travel/la-tr-airline-safety-timeline-20110612 http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/12/travel/la-tr-airline..., the US government placed requirements on airport security since the 70s. "[1972:] The FAA in December issues an emergency rule requiring all passengers and carry-on baggage to be either screened by metal detectors or searched by hand and requiring airports to station armed guards at boarding checkpoints." "[1974:] The 1974 Air Transportation Security Act sanctions the FAA's universal screening rule, which spurs U.S. airports to adopt metal-detection screening portals for passengers and X-ray inspection systems for carry-on bags." And progressively more as we go on.
  - bmelton 12y ago
    Now I get to balance how much I love learning things I didn't know with the terror of learning things that scare me more. Thanks for the information.