The Freedom Bulletin

I am dismayed at what has happened to my country and the world since the failed terror plot on Christmas Day.

My local airport, Logan Airport, is getting a strip-search machine, although it is unclear whether it will be used as a primary (everyone has to go through it) or secondary (only people who set off the metal detector have to go through it) method of screening. The Amsterdam airport is going to use strip-search machines as a primary screening method, and Nigeria is going to start using them in some capacity as well.

And the sickest part of all is that a disturbing number of people don’t seem to mind this. In this Globe article, one traveler said “If a couple of people want to see me naked, that’s OK with me,” and another said, “If it’s for security, I think it’s OK, as long as they don’t have it for everyone to see.” I pity these people and am sickened that they would have such low self-worth that they would accept the annihilation of their dignity and freedom.

Forcing all people who board an airplane to be virtually strip-searched would be preposterous, degrading, despicable, repugnant, evil, and disgusting. It would also be blatantly unconstitutional (Fourth Amendment, anyone?).

I thought of four things that you can do to try to put a stop to this insanity.

1. Sign this letter to the TSA opposing the use of whole body imaging.
2. Email, call, or write to your Senators encouraging them to take up a Senate version of H.R.2027, a bill which was passed by the House of Representatives and would ban the use of naked machines as a primary screening method. America needs this bill now more than ever.
3. Contact the TSA. Tell them politely but forcefully that what they are doing is unacceptable.
4. Do not fly. Do not go to any places where whole body imaging is used, especially not where it is used as a primary method of screening. Take a bus or train instead. The TSA has a list of places where it is currently used here, but it seems like the list is going to grow quickly. Don’t to go any of those places! Maybe airlines will start to oppose the strip-search machines if it hits them  in the pocketbooks, and they’ll lobby the government to ban them.

With respect to our pending loss of dignity and freedom, the author of this Boston Globe editorial writes that “those downsides pale in comparison with the need to stay ahead of the resourceful terrorists who seem determined to do what would-be shoe-bomber Richard Reid and Abdulmutallab failed to do – use concealed explosives to destroy an airplane in flight.”

The Globe could not be further from the truth. The risk of a terrorist attack pales in comparison to the certainty of our government taking away the dignity, privacy, sexual innocence, and liberty of all Americans. It would be better to have a terrorist attack every day than for strip-search machines to be used as a primary screening method.

Forced strip-searches of all innocent American air travelers would be far worse than high taxes, far worse than deficits, worse than an individual mandate to purchase health insurance, and worse than almost anything that has happened in U.S. history, no, world history. 

Please, please fight back by doing one of the four things above. If you do only one political thing in your life, make that be it. We must not allow this to come to pass. We must not allow our rights and freedoms to be extinguished.

Check out this great letter to the editor in today’s Boston Globe. It’s possibly the best letter I have ever read, and I agree with every word of it!

“Just because I am a single woman who didn’t make a life choice to pop out babies and throw myself on the mercy (and taxpayers’ backs!) of the state of Massachusetts doesn’t mean my situation is any less important to the reading public or any less dire.”

P.S. The other letter on that page isn’t bad either.

The first thing I thought when I heard about the man who allegedly attempted to blow up a plane yesterday was, “Uh oh, what humiliating, anti-liberty security measures is the TSA going to institute next?”

I don’t want to make light of terrorism, but this is just the excuse the TSA needs to trample on everyone’s liberty, privacy, and dignity even more than they already do. They already force everyone to take their shoes off (thanks to the shoe-bomber), forbid almost all liquids (thanks to a foiled terror plot involving making bombs out of liquids), and even look at people’s nude bodies as either a primary or secondary method of screening at some airports.

As a result of the latest failed attack, some airlines are telling people they cannot leave their seats an hour before landing, and there are already increased “body searches” in Amsterdam and across Italy. Not a good sign, needless to say. The TSA has tentatively ordered these measures to last for 72 hours, but I don’t trust them one iota to respect our liberties or the Constitution.

Thanks a lot, failed terrorist!

Of course, terrorism is horrible, but the government is never justified in taking away liberty in the name of security. I would rather take my chances with a terrorist attack than give up what makes America great. I am disturbed by the sentiments of people like the ones in this video, who say they are glad to give up their dignity in exchange for safety. For us to willingly and complacently sacrifice our liberty would truly be to let the terrorists win.

Edit: Until December 30, all US-bound passengers coming from Europe must undergo a “thorough pat-down,” all carry-on baggage must be inspected, and no one may leave their seats or hold items on their lap during the last hour of a flight. Great. It looks like the world is turning into a police state.

On the front page of today’s Boston Globe, next to the story on the Senate passing the health “reform” bill, there was a line that read ”Kirk’s crowning event. B1.” I turned to page B1 to find this story about how great it was that “Senator” Paul Kirk got to help pass the bill that fulfills Ted Kennedy’s dream of expanding health insurance coverage.

So let me get this straight: Kirk’s crowning event was being illegitimately appointed to the Senate by a corrupt governor, with the consent of a corrupt legislature and a corrupt judiciary, so that once Senator Nelson’s and Senator Landrieu’s votes were bought with millions of dollars, there would be enough votes to prevent debate on, and therefore pass, a bill that takes away everyone’s freedom to make their own decisions about health insurance.

Kirk should be so proud! NOT.

I hope everyone enjoys themselves, despite the evil present the Dems gave us this morning!

Merry Christmas and thank you to all readers of this blog!

Thirty-nine Republican Senators – all but James Inhofe, who did not vote - voted that the individual mandate that everyone purchase health insurance might be unconstitutional. It’s about time!

Unfortunately, all 60 Democrats voted against this, which means that the bill is almost definitely going to be passed tomorrow morning. It makes me feel almost sick to my stomach thinking about that.

According to FoxNews,

The Senate voted 60-39 to reject Sen. John Ensign’s call to examine the constitutionality of a health care mandate central to the overhaul bill. The Nevada Republican wanted to determine whether it was constitutional for the federal government to require Americans to purchase health insurance.

There should be no need to examine the constitutionality of the individual mandate. Anyone with an IQ above 50 would easily be able to see that it is unconstitutional. There is absolutely nothing in the commerce clause, elastic clause, or any other part of the Constitution that even comes close to giving the federal government the authority to force citizens to purchase a product.

John Ensign is a hero for at least trying to stand up for freedom. Olympia Snowe seems to have come to her senses, too, and I praise her for that.

This is a sad moment for America. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are rolling in their graves. I can’t believe that we fought two wars (Revolutionary War and War of 1812) for our nation’s independence and liberty, only to have it come to this. Despicable.

I have been so sad about the fact that the Dems seem to have the 60th vote in the Senate for their health “reform” bill that I haven’t been blogging about it. I use quotes because the bill doesn’t really reform anything at all. The only big change is that everyone is required to have health insurance, which is evil and blatantly unconstitutional.

Some pretty messed-up things have been going on:

• The Senate voted for cloture at 1 AM last night. What’s up with that?
• President Obama called the bill “a big victory for the American people.” A big victory for the insurance companies, yes, since everyone will be required to buy their product. A victory for the American people, no. This bill is a huge blow to people who believe in liberty and individual responsibility.
• RNC Chairman Michael Steele (very reasonably and sensibly) said “I am tired of the Congress thumbing their nose and flipping a bird to the American people.” Right on, Steele! But then Harry Reid fired back at him and said…”I’m more worried about an example being set by a party leader with something so obscene.” What is he talking about?? How is it obscene to say “flipping the bird”? Flipping the bird is obscene, but not saying “flipping the bird.” What Reid and the Dems in the Senate are doing, now that’s obscene.
• And of course, it looks like Sen. Ben Lincoln of Nebraska, sold his vote in exchange for millions of $ for his state. Just like Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. Big surprise!

I oppose this bill for one main reason:

The government has no right to require people to buy a product.

Compared to this, I don’t really care whether the bill reduces the deficit, increases the deficit, increases taxes, increases spending, lowers costs, raises costs, hurts the economy, helps the economy, expands coverage to more people, or whatever. For the government to require people to buy a product is just wrong, period.