Welcome to my blog! I'm Victoria, and I love liberty, individual rights, and writing about politics, trials, and current events. Read more about me here.
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, right or wrong - is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American people." ~ Theodore Roosevelt
The TSA recently introduced a behavioral screening pilot program at Boston’s own Logan Airport. Known as Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT), it involves agents asking all fliers three or four questions, such as where they have been, where they are going, or whether they have a business card, and pulling over suspicious people for additional screening.
This is definitely a better method than physically preventing people from bringing anything that could be used as a weapon (e.g. naked machines and pat-downs), because it is not as harmful to privacy and dignity. But right now it is being used in addition to these degrading measures, not instead of them.
Two letters to the editor in today’s Boston Globe hit the nail on the head. Paul Shannon writes, ”it seems that Americans are perfectly happy to put up with anything.” David A. Mittell shares a pretty horrible TSA experience and calls the questions “a government assault on our people’s free coming and going.” I am always heartened by people who criticize and fight back against security procedures instead of submitting to anything that is purported to increase safety.
Yukari Miyamae, who is facing charges for allegedly groping a TSA agent, gave an interview to the Boulder, Colorado, community radio station where she volunteers as a DJ. She explained her beliefs about airport security, how she felt during the “sexual assault” of the TSA agent, and her past which includes being kidnapped at the age of 7:
“I started this job in May and I’ve been subject to aggressive pat downs a few times…(where they are) grabbing my breast, grabbing all my sore sensitive area, from my side to the front of my body, to the inside of my thigh. I just suffer so much from being subject to a pat down…
“Hearing that I had no choice triggered my panic…I cannot remember all the details. I was in this space of desperation. My peripheral vision was shrinking. I see all these people surrounding me, including police officers with guns. All these people look taller than me…
“I felt the fear, I felt fear of being molested by these people…I cannot tolerate a stranger touching me.”
I would highly recommend reading the rest at TheDenverChannel.com.
Here’s the latest on alleged TSA agent groper Yukari Mihamae (or Miyamae, I’m not sure which spelling she prefers). She will not face felony sexual abuse charges, which she was initially charged with, but she isn’t completely off the hook. The district attorney turned the case over to city prosecutors, who may prosecute her for a misdemeanor.
Her lawyer gave the following statement:
“Ms. Miyamae says she told TSA agents she wanted to be screened by the metal detector gate.
She did so out of concern for excessive radiation exposure from the full-body scanners, as she is a frequent business traveler.
Her request was denied. She was soon surrounded by TSA agents. One TSA agent, a tall woman, approached Ms. Miyamae, who is only five feet tall.
Ms. Miyamae felt panicked and experienced a volatile aversion to the TSA personnel violating her personal physical space.
She felt endangered and threatened based upon prior traumatizing security pat-downs, repugnance at the prospect of being touched again in such a violent and undignified manner, and instinctively pushed the female TSA agent away.”
In response to the public support her client has garnered, Mihamae’s lawyer says: ”"She sincerely appreciates the support…She was violated by all this and has been traumatized…She’s surprised by all this, but she is a strong woman. She feels the way the TSA treated her and others is not dignified.”
Today the Transportation Security Administration announced that it would be improving its airport security procedures. That’s right, actually improving them, as in making them more respectful of dignity and privacy. According to a press release…
“As part of its ongoing commitment to take smart steps to maintain high level security standards while also improving the passenger experience at checkpoints, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole today announced that TSA will begin installing new software on TSA’s millimeter wave Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines—making upgrades designed to enhance privacy by eliminating passenger-specific images. This new software, also referred to as Automated Target Recognition (ATR), will auto-detect items that could pose a potential threat using a generic outline of a person for all passengers. In the coming months, TSA will install the software upgrade on all currently deployed millimeter wave imaging technology units at U.S. airports nationwide.”
This is not perfect. But it is a huge improvement. The main problem with full-body scanners is that the TSA agents see people’s naked bodies, and the new technology eliminates that. Maybe someday soon I will be able to fly again!
In related news, according to MSNBC and the Associated Press, it appears that Yukari Mihamae, the woman accused of groping a TSA agent, will not face charges of felony sexual abuse, after all. Perhaps the prosecution and/or judge saw the hypocrisy of charging her for doing what TSA agents do routinely. If you’re on Facebook, “like” this page to support her: “Acquit Yukari Mihamae.”
And check out more coverage of the TSA’s new developments at MSNBC and Fox News.
A 61-year-old Colorado woman was arrested and charged with felony sexual abuse for doing to a TSA agent, well, what TSA agents do to travelers every day:
“Officials said Yukari Mihamae was flying from Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport to Colorado when she put her hands on a TSA agent Barbara O’Toole’s breast and squeezed and twisted with both hands.
She was immediately taken into custody, Fox31 Denver reported – and ‘pulled away from the arresting officer when placed under arrest.’”
Why aren’t there any arrests when the roles are reversed?
ETA: The New York Post says that, unsurprisingly, Mihamae expressed dislike of the TSA’s security measures. ”I go through this every week, and every week there is some problem,” she said. A brave freedom fighter, in a weird way??
And you can read more details of her arrest from ABC.
There have been rumors that terrorists are planning to surgically implant bombs in people’s bodies to sneak through security. As you might expect, the TSA is beefing up security in response to this. But for the most part, they aren’t planning to use even more invasive measures than they already are. Instead, they are focusing on ”intelligence information about possible plots, equipment that checks for minute traces of explosives, behavior detection officers and canine teams.”
If security must be increased, this is the right way to go. Hopefully this will show people that ever more invasive, degrading security measures, in addition to violating everyone’s rights and taking away everyone’s quality of life, do not work. Just as one attempted terrorist put a bomb in his underwear to evade metal detectors, the terrorists have now come up with a type of bomb that will get through full-body scanners. There is no way to eliminate the possibility of a terrorist attack. There are two choices: to destroy everyone’s freedom and have a tiny chance of a terrorist attack, or to allow people to have freedom and have a tiny chance of a terrorist attack.
I assume (and sincerely hope) that no one wants the TSA to cut everyone open before they are allowed to board a plane. Let’s stop inflicting huge costs on everyone that will not even detect bombs.
In the midst of the heightened security since Osama bin Laden’s death, I thought it would be a good time to post the above video, in case you haven’t seen it yet. Last week, Susie Castillo, a former Miss USA and Miss Massachusetts, explained her experience of being sexually assaulted by a TSA agent during a pat-down. Please listen to this brave young lady’s words and read her blog post about her ordeal.
I admire Susie for taking the side of freedom and standing up to the TSA. Please support her at her site and follow her on Twitter.
In related news, in response to these unconstitutional, invasive searches, the Texas legislature is considering a bill making them a felony. According to the bill, ”An airport operator may not allow body imaging scanning equipment to be installed or operated in any airport in this state.” Additionally, the bill would make a felon out of anyone who ”intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly…searches another person without probable cause to believe the person committed an offense [or] touches the anus, sexual organ, or breasts of the other person, including touching through clothing, or touches the other person in a manner that would be offensive to a reasonable person.”
May 4 update: The New American has a great article about Texas state representative David Simpson, who introduced three great anti-TSA bills, and the reactions of Congressmen John Carter, Louie Gohmert, and Ron Paul. A majority of the state legislators have signed on as co-sponsors of one bill!
