Irate Against The State (Except He Apparently Wasn't Acting That Way)
Via Red Seewun, a security video disputes the police claim that Rand Paul was "irate" when he stood up to the TSA for their ridiculous "security measures. Video and more here at The Tennessean, in a story reported by Brian Haas.

And what if Paul had been "irate"? Irateness seems called for when your civil liberties are violated. At the very least.

I'm irate -- and seriously disgusted -- that it's now no big deal to keep US citizens, including a US senator, in a glass cage when there's no reasonable reason to believe they are terrorists. There's just some hoop they failed to jump through or bell they rung -- meaning nothing -- at the airport, and a need to make them kowtow to meaningless "security" measures.

Again, what's really being accomplished is obedience training for the American public. Give up your rights and do it politely and quietly -- or else.

Here's something that I see a lot of people miss. The Constitution forbids impeding members of Congress (which would include Senators dontcha know) who are on their way to or from session. So even leaving aside the whole search without probable cause issue, the fact that they stopped a serving senator who was on his way to Washington, held him, and made him miss his plane is a direct violation of the Constitution, not even one of the Amendments but written right there in Article 1.

David L. Burkhead at January 26, 2012 12:13 PM

Amy Alkon

https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/01/irate-against-t.html#comment-2936352">comment from David L. Burkhead

I know about this, David, but of course, TSA employees are not exactly the best and the brightest (would you have to take that job if you were "best" or bright)? I would be shocked if even one knew that.

Amy Alkon at January 26, 2012 12:20 PM

Amy Alkon

https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/01/irate-against-t.html#comment-2936353">comment from Amy Alkon

PS I read that Claire McCaskill has been stopped as well.

Amy Alkon at January 26, 2012 12:21 PM

But, but the White House sided with the TSA. I sure hope we can elect a president who will end this nonsense.

Dave B at January 26, 2012 2:48 PM

This is how smart TSA workers are: when I was traveling to Japan, they could not understand I was not going to China. I had to *clear* things up.

Purplepen at January 26, 2012 7:00 PM

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