Resist Full Body Scanners

[Cord Byrd]

I was going through airport security this week, in Omaha, Nebraska, which utilizes the full body scanners. I refused to be scanned and the TSA operatives didn't like it. I got the overly friendly pat down and was "allowed" to proceed. I then watched for the next hour, long lay over, as others were harassed and accosted by the TSA.

I called our senators and congressmen to complain, and they all said their offices are being inundated with similar stories of abuse. These scanners violate our civil rights and we must resist their use. November 24th is National Opt-out day.

[Barry Lee Phillips]

John, nice rant!

Pretty good even if you did have a couple of drinks in the airport bar. Been there, done that. However, I do not support socialism and certainly not communism. We have enough socialism in the U.S. already to suit me. I also have no love for corrupt capitalists -- and they certainly exist in the U.S. alongside the socialists.

So you seem to be defining yourself as a modern progressive who wants to take the "good" parts of socialism and incorporate those elements within our capitalist based semi-free market economy. In fact, isn't this exactly what the Chicoms did? Or was it the other way around? Maybe they grafted a limited form of capitalism onto their version of communism. So if the Chicoms beat us at our own game, then whose fault will it be?

It all comes down to control of the masses. He who has the gold (or controls access to it) rules. The political class has become arrogant and drunk with power and think they can control the masses through their machinations in Washington. This country, for all of its faults, did not start that way. The guiding principles of the Constitution are what we should controlled by -- not some idiot in Washington that thinks he or she knows better than we do. The political class is not fooling anybody and The Tea Party, as I see it, is an attempt by the people to take control of the Federal government without shedding blood.

There is nothing better I like to see than for everyone to succeed, and I have helped quite a few over the years. But everyone is not born to lead or run a business. The opportunity is there for the taking, but some never will because of their self-imposed limitations. I am a long standing member of the middle class and I have succeeded during every recession since the 70's, including this one. During those times I have seen numerous people who took unemployment until the benefits ran out before they started looking for a job. I have seen numerous people who let their screwed up lifestyles dictate their dependence on either charity or government. I've seen the bums and derelicts who won't work for a living and then blame someone else for their troubles. I do not owe that kind of person anything and I am fed up with it.

[Patricia M. McBride]

Oh my G John, you drink. I never would have thought so and in a bar no less :). I think I would like you if I ever met you. You are truly a stand by my principles kind of person but they aren't most certainly my principles :). Have a good trip.

[Patricia M. McBride]

John, you had to take one final shot at conservatives (the tea party is a conservative group in every real sense as it favors the constitutional republican the founders gave us which is (count on it) very conservative. It was every man for himself because before the constitution, they tried socialism (check it out, we really did), and it didn't work any more than it does any where else it has been tried. What you are talking about is socialism or communism, and I dare say, in spite of your glowing recommendations that it works, please tell me where all this wonderful success was?????? Oh by the way, love San Diego, hope the roads downtown are better than when we were there last spring but doubtful since the state was broke then (due to their very socialist stances on many things), and I see no change in any of their stands including elected the head wack job Brown. What you planning to see while you are there?

[Barry Lee Phillips]

Okay . . . . still waiting.

How about this. Being "progressive" implies making progress. The question is, progress towards what political end?

[Barry Lee Phillips]

John, would you please define what a "progressive" is in political terms? This is off-topic, but I would like to know from your perspective. Thank you!

[Patricia M. McBride]

John, as far as the scanners, they are no laughing matter, and we as a people should not just roll over and let this go. They did no testing and they literally don't know what they are doing or even if these can cause physical harm or damage to people. Obama jumped into this pretty much like he jumped into everything else (without a clue or any careful consideration). There was never a need to go this far with this, and any one with an ounce of sense wouldn't have gone this far. This makes the patriot act look like a kid's game.

Further, I read about half of the group of news letters or list you mentioned John and some of yours I won't bother with because I also get Cato, Heritage, read WSJ articles, most of the articles sent in the US Chamber Newletter and quite a few others as well as several that are mostly opinion based on valid facts like spectator, GOP USA, and follow Rasmussen for polls (please don't tell me you don't like them, because they have been right and are closest to results more often than anyone else). I am maxed totally as there are others as well, and don't have the time required to add anything else.

On that note, I am done posting on Cord's blog as we have actually commandeered it and gone off on a tear ...........later guys.

[Patricia M. McBride]

Tamara, I would not allow them to use the scanner, no matter what John says, if you are not comfortable with it. John, why do you do that? No matter what anyone says, you make light of it. Actually the Sam Adams doesn't sound like a bad idea though and probably by the time you have gotten through Boston if you are fortunate enough to make it to Logan all in one piece, you will need one or 2 of those...........heavens I hate the airport and the trip to it as well. I haven't gone there in ages (use Manchester or Providence now depending on where in New England I am going). Have a nephew that lives in the greater Boston area that actually goes in and out of Providence to avoid it.

[tamara stephenson]

if you opt out, you get the pat down. I was in Boston on business, and i had no idea i would be going through the scanner until the last minute. it totally freaked me out. and, I just read that a group of scientists have asked that more research be done on the radioactive nature of the scanners and whether they are truly safe. so, after reading that, i will opt out for the "oh so humiliating pat down". i fly next week to NYC. i know it's coming, and quite frankly, i'm not very happy.

[Patricia M. McBride]

John, I probably have gotten 20 or 30 Emails from various people with pictures and seen several that were openly showing on the opening page of my on line services. I don't think our government has the right to show someone's naked body to the world (do you really think that is appropriate in a so called free country?). I don't think, as Mr. Byrd suggests, the federal government has a right to do what it is doing at all. And please don't say oh but planes will be blown up. If the wack job in the white house hadn't allowed every luny in the world to come to the United States (and he welcomed them with open arms cause they help his cause in some perverted way I guess). Further, here is a paragraph out of something talking about Soros that I received today. It is about Obama. "Anticipate the next chapter before it begins. When the King of the World returns, he will work to ruin Christmas (from the Obama Rule Book, “Demoralize, Demoralize, Demoralize!) Meanwhile you and the kids are making homemade Christmas decorations and laughing about last year’s Mao Christmas ornaments on the White House Christmas tree."

He is one sick puppy John. He should never, ever have gotten to be president and if people had done their due diligence, he never would have. But he lied, and people believed the lies and even when the truth was presented, it was so bad, people didn't really want to believe it was true.

[Patricia M. McBride]

John, I never in any way said it was the airlines. Like everything else the wack job in the white house does, it will hurt businesses and the airlines are businesses. His right arm, the TSA, at his command has ordered these over the top personal searches for those who would prefer not to be over radiated by a group of people who shouldn't be handling anything to do with radiation equipment (hell, they wouldn't even know if it was working right even if they could sit around all day and look at naked bodies). Most people doing a nasty job don't enjoy it quite a much as these folks seem to be, but I guess they don't hire nice people who would understand how humiliating this is and try to make it the least humiliating as they can. But given the folks that run the outfit and how special anyone who would want to do this job to start with would have to be, I guess everything that is happening makes sense.