They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin
This pearl of eternal wisdom from one of America's founding fathers has been much in my mind of late. I have often spoken out against the tyranny inflicted upon our citizenry by our government in the name of protecting us from terrorism. Ever since the attacks of 9/11, the reaction of the American government has been to toss the Constitution out the window and subject Americans to a seemingly endless intrusion into our daily lives and a steady erosion of our rights. Even a change of party control of the White House and Congress hasn't slowed this nonsense. Nowhere is this assault more overt than at America's airports.
In an effort to gain a measure of security, air travelers have gradually had to surrender their freedoms as well as their dignity. At first the requirements were tame. Have your carry-on x-rayed, be ready to get the electronics out for a visual. If you want to see a TSA line slow to a halt, travel with my beloved wife, the Lovely and Talented Cathy. The collection of electronic devices she travels with would boggle the mind. Then some moron tried to light his shoes up. This is where things got silly. Now all air travelers had to take off their shoes to have them x-rayed. It still amazes me that the vast majority of passengers just stood for it. That was bad enough, but everything changed when the next sphinctroid decided to hide explosives in his shorts.
This brings us to the sad state we are in today. Anyone that wants to fly out of a major airport in America has two choices if the want to get on their airplane. The first option is to be subjected to a "full-body scanner". An x-ray machine that sees through your clothes and lets a "remote operator" see an image of your naked body. I really don't give a husky fuck how remote the operator is. If I wanted to pose for porn, I'd put it on the net and find a way to get paid for it. The second option is even worse. If you choose not to be "scoped", you have to submit to an "enhanced pat-down", which is TSA-speak for "touch every place that an explosive could be hidden" and if you think that your breasts, crotch or ass are off-limits you WILL get an unpleasant surprise. If a police officer did this without a warrant or witnessing a crime, they would be up on charges!
My question is this: When did wanting to travel by air become a criminal act? When did possession of an airline ticket become probable cause? The 4th amendment to the Constitution is a very clear statement. "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." Why hasn't someone sued over this?
Some people are muttering on the Internet about an "opt-out" day on the day before Thanksgiving. The head of the TSA is pleading with travelers to submit to the scope rather than slow the lines down and opt for the grope. He wants people to not "tie up people who want to go home and see their loved ones". If I was flying this holiday, I would absolutely opt-out. If that is what it takes for the government to wake up and start following the Constitution again, so be it.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Immigration Consternation
I got an email today from a family member that shall remain nameless (you know who you are) that got my hackles up. It was one of those "tea party" racist anti-illegal immigration screeds that would be right at home in the state of Error-zona. I'll spare the Faithful Reader some of the gory details, but a couple of salient points spring instantly to mind. This email called for all immigrants to:
"Get a sponsor"
"Get a job"
"Live by OUR rules" (emphasis theirs)
And the clincher...
"Learn the language like immigrants have in the past"
Forgive me if I seem out of touch, but doesn't that make every white person in this country the descendant of an illegal immigrant? If history is anywhere near correct, the first white people in America had no sponsorship, the native population had no employment for them (and was ignorant of the concept...), needed assistance from the native population and forced THEIR language and customs on the natives that weren't killed outright. Don't even get me started on the other ethnic groups that came to this country, willingly or not, since then.
The only other logical position that comes to mind is even less flattering. Since the "Europeans" (France, England, Spain) stole this land from its' native-born population, perhaps the "logic" being used is more of a "we stole it first, so stay the fuck out" mentality. What these "tea party" chowderheads tend to forget is that EVERYONE in America is descended from immigrants. Save for the Native Americans, everybody in America is the progeny of someone that came to these shores looking for opportunity or was dragged here in chains by those exploiting opportunity. Everyone in America is an immigrant, most of us are descendants of those who made their own legal sanction.
One of America's greatest strengths is the diversity of her population. This nation was built and has been maintained by people that WANT to be here. The mingling of cultures and customs has kept our nation lively and interesting for over 200 years. While I agree that immigrants should be legal, the culprit is an overly restrictive immigration policy, not the folks trying to find a better life. As some of my hip-hop acquaintances say, "Don't hate the playa, hate the game." Seems extremely fitting in this case...
"Get a sponsor"
"Get a job"
"Live by OUR rules" (emphasis theirs)
And the clincher...
"Learn the language like immigrants have in the past"
Forgive me if I seem out of touch, but doesn't that make every white person in this country the descendant of an illegal immigrant? If history is anywhere near correct, the first white people in America had no sponsorship, the native population had no employment for them (and was ignorant of the concept...), needed assistance from the native population and forced THEIR language and customs on the natives that weren't killed outright. Don't even get me started on the other ethnic groups that came to this country, willingly or not, since then.
The only other logical position that comes to mind is even less flattering. Since the "Europeans" (France, England, Spain) stole this land from its' native-born population, perhaps the "logic" being used is more of a "we stole it first, so stay the fuck out" mentality. What these "tea party" chowderheads tend to forget is that EVERYONE in America is descended from immigrants. Save for the Native Americans, everybody in America is the progeny of someone that came to these shores looking for opportunity or was dragged here in chains by those exploiting opportunity. Everyone in America is an immigrant, most of us are descendants of those who made their own legal sanction.
One of America's greatest strengths is the diversity of her population. This nation was built and has been maintained by people that WANT to be here. The mingling of cultures and customs has kept our nation lively and interesting for over 200 years. While I agree that immigrants should be legal, the culprit is an overly restrictive immigration policy, not the folks trying to find a better life. As some of my hip-hop acquaintances say, "Don't hate the playa, hate the game." Seems extremely fitting in this case...
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Interesting Times
There is a Chinese curse that supposedly goes, "May you live in interesting times". Life since I last filled this space has been that kind of interesting, for damned sure. First came the night that my darling Cathy wound up in the ER after a series of events that ended up with her suffering a concussion so severe that she had a grand-mal seizure. Headaches and dizzy spells persist to this day.
That would have been enough for most folk. As those of you that know me are aware, I am NOT most folk... Next, one of our dogs backed up. Shasta, our 3 year old yellow Lab, suddenly quit eating, started vomiting and got lethargic. Since one of her nicknames is Kangagogo (equal parts kangaroo, gopher and goat), we knew that the next stop was the vet. $2,700 later we had a small plastic bag of hard, smelly, unidentifiable "stuff", Shasta had a lovely new scar and I began to wonder what was next.
I didn't have to wait long. The morning of Shasta's surgery, I went out to my truck and it wouldn't start. After replacing the battery, a week later I took it in for an oil change and got asked, "Do you know that your water pump is leaking?" Then it was new brakes (all 4 wheels). Have I mentioned that it has been an expensive time as well?
Things have calmed down somewhat. There's been good stuff, as well. Managed to spend time with all the family over the winter holidays. Got my world rocked by Avatar. I had a wonderful experience auditioning to become the new Public Address Announcer for the Sacramento Rivercats (our local AAA baseball team). While I didn't make the final audition, the initial callback was a blast! Being in that booth with a microphone in my hand was such a rush! Cathy and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary later this month, and that's a serious milestone given my history as a serial monogamist. My beloved continues to amaze and inspire me in ways I never dreamed possible.
Well, that pretty much brings my life up to date. Lots to look forward to in the coming months, and I hope to resume commentary on whatever leaves tracks on my brain. Stay shiny!
That would have been enough for most folk. As those of you that know me are aware, I am NOT most folk... Next, one of our dogs backed up. Shasta, our 3 year old yellow Lab, suddenly quit eating, started vomiting and got lethargic. Since one of her nicknames is Kangagogo (equal parts kangaroo, gopher and goat), we knew that the next stop was the vet. $2,700 later we had a small plastic bag of hard, smelly, unidentifiable "stuff", Shasta had a lovely new scar and I began to wonder what was next.
I didn't have to wait long. The morning of Shasta's surgery, I went out to my truck and it wouldn't start. After replacing the battery, a week later I took it in for an oil change and got asked, "Do you know that your water pump is leaking?" Then it was new brakes (all 4 wheels). Have I mentioned that it has been an expensive time as well?
Things have calmed down somewhat. There's been good stuff, as well. Managed to spend time with all the family over the winter holidays. Got my world rocked by Avatar. I had a wonderful experience auditioning to become the new Public Address Announcer for the Sacramento Rivercats (our local AAA baseball team). While I didn't make the final audition, the initial callback was a blast! Being in that booth with a microphone in my hand was such a rush! Cathy and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary later this month, and that's a serious milestone given my history as a serial monogamist. My beloved continues to amaze and inspire me in ways I never dreamed possible.
Well, that pretty much brings my life up to date. Lots to look forward to in the coming months, and I hope to resume commentary on whatever leaves tracks on my brain. Stay shiny!
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