“The government shouldn’t decide who can fly”
In one of the first statements in the mainstream media to (a) recognize that the essential feature of the TSA’s Secure Flight program is the requirement for domestic US air travelers to receive government permisison to fly and (b) oppose that requirement, The Chicago Tribune has published an op-ed column by Steve Chapman (also appearing in Reason) arguing that, “The government shouldn’t decide who can fly”:
Get rid of the no-fly list entirely. For that matter, get rid of the requirement that passengers provide government-approved identification just to go from one place to another.
Americans have a constitutionally protected right, recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court, to travel freely. They also have the right not to be subject to unreasonable searches and other government intrusions. But in the blind pursuit of safety, we have swallowed restrictions on travel and infringements on privacy we would never tolerate elsewhere….
If the federal government began requiring every citizen to provide identification for each trip in a car or ride on a bus, there would be a mass uprising. Somehow, though, Americans have come to see commercial air travel as a privilege to be dispensed by the government.
“Americans have a constitutionally protected right, recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court, to travel freely.”
Ok then, all that’s needed are papers to prove citizenship then we’re on our way!
I agree that the Supreme Court, interpreting the Constitution and Bill of Rights, has said that Americans have the right to travel freely. Yet this can be interpreted two ways; one is that we just travel and no one can stop us. The other is that only _Americans_ (meaning citizens) can travel freely and that is the stance the conservatives are taking. Thus they feel justified in demanding papers showing citizenship.
I wouldn’t be so averse to this except for the way it is being enforced. I’ve read of an 85yo women, fresh out of surgery, being singled out for TSA groping and a 7yo child as well. This is abuse of power and I would not doubt that such cases are part of an orchestrated attempt to make Americans come to accept that such practice is normal “to protect our safety.”
Some level of security is needed; we’ve known this since the first hijacking back in the mid-60s. The events of 9/11 underscored the need, yet the way it is being done does not seem to be efficacious as much as it is smothering.
I read recently that the TSA is thinking of setting up in bus and train stations as well. That would be an unwelcome shadow of how Soviet Russia controlled its citizens. And before one blames Obama remember that the TSA was formed under, and received its mandate from, the Bush administration.
Amongst the things we have learned since 9/11 is that the people are never going to rise up. Every time they come for another of our freedoms we allow it. This should have been stopped long ago but I’m afraid it is too late now. People are too scared. They feel it’s a fair trade. They always think if you have nothing to hide then why would you care? They think you can have complete safety, security and freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth. The price of living in a free country is that we are vulnerable to these types of attacks. Nothing short of a police state can prevent it. The people of this country have decided that they would rather have that then face the extremely unlikely chance that they may become a victim of a terrorist attack.
People are being assaulted, beaten, tazed, and even killed by police across this country for very minor offenses. They are being arrested for filming their treatment by the police. In almost every instance investigations into these incidents are finding no fault with the policeman. Just like the frog being slow boiled, we choose not to notice whenever they turn the temperature up one degree. Our chance to stop this was long ago, and it was not much of a chance even then. The people of this country are sheep and will never rise up to defend themselves against the excesses of their government. Sad, but true.