Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Conservatives and TSA Groping

Over at National Review Online, the usually reliable March Thiessen argues that we should be "thankful" for TSA groping at airports.  Mr. Thiessen asserts that conservatives opposed to TSA intrusion are similar to liberals who oppose Ballistic Missile Defense. There is no comparison.

"Star Wars" does not consist of unreasonable search and seizure of my person or property. (If the government decided that it needed to install a missile launcher on my property, I trust that Mr. Thiessen would insist that the expropriation take place with due process and due compensation.)

With respect to the 4th amendment, Mr. Thiessen asserts that the TSA assaults are reasonable because travelling on an airplane is "voluntary." Mr. Thiessen appears to believe that the government has the right to grope me whenever I am engaged in voluntary activity - which would include driving my car, riding my bicycle, walking on the sidewalk, or brushing my teeth!

Let's also recall (as Mr. Thiessen has not) that the underwear bomber got onboard in Amsterdam. The government failed because US Customs should have had him on the no-fly list.

No comments:

Post a Comment