TSA Full Body Searches: The People Crying are Hypocritical

I find it funny that all these people are upset about full body searches and pat downs at the airport when just two months ago many of these same folks didn’t seem to mind when Muslim-Americans were complaining about being profiled and singled out for searches. It was just two months ago when the rhetoric was thick, the words hateful and very few of us ‘good ole Americans’ was the least bit concerned about ionized radiation from body scanning machines or some college drop out turned TSA agent feeling up yours or your spouse’s private parts. After all many of us rationalized that ‘sacrifice was required’ when fighting the war on terror. Many of us emphatically insisted that in order to  really fight terror successfully some of our freedoms would fall to the wayside.

Certainly I’m not the only one who recalls pompous sounding pundits on TV saying such things like; ‘We’ll if they have nothing to hide, they won’t mind being searched’ ,’We now live in extraordinary times which requires extraordinary measures to keep America safe‘ or ‘I think most people would rather be searched and profiled than be blown up’.

We really heard this type of talk a year or so ago when the Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had a failed attempt and GOP leaders went in on President Obama claiming he was soft on the war on terror. Many of them called for increased profiling and searches in order for us to be safe. They scoffed at the idea of people’s civil liberties being violated and said it was sign of weakness to give into the concerns voiced by organizations like the ACLU or CAIR.

Now that  everyone is getting searched  have things suddenly changed? Are we no longer willing to sacrifice our freedoms or do we just want ‘THEM’ (Muslims and ‘other suspicious folks’ ) to be searched and forced to do full body scans? How hypocritical is that?

Newt Gingrich

Wasn’t it just two months ago this country was up in arms about the proposed building of an Islamic Community Center (Mosque) near Ground Zero? Here we saw everyone from high-ranking political leaders like former House speak Newt Gingrich compare Muslims to Nazis to Texas lawmakers Debbie Riddle and Louie Gohmert warn us about ‘terror babies‘. We saw former NPR host Juan Williams admit that he ‘got nervous’ when he saw a Muslim passengers getting ready to board a plane.

These types of publicly expressed sentiments led to many of us further demonizing and marginalizing entire segments of our population which in turn left us being unsympathetic to what we now see and hear are similar concerns they expressed about ‘invasive’ searches.

Many of us turned a blind eye reports surfaced about all the Muslim Americans in addition to being profiled and searched were also increasingly being put on NO-Fly lists resulting in more than a few being stranded after being rejected from boarding. Many found themselves in legal limbo when trying to remove themselves or even find out why they were put on a No Fly list in the first place. Sadly some mean-spirited pundits celebrated these No fly list violations because the resulted in the unintended consequences of Forced Exile

With all this in mind, one has to ask the hard questions; are folks crying about  TSA full body searches because they feel their constitutional rights are being trampled or are they concerned that they personally are being violated? We really need to be honest when answering this question. Whats really going on here?

Ron Paul just introduced the American Traveler Dignity Act

It’s interesting to note that two days ago (Nov 17th) Texas Congressman Ron Paul just introduced legislation called the American Traveler Dignity Act. He’s concerned that travelers are being subjected to humiliating conditions. He’s outraged. Here’s what he wrote

“Imagine if the political elites in our country were forced to endure the same conditions at the airport as business travelers, families, senior citizens, and the rest of us. Perhaps this problem could be quickly resolved if every cabinet secretary, every member of Congress, and every department head in the Obama administration were forced to submit to the same degrading screening process as the people who pay their salaries.” Perhaps the political elites would re-evaluate their position on the peeping and probing Toms at the TSA; perhaps they would be willing to support the Congressman’s legislation.

Paul wants the TSA and other law enforcement to be held accountable if they cross the line and that’s not only understandable, but appreciated. However, one has to wonder where was Ron Paul pushing a bill or  all these outraged people when several years ago, Black women were aggressively being stripped searched at airports by custom agents. Back in 1999 when this was at its height, we were fighting the  ’War on Drugs’ . The overwhelming majority of Black women searched were innocent, yet they were subjected to these invasive body searches. Their cavities were probed and their bowel movements were monitored. Pundits who supported this policy were insistent it was necessary to stop the flow of drugs. ‘We had to protect America’.. Does that sound familiar?

People weren’t outraged back then if anything, many were dismissive of the concerns expressed by African-American women who were made to feel totally violated and unfairly profiled. Sadly we heard the same retorts back then as we do now toward Muslims; ‘If-they-have-nothing-to-hide-why-complain’.

Senator Richard Durbin introduced the Reasonable Search Standard Act in 2001

There were lawsuits and alot of pressure put on airports screeners and custom agents. Eventually in 2001 Senator Richard Durbin introduced the Reasonable Search Standards Act.

Reasonable Search Standards Act – Prohibits U.S. Customs Service personnel from subjecting travelers to detention or searches based upon race, religion, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation, except when acting upon specific information that a particular traveler suspected of engaging in illegal activity is described by one or more of such characteristics.

Requires Customs Service personnel, before a pat down or intrusive non-routine search, to document reasons to support a belief that an individual may be carrying contraband in violation of Federal law. Waives such requirement with respect to anyone suspected of carrying a weapon.

The bill was read twice and referred to the finance committee, well see where Paul’s American Traveler Dignity Act bill goes.

Rodstarz of Rebel Diaz was recently searched & detained for 10 hrs at an airport

It’s a shame that many of us have short memories and selective ways in which we like to see laws enforce or who we show concern for when rights are violated. Sistas being jammed up at airports where we had dead silence and people siding with custom agents is one example. Now that we have this new war on drugs south of the border quite a few Brown folks are going through  the humiliation. The popular Bronx-Chicago based rap group Rebel Diaz on a recent Hard Knock Radio show detailed what happened when they returned to the US from Chile. They were detained searched, questioned and made to feel violated when they returned from their native Chile. What folks are complaining about now is routine procedure in some communities

For folks who live in the hood, strip searches in public are not usual. belligerent cops ‘looking for drugs and weapons’  are always jacking people up, making them drop their pants in full view of others. In cities like LA, young teens have been made to strip in front of parents. Husbands and boyfriends have been subjected to watching their spouses and girlfriends be felt up and probed by police who turned a routine traffic stop into a nightmarish search.Parents have been made to undress or be felt up by cops looking for drugs and weapons in front of their kids.

The movie CRASH depicted a scene where the character played by actor Terrence Howard had to watch his wife get felt up by police. Many thought it was just a dramatic scene for the movie, but for those who live in the hood especially in places like South Central LA, what was shown on the big screen was as real as day. It’s all too commonplace. It’s a reality and indignation that many have endured for years. Speaking out about this and detailing this is often met with disbelief or outlandish justification where folks rationalize that folks in the hood are all criminal and deserve to be searched.

LA rap star and longtime activist Mykill Miers who actually works with at risk youth inside the system noted the other night over the years he himself has been subjected to such humiliating treatment on 4 different occasions.

In New York City pat downs and invasive searches was the hall-mark of the police serving under former mayor Rudolph Giuliani. In one year alone more than 500 thousand people were stopped and searched on the streets of NY, over 70% of those stopped were Black and Brown men. We certainly could’ve used a Dignity Act type bill then..

How are police searches in the hood connected to searches and pat downs at airports? Well to start have large numbers of citizens who are being subjected to searches that they find invasive and in violation of their constitutional rights.  The overwhelming majority of those searched are obviously innocent. No weapons are found, no bombs are found, no drugs are found. Law makers insists such measures are needed to keep us safe and act as a deterrent. For the most part far too many of are willing to go along with this until they’re the ones made to drop their drawers.

Who should we be screening the thuggish looking Black guys who are Ice Cube & his crew or the Columbine shooters Eric Harris & Dylan Klebold?

As long as we have scapegoating caricatures that fits into our collective stereotypes like the Black thug, Mexican drug dealer, or a Arab terrorist, then we don’t mind the searches. In fact, as I mentioned before, we actually insist that they take place. But as soon as it things land in our direction we wanna have mass protests.

The bottom line is this, the constitution should apply to us all. If anyone has a hard time accepting that then they deserve this mistreatment they want imposed on others. It doesn’t matter how big your boobs are, how sagging your butt is or how small your ding-a-ling is. It doesn’t matter if you’re grandmother 80 years old or outstanding pillar in your community, if its ok to search Mr Muhammad, Ray Ray and Jose ‘to keep us safe’ then it’s perfectly ok to profile and search Mr and Ms Cleaver as well. After all, some of the worst terrorist this country has seen are those who are homegrown and blend in with the mainstream population. From Oklahoma City bomber Ti mothy McVeigh to American Taliban John Walker Lindh to Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold to members of the Ku Klux Klan.

If this really is about protecting our 4th amendment rights, then let’s be principled. Stop all invasive searches of innocent people everywhere, both at the airport and in the hood. If this country truly stands for freedom then let’s make sure it applies to all sectors of our society. Until then as long as innocent young Black and Brown men are being humiliated and strip searched in their own neighborhoods, and we’re advocating for Muslims to be singled out and searched then one should not show an ounce of sympathy or be concerned when someone cries out about being ‘their junk being touched’ by a TSA agent at the airport.

As the loud mouth pundits like to say.. ‘If you have nothing to hide, why complain…’

Something to ponder

-Davey D-

 

Michael Moore: An Open Letter to Juan Williams

An Open Letter to Juan Williams from Michael Moore

Dear Juan,

Sorry to hear you got fired by National Public Radio for saying on Fox that you get nervous when you see Muslims on a plane with you. It was dumb to say such a thing, but I don’t think saying one dumb thing should be a firing offense. (I DO think an NPR journalist wanting to take money from Fox News to be a regular commentator should be a firing offense, but that’s another story).

But there’s more to this — and some important things that everyone is missing.

For instance, what you said about Faisal Shazad, the Pakistani immigrant who wanted to bomb Times Square. When he was being sentenced this month, he claimed, according to you, that his attempted attack was just “the first drop of blood.” We can’t let political correctness blind us to this, you explained.

I guess Shahzad made a big impression on you, because after being fired you went back on Fox and told them, “You can’t ignore the fact what has recently been said in court with regard to ‘this is the first drop of blood in a Muslim war against America.’”

Sadly for you (and this is also why you shouldn’t be working for a real news organization like NPR), Shahzad never said that. If you were a real journalist, you would have quoted him accurately. What he actually said was that he was the “first droplet of the flood,” not blood. But I know how easy it is to mishear things when scary Muslims are talking. And I guess it’s not a huge difference anyway.

What really matters is that you’re 100% right: We shouldn’t let political correctness stop us from paying close attention to what people like Shahzad say. The problem is you just haven’t taken it far enough.

Juan Williams

So Juan, I’m asking you to join me on a crusade — whoops! scratch that, let’s call it a “mission” — to publicize these statements by Faisal Shahzad as widely as possible. Because most of the media have not spent much time on what he had to say.

Here’s what he said at his recent sentencing (after talking about being a droplet in a flood):

“[Saladin] liberated Muslim lands … And that’s what we Muslims are trying do, because you’re occupying Iraq and Afghanistan…So, the past nine years the war with Muslims has achieved nothing for the U.S., except for it has waken up the Muslims for Islam. We are only Muslims trying to defend our people, honor, and land. But if you call us terrorists for doing that, then we are proud terrorists, and we will keep on terrorizing until you leave our land and people at peace.”

And this is what Shahzad said when he pled guilty back in June:

“I want to plead guilty, and I’m going to plead guilty 100 times over, because until the hour the U.S. pulls its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, and stops the drone strikes in Somalia and Yemen and in Pakistan, and stops the occupation of Muslim lands, and stops killing the Muslims, and stops reporting the Muslims to its government, we will be attacking U.S., and I plead guilty to that.”

Then there’s email that Shahzad sent to a friend in 2006:

“Everyone knows the current situation of Muslim World… Friends with peaceful protest! Can you tell me a way to save the oppressed? And a way to fight back when rockets are fired at us and Muslim blood flows? In Palestine, Afghan, Iraq, Chechnya and else where.”

And then there’s what Shahzad was telling friends and relatives even before that:

Mr. Shahzad had long been critical of American foreign policy. “He was always very upset about the fabrication of the W.M.D. stunt to attack Iraq and killing non-combatants such as the sons and grandson of Saddam Hussein,” said a close relative. In 2003, Mr. Shahzad had been copied on a Google Groups e-mail message bearing photographs of Guantánamo Bay detainees, handcuffed and crouching, below the words “Shame on you, Bush. Shame on You.”

So what do you say, Juan? Now that you have a new $2 million contract with Fox, let me come on with you for some in-depth discussions about the terrorists’ real motivations. We can’t let another day go by letting the PC brigade stop us from telling the truth: Terrorists aren’t trying to kill us because they hate our freedom. They’re killing us because we’re in their countries killing them.

Yours,

Michael Moore

P.S. If you want to understand suicide bombings, be sure to read the new book that studied every instance of it for the past 30 years. It’s been used by many groups of many religions, not just Arabs and not just Muslims. And almost all such terrorism has one motivation in common: occupation by foreign militaries.

P.P.S. Here’s something else that I’d sincerely love to talk about with you: what do you think when you see rich middle-aged white men talking on TV about how they get nervous around African Americans on the street? And then they explain that we can’t let political correctness stop us from talking about black-on-white crime?

Does it drive you crazy that they say this without even being conscious of the history of far greater violence by white people toward blacks? And do you maybe understand now how those middle-aged white guys get it so wrong?

UPDATE: Juan, you probably remember in 1986 when the Washington Post Magazine ran a Richard Cohen column defending jewelry store owners who wouldn’t buzz in young black men. It caused such a big controversy that the New Republic ran a bunch of responses to it, including one by you. You might find it interesting to go back and read what you wrote then — for instance, “Racism is a lazy man’s substitute for using good judgment … Common sense becomes racism when skin color becomes a formula for figuring out who is a danger to me.”

Follow Michael Moore on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MMFlint

original article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/juan-williams-is-right-po_b_772766.html

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We Remember 9-11 Nine years Later and Ask; ‘How Did this Day Get Hijacked and Become a Circus?’

As we remember 9-11.. Ask yourself what are u doing to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again?  Have we been taking the path of love and understanding or hate and revenge?

In the days after 9-11, I recall how folks came together and tried to comfort one another…I remember for the first time in a long time folks would look and try to find the humanity in each other.

I remember those images of folks reaching out and trying to find deeper meaning in the tragedy that occurred. No one knew what they could really do so folks just started holding or even wearing the flag. Everywhere you looked you saw the American flag. Graffiti artists painted flags. Thugs wore flags as bandanas. Our radio station went and brought a bunch of flags to give to everyone.

I recall folks breaking down and crying uncontrollably in the streets and strangers would reach out and comfort them. For brief moment the world or at least things here in the US, seemed to stand still. All the planes were grounded and people seemed to genuinely care for one another. I’m not sure if we kept building off those feelings of upliftment. I’m not sure when they went away

In the days and weeks after 9-11 while folks were still vulnerable the seeds of revenge were planted in our heads.  I recall President George Bush sternly warning the Taliban, they better give up Osama Bin Laden or there would be hell to pay. He was soon joined by British Prime Minister Tony Blair who gave a prime time speech on our networks to the nation saying the same thing and pledging Britain’s unconditional support.

I remember President Bush standing in a church with a flag in the background stating ‘Either your with us or your with the terrorists’.  He was making it clear folks had better pick sides. Slowly we started to see the warm feelings we had toward one another move in the direction of war and revenge. The words ‘Love’ and ‘understanding‘ was being replaced by the word ‘payback‘.

For many our sentiments really began to turn when Bush gave his famous bullhorn speech from the middle of the rubble at Ground Zero, where he declared the ‘World hear you and soon the people who knocked down the towers would hear you’.. The crowd began chanting real loud ‘USA, USA, USA..’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7OCgMPX2mE

I recall Reverend Jesse Jackson announcing that he was invited to meet with Taliban leaders and he wanted to go. He felt, perhaps there was a chance for us to negotiate and take a path for peace. That was quickly shut down when he got a call from then Secretary of State Colin Powell who told him fall back. There would be no peace negotiations.  Such peace talk would be seen as a sign of weakness.  Anyone talking about peace as a resolution was deemed un-patriotic and weak. Do folks recall that?

So as revenge became the order of the day, we began to hear lots of talk from high places about how we were gonna kick some major ass and take no prisoners. This was epitomized by football star Pat Tilman, a San Jose native with rugged GI Joe looks who gave up a lucrative contract with the Arizona Cardinals and volunteered to go fight.

The question we need to ask ourselves is 9 years later is ‘Do we feel satisfied’? Were our revenge efforts worth it?

9 years after 9-11 Osama still has not been caught. Pat Tilman is dead at the hands of friendly fire and we’re still at war in Afghanistan. The Taliban has returned and seem more defiant then ever. Even the president we installed in Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has turned out to be a corrupt, conniving individual who we’re forced to keep in power and deal with.

9 years after 9-11 we’re knee-deep in war. Why aren’t we knee-deep in love?

9 years after 9-11 why have we allowed all sorts of politicians to pimp 9-11 and send us off to fight un-winnable wars?

9 years after 9-11 we’ve seen scandal after scandal including some high-profile ones with our fire fighting heroes leaving their wives to marry the widows of fallen comrades have tarnish the memory of that dreadful day.

9 years after 9-11 we’ve seen so-called patriotic pundits like Ann Coulter publish books where she attacked and said hateful things about 9-11 widows.

9-11 has been hijacked by a 2 bit charlatan Pastor named Terry Jones

9 years after 9-11 the love we’re supposed to have for one another has been hijacked by a charlatan 2 bit, ‘Koran’ (Quran) burning preacher from Florida named Terry Jones. How did this happen?

How did 9-11 become hijacked by angry people attacking one another over their religion?  How did this day become hijacked opportunist politicians like Newt Gingrich and Congressman Peter King demanding that a community center/ Mosque not be allowed 2 blocks from ground Zero even though one Twin Towers actually had a Muslim prayer center?

How did we allow the memory of everyone who was killed many of them Americans of Muslim descent be obscured and demonized by Islamaphobes who are running around slashing the throats of cab drivers and vandalizing mosques 3000 miles away from Ground Zero?

photo credit ABC News

9 years after 9-11 I can still I recall the distinct smell from the towers that permeated Ground Zero months after the towers fell. The plan in those waning days was to build a serene tree lined park & memorial. People spoke emphatically about not allowing any buildings or any commercial development. It was to be sacred ground. Sadly over the 9 years that somehow all that changed. The area around Ground Zero has everything from strip clubs to fast food joints and on the day we should all be remembering those who lost their lives we have angry mobs shouting at each other.

I still cant get the sight of people trapped on those floors jumping out of buildings or those eerie photos showing people still alive crying for help on those top floors moments before the tower fell. Such memories should not be obliterated  by the circus that is now 9-11. Shame on all those corporate owned mainstream media outlets for their participation in this. They could’ve easily set a vastly different tone.

Many people used to say George Bush and hawkish-revenge seeking policies squandered the good feelings and  good will people around the world had toward us after 9-11. However, after hearing and seeing the vitriol & hate we’ve allowed to dominate our space over the past few months,  we can’t say Bush alone squandered this. We did.. All of us

Condolences to those who lost loved ones. Special prayers to the families of restaurant workers, janitors, secretaries and regular 9-5 man who woman who was barely making it  prior to 9-11 and hence their families did not get a hefty payoff when settlement checks were issued.  Many of them have been hidden in the shadows all but forgotten after all these years.

Some say revenge is a dish served cold. I say revenge is a dish not served at all.. How about we try loving those who lost and loving those we have before they are lost..

F— You Terry Jones and people like him for reminding us just how ugly people can be even on the most sacred of days.

Something to ponder

written by Davey D

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