Friday, November 19, 2010

Sign the Petition: Investigate the TSA

http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/tsa?source=JanePost

Sign the Petition: Investigate the TSA
“Porno Scanners,” Groping, and Intimidation are Abuses of Power

The TSA’s “porno scanners” are a gross invasion of privacy. After the House voted down invasive porno scanners, the TSA ignored the will of Congress and bought the machines anyway, wasting $25 million in stimulus funds to create just a single job.

The TSA’s new aggressive “pat downs” are clearly designed to punish people like John Tyner who refuse to go through the porno scanners. Neither the scanners nor the aggressive pat-downs make us any safer. Now the TSA is further abusing its power, threatening a citizen’s most basic rights to intimidate the rest of us.

It’s clear that the TSA is out of control. Congress should investigate the TSA’s abuse of power, and then pull the plug on the invasion of our privacy.

Background Information

John Tyner had two options when he got to the airport: go through the TSA’s “porno scanners” unprotected, or get an aggressive groping by a TSA agent that one woman described as being “sexually assaulted by a government official.”

Tyner avoided the porno scanners, but when he objected to the TSA’s plan to fondle his genitals, the agents refused to let him board his flight. Tyner recorded the incident in a now-famous video in which he told the TSA to “don’t touch my junk.”

Now the TSA says they are “investigating” Tyner, threatening him with prosecution and $11,000 in civil penalties. It should be obvious why the TSA is investigating Tyner: to intimidate the rest of us into using their invasive, dangerous porno scanners.

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