My kids have been waiting for many years to go on vacation to Florida. We've been saving all of our loose change and bills that we find lying around the house, in the car, wherever ... just so we can spend time together, making memories. When I was diagnosed almost 3 years ago with cancer, our quest took on special meaning and an urgency to do it while I am still able to travel. Summer 2011 has now been dubbed "A Summer to Remember!" by the kids. We're planning a trip to Florida to do all things "Florida" ... Disney World, Epcot, Kennedy Space Center, Gulf and Atlantic coast beach bumming ... whatever our fancy is what we'll do!
It seems that traveling by plane is becoming more and more of an annoyance than a necessity (or for us, a luxury.) The flight itself is exciting, but the preparation at the airport before being allowed to simply board the plane has taken on a new meaning. I refuse to allow TSA agents to grope my children's bodies or subject them to body scans. How do I explain to my daughter who has terrible memories from her past that a strange man/woman will be placing their hands on her most private of areas? Will my children with mental challenges now think that it's OK for somebody to put their hands on their private areas? I'm infuriated, not with the airlines, but with the terrorists who have put us in such a paranoid state that our government feels this is necessary to subject law-abiding American citizens to this kind of disgusting groping. I'm angry that we've lost our rights ... I'm angry that we are subjected to illegal search and seizure because we want to fly to Disney World. Are there other ways to prevent this? I don't know. I do know that the government is so afraid to offend others that they refuse to use profiling when looking for terrorists amongst us. Profile away, dear government ... profile away! If you've determined that 40 year old women wearing chemo caps and walking with a cane are prime targets for Al-Queda recruitment, then pull me aside and grope all you want. But don't you DARE tell me that my 5 year old daughter, with Down Syndrome, must be subjected to the same disgusting experience because she could have explosive plastics in her diaper or that my 9 year old autistic son poses a threat to others flying with us because he might have an explosive vest strapped to his torso. PLEASE!
Anyway, today I came across this editorial (via drudgereport.com) that explains it all for me. Some of the discussion is disturbing, but it's true.
Sorry, kids ... we won't be flying to Disney World next summer ... it's the Jones Mobile for us!
It seems that traveling by plane is becoming more and more of an annoyance than a necessity (or for us, a luxury.) The flight itself is exciting, but the preparation at the airport before being allowed to simply board the plane has taken on a new meaning. I refuse to allow TSA agents to grope my children's bodies or subject them to body scans. How do I explain to my daughter who has terrible memories from her past that a strange man/woman will be placing their hands on her most private of areas? Will my children with mental challenges now think that it's OK for somebody to put their hands on their private areas? I'm infuriated, not with the airlines, but with the terrorists who have put us in such a paranoid state that our government feels this is necessary to subject law-abiding American citizens to this kind of disgusting groping. I'm angry that we've lost our rights ... I'm angry that we are subjected to illegal search and seizure because we want to fly to Disney World. Are there other ways to prevent this? I don't know. I do know that the government is so afraid to offend others that they refuse to use profiling when looking for terrorists amongst us. Profile away, dear government ... profile away! If you've determined that 40 year old women wearing chemo caps and walking with a cane are prime targets for Al-Queda recruitment, then pull me aside and grope all you want. But don't you DARE tell me that my 5 year old daughter, with Down Syndrome, must be subjected to the same disgusting experience because she could have explosive plastics in her diaper or that my 9 year old autistic son poses a threat to others flying with us because he might have an explosive vest strapped to his torso. PLEASE!
Anyway, today I came across this editorial (via drudgereport.com) that explains it all for me. Some of the discussion is disturbing, but it's true.
Sorry, kids ... we won't be flying to Disney World next summer ... it's the Jones Mobile for us!
Until Tomorrow,
Kathy ... sick of losing my civil rights in a land where freedom used to reign
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3 comments:
Disturbing. Wow. This is just beyond out of hand.
Yep. I said this when they started listening to our phone calls. Give in on one point and they will take more. That is the nature of centralized authority.
Oh, it seems likely that the ACLU will be suing anyone they can drag into court on this one (though I am certain that the government will say they are immune to such prosecution). Here is their page on this.
http://www.aclu.org/technology-and-liberty/what-expect-when-getting-new-tsa-pat-down
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