The federal government violates our rights on many levels. Some of those violations are relatively minor compared to more egregious infringements. Yet those smaller instances often vividly reveal of what has been lost on a greater level.
An article on the early days of commercial aviation offers a visual description as to what Americans have lost since the creation of the Transportation Security Administration following 9/11.
The days of rushing to the gate to stop your unrequited love from boarding a plane to Europe are long gone. Before airlines tightened up their security policies, friends and family were free to walk up to a gate without restriction, either to bid their loved ones farewell or greet them the moment they stepped outside. Today, hopeless romantics better hustle it to the airport before their sweetheart passes through security.
A loss of a potential romantic moment might seem somewhat trivial, especially in light of other federal injustices. But it’s indicative of just how the feds have changed ordinary life for Americans. In the past, they saw loved ones and friends off right before they set out to freely travel the world. Today, they goodbye as those same friends and relatives line up like prisoners in a jail or internment camp at the security checkpoint.
From there, passengers must prove to a federal agent they are innocent before they are allowed to get on board the plane. As part of that process, they must take off clothing and subject themselves to all sorts of intrusive searches, no matter how absurd or unreasonable. Even then, they can be kept from boarding due to a no-fly list. That whole time, badged federal agents can detain and question passengers at their discretion.
This shift in images from romantic to dystopian is emblematic of how Americans have gone from a free people to guilty until proven innocent wards of the state in the eyes of the federal government.
The TSA isn’t just a costly, bloated government bureaucracy that fails to achieve its intended purpose. It is a form of societal control and treats airline passengers like temporary convicts.
It’s also entirely unconstitutional.
It’s time to bring back the romance of flying and end the dystopian nightmare by abolishing the TSA.
Visit his personal site at www.tjmartinell.com. Join his Facebook page here. Listen to his weekly podcast on Sound Cloud.