"Grandmama, they touched you on your special girl parts"

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_pasco/new_port_richey/woman-on-tsa-pat-downs:-%27i-feel-molested%27-

“I feel molested. I’d like to go take a shower with Lysol (afterwards),” Miernik said, describing the pat downs, which she said includes being “touched all over.”

Miernik said the worst experience she had came when her 7-year-old granddaughter was at the airport with her. When her granddaughter saw the pat down, “She went ‘Grandmama, they touched you on your special girl spots.’”

Miernik was mortified, as was her granddaughter, she said.. She believes the pat downs are unnecessarily intrusive, and she hasn’t even experienced the “more aggressive” pat downs the TSA started employing Oct. 29

[kenny blankenship]

1. It's all right, little girl. Uncle Sam loves you very much, and he has to touch you in special ways.

Because he loves you so much. One day you'll understand. Meantime don't EVER tell anyone how it feels to be felt like this. You would upset people who wouldn't understand. This is private, just between you and Uncle, understand?

[Radical Activist]

2. Oh the drama.

The search for the most emotionally manipulative TSA search headline continues!

[PeaceNikki]

3. yup

[CreekDog]

11. how many xrays are reasonable to board an airplane?

i'd like to know.

[PeaceNikki]

14. I am not agreeing with the security measures.

MY point is that whether or not these intrusions are sensible or not, the OUTRAGE over them is being driven by lies, half-truths and now overly emotional tugging of heart-strings, propagated by people who want to stir up anti-government hatred, much like what happened after Waco. DU has fallen for it, too.

It's a topic that can't be discussed rationally. It's a HUGE blow to the Obama administration - in fact, I believe Napolitano will lose her job over this. And all because of crazed outrage based on anecdotes and lies.

[LisaL]

16. What are you calling half-truths?

What exactly do you think isn't happening despite people claiming it is?

[PeaceNikki]

26. That boy wasn't strip searched. The TSA is not "molesting" people.

[Alameda]

44. It is actually molestation. What else would you call it?

Your private parts are aggressively touched, you are shown naked???

[GrpCaptMandrake]

57. IN order for it to be a crime . . .

. . . there MUST be an element of intent. Like in "for sexual gratification." Is there ANY evidence of that?

[CreekDog]

21. I see your point...is this article one of those lies (see below):

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/safety/the-problem-with-prosthetics-and-airport-security

The Problem With Prosthetics and Airport Security

Swabs are taken immediately in and around all prosthetics to detect for bomb-making material. The next step is to go under the CastScope. Once the operator is found, you go under the machine, prosthetic limbs still on. They take X-ray images on the front, back and sides—about 10 X-rays per below-the-knee prosthetic, more if your prosthesis has a mechanical knee. After these X-rays pass inspection, you're free to fly.

For Jeffrey J. Cain, a below-the-knee double amputee, "There's such variability in screening people with prosthetics," Cain says. Sometimes an amputee gets a pat-down after the backscatter scan (which isn't required); sometimes he or she is asked to remove a limb; and always, Cain says, there is confusion: "It's like being pulled over by the policeman—there's only one correct answer, and it's not that of the police department; it's that of the person in front of you."

========================

also was the man with the urostomy bag spilled on him an anecdote not worth outrage over?

[PeaceNikki]

25. I am not saying that there aren't legitimate beefs, that's the problem -

they are lost in hyperbole, drama and half-truths.

[CreekDog]

34. Should I consent to the Cast Scope X-RAYS (10 on average) without outrage?

I'm just wondering?

You can opt out of the whole body scan, but TSA is not saying I have any choice but to be x-rayed by Cast Scope.

Should I abandon my outrage?

Do you have any idea what some of us go through EVERY TIME WE FLY?

[PeaceNikki]

36. Yes, I do. My uncle has two prosthetic legs.

I get it.

[CreekDog]

38. then should i be outraged or should i consent to the x-ray?

and since i can't opt out (it appears) what other recourse do i have to get it changed?

understanding that, maybe you should be a little more tolerant of the outrage people are feeling.

i can assure you, it's not unfounded.

[PeaceNikki]

40. You're confusing me with someone who is not outraged.

I just choose to not be reactionary and propagate the half-truths and hyperbole. Quite frankly, as a survivor of abuse, I am seriously offended by the continued use of the term "molestation". The acts surrounding REAL molestation are really quite different than what the TSA is doing and it's harmful to put it in the same category.

[jancantor]

48. This is different from other issues how?

I agree with your point, but I see it on EVERY issue, not just this. The reality is that often when people agree with the underlying point, they accept the incendiary inaccurate (or at least unproven) language because it is seen as justified.

[noamnety]

23. I hope a lot of people lose their jobs over this.

I have no problem with the issue being approached from an emotional standpoint - because it IS an extremely emotional issue for people. I find that to be far more appropriate than the clinical "by the numbers" approach the TSA is taking, as if humans are assembly line items to be examined, manipulated and processed, rather than people with actual feelings.

[Hydra]

42. Name one rational thing about this policy

Take your time.

[PeaceNikki]

43. I won't. Because I don't think it's rational.

[Hydra]

46. So you think it's not rational

But you think we're exaggerating the issue, and we shouldn't?

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[REP]

53. I agree. The pat-downs are too much, but not because they make little girls cry

The scans, the body searches - none of this is making anything safer.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. do I win?

:-)

[Radical Activist]

12. Maybe. It's a close call.

It's hard to compete with headlines of rape survivors and child molestation.

[Liberal_in_LA]

17. true.

[TheIdiot]

5. Easy to tell...

who doesn't have a 7-year-old daughter around here.

[AnneD]

45. What do you mean a 7 yo daughter....

My 20 yo daughter has had to travel several times this week. her comment to me was..."Mom, it wasn't a pat down, they actually went in my vulva. I jumped back instinctively. If a date had done that to me I would have popped them". The reason for the pat down,,,,she had a scrunchy that showed up funny on the x-ray. I have my doubts as I know the some TSA agents in Sky Harbor were charged with feeling up an inordinate number of young attractive women a few years back.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Those rights you refuse to defend will go away

[CreekDog]

13. quiet now, by complaining, we are just trying to undermine Obama

or didn't you know?

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Oh that's the latest

Funny I took qn oath, and I take it seriously.

[CreekDog]

29. it's funny that they think complaining about TSA will hurt Obama

as if he has anything to do with all this.

or does he?

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. CINC

So he does...trumman had it right as well...'thing bout a buck...

[awoke_in_2003]

51. all federal law enforcement agencies...

answer to the chief executive. So yes, he does. He could demand this stop and fire Pistole, but it won't happen. They are using these techniques to so thoroughly disgust the people that they would rather submit to the porno scanners. So, more will need to be purchased, and Chertoff will get richer.

[awoke_in_2003]

50. he took an oath, too...

seems our "constitutional professor" president has forgotten it.

[alcibiades_mystery]

30. ROFL

:thumbsup:

[Matariki]

56. For GOOD reason.

Wake the hell up.

[hlthe2b]

6. My mother had a reflexive response to strike when startled...

We learned early on, never to sneak up on her as a practical joke or we might get a major smack. It truly was reflex. I have little doubt that if she were alive, this kind of treatment might well stimulate that response and it would have actually been involuntary. I suspect someone may well give into the urge and it won't be involuntary.

[Occam Bandage]

8. I'm holding out for a story involving orphans and kittens. nt

[LisaL]

9. When I took my cat on the plane I had to get it of the carrier

for the carrier to be examined. Thank heaven that was before implementation of enhanced pat downs.

[CreekDog]

15. they x-rayed my cat

geniuses.

[LisaL]

19. You mean, in the new body scanner?

Did they make cat stand up with paws up?

[CreekDog]

No, it was a long time ago...family member was told "that has to get xrayed"

so they put it through. (dumb on said family member's part)

but it was an animal carrier, security should have said, take the pet out and put the carrier through.

Philadelphia is one of the most notoriously bad places for airport security mishaps.

[superduperfarleft]

33. It is. Maybe that's why some of us are more nervous about expanding TSA powers than others.

After all, it's the airport where TSA employees on several occasions played "practical jokes" where they pretended to find drugs in people's bags, or my favorite, where they made the four-year-old disabled child literally crawl through the scanner because they wouldn't let him wear his leg brace.

I wonder what all those mocking the outrage many of us have about this would say to that kid or his father.

[LisaL]

35. Yes, you family member should have taken the cat

out of the carrier. I wonder how much radiation the poor animal got going through the baggage x-ray.

[CreekDog]

37. I could not have taken the cat out of the carrier

I was not there.

Yes, said family member should have, but security told them "that" has to go through and they took it literally.

Silly them, who would take airport security literally?...I mean, when airport security says something to me, I always answer, "you mean that figuratively, right?" and they always say,

"oh yes, we like to give out oblique direction...when we tell you something if you seem to get the 'gist' of what we're saying --then it's all good"

:dilemma:

[LisaL]

39. I am not blaiming your family member.

I was told to get the cat out. Not an easy thing to do with a freaked out animal.

[CreekDog]

41. Yes, it's hard...and since I set off the metal detector, God knows what would've happened if I did

yikes. just yikes all around.

[awoke_in_2003]

52. who knows...

it could have been a really small terrorist in a cat suit :)

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Conure flew out, they tried to pat her down out of the sky

She flew into daddy's shirt and they ran carrier through...it was a bad day for the poor bird.

[LisaL]

22. I had to get my bird out of its cage too.

I was told if I don't get it out I ain't getting on the plane.
It was scared and bit the hell out of me.

[Occam Bandage]

24. Making you take an unclipped bird out of her cage? That seems like a recipe for disaster. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Thankfully she shirt dived

And then peeked out...love the bird.

[LisaL]

28. Yes they make people take their birds out of cages.

I was made to do the same thing only I clipped my bird before getting on the plane. When I get it out it bit me because my bird is a biter. I tried to reason with them but it was either bird out of the cage or not getting on the plane.

[Scurrilous]

10. Blind orphans with rescue kittens for me. n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

31. Kittehs...they're cuter and induce more outrage when they're kittehs!

:rofl:

[Codeine]

54. I can haz patdown? nt

[mzmolly]

49. There is an argument coming for privitazation.

Just so we all know where the media hype is headed.

I agree these measures are intrusive, but I doubt we'd be hearing much about it, if Haliburton were in charge of the security show.

[nadinbrzezinski]

55. They are not even hiding it anymore

Quite open on the teevee machine...

[RufusTFirefly]

58. Yup. And once it's privatized, it'll be nearly impossible to "un-privatize"

[TwilightGardener]

59. Oh fer gods sake.