(Incoherent sputtering)
posted by saurabh in Fascists, Terror, Travesty |T to start random searches for bombs.
Now, let’s start off by saying that I recognize the obvious, OBVIOUS constitutional argument doesn’t really hold water, since the T is not a public place - you must pay for the privilege to ride on it, and it is technically private property. That said, it’s quasi-public and a quasi-governmental organisation, and there’s nothing quasi about random bag searches - they undisputably contradict the spirit of the fourth amendment. I imagine most Americans will accept the fear-driven logic that giving up liberties like the right to privacy are necessary in order to ensure public safety. Disproofs of this tomfoolery are difficult or impossible - might-have-beens can’t be demonstrated. All I can do is state my own preference: marginal deterrents to the miniscule risk of terrorism are not worth the sacrifice of very real personal rights. Especially as, being of brown hue and lately prone to sporting the facial hair, I’m disproportionately likely to be “randomly searched”. If this happens to me, I’m going to give someone the finger and get arrested, I think.
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if you are asked for your bag, you could try telling them that osama told you personally that there’s no need to attack the united states directly now that the country has taken the bait hook, line, and sinker and become entangled in a long war of attrition. that’s why there aren’t any sleeper cells and, coincidentally, why there isn’t a bomb in your bag.
Posted by hibiscus
I always wish that I would be “randomly” searched. It would be the most action I’ve had in a while.
Posted by Mist 1
Shave.
But don’t shave your head, you’ll call the wrath of the FBI on blameless family friends.
I’ve always wanted someone to tell me to “go back where you came from!” so I can reply “But I don’t like New Jersey!”
Posted by DearDarlingDidi
A culture of fear has been created to justify the abuse of our human rights - no two ways about it. By exaggerating the threat we are conditioned to accept ‘protection’ in the form of invasive measures that erode our privacy and freedom of movement. There is no justification for acts of extreme violence. This goes for governments, too. Both ’sides’ in this ‘war’ spout the ideological claptrap of separation; them and us. Your swanky graph above just goes to show what nonsense it all is - we are all one.
GP
PS - Blimey, that’s a bit intense, ain’t it? LOL.
Posted by Glamourpuss
an informal survey with an extremely small sample size indicates that the “random” searches by the police in new york on the subway led inevitably to more attractive women being searched than anyone else.
also interesting is that the police allegedly kept records of the race of the people searched in order to “prove” randomness.
Posted by saurav
“it was random! look at the facts. we searched exactly 45% hot white chicks, 25% hot black chicks, 25% hot puerto rican chicks, and 5% serious suspects. billy here kept count on a clicker.”
Posted by hibiscus