http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=228397WASHINGTON – Americans are revolting against intrusive new airport screening procedures in record numbers – with more than 14,000 signing a petition launched by WND only three days ago and others flooding the Capitol, the White House and Homeland Security with letters of protest – thanks to a program emulating WND's historic "pink slips" program that sent 9 million messages to Congress last year.
"People are not rolling over on this issue," said Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WND, who launched both initiatives. "The magnitude and speed with which Americans have rejected the new invasive techniques of the Transportation Security Administration is reminiscent of the spontaneous birth of the tea party movement. The new activism in America is clearly not over with the election results earlier this month."
On Nov. 1, the TSA quietly began new screening procedures at many of the nation's largest airports that present airline passengers with choice of moving through a full-body scanner that virtually undresses them or an open-hand pat-down process that involves groping of breasts and genitals of men, women and children.
"What is happening around the country is a national embarrassment," said Farah. "I personally canceled family travel plans this week as a result of widespread reports of groping, voyeurism and humiliation techniques. The American people will not be treated like cattle. The policies of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano must be reversed, and they must be reversed before Thanksgiving. Those forced to travel under these conditions can help stop it by making the rest of America aware of the abuse."
The petition and mass-mailing effort are part of what WND is calling its C.E.A.S.E campaign – "Cease Enhanced Airport Security Excesses." The electronic petition will be widely publicized through the media and officials in Washington will receive updates as the number of participants increases. Similar petitions on WND have generated more than 500,000 participants. But the unique aspect of the program involves the mass mailing to every member of the House and Senate, as well as the White House and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. It permits any individual to generate 537 individual letters to officials, with guaranteed delivery by Federal Express, for a cost of only $29.95. A similar program last year delivered 9 million "pink slips" to members of Congress warning them not to support the health-care takeover and to stop creating more government debt or they would face consequences at the polls this fall.
"Washington now understands these programs are a real reflection of voter anger," said Farah. "I don't believe they will make the mistake of ignoring the righteous anger welling up inside America."
Because of the volume of messages sent, WND is able to deliver them less expensively than American citizens could send them individually. Through this program, you will send the 537 messages for only $29.95. To replicate that feat individually, postage alone would cost more than $236. But the impact of participating in the C.E.A.S.E. or "STOP AIRPORT HUMILIATION CAMPAIGN" makes your protest much more impressive – being a part of a mass movement, rather than an individual grievance.
Here's what your letter to 535 members of Congress, plus Obama and Napolitano says:
STOP 'ENHANCED' AIRPORT SCREENING PROCEDURES NOW!
To: Barack Hussein Obama, Janet Napolitano and all members of the U.S. Congress From: An outraged citizen of the United States
The Transportation Security Administration recently introduced new "enhanced" airport screening procedures that are so objectionable, invasive and repugnant to travelers that widespread anger and rebellion are the result – including from the world's largest pilots union representing 12,000 pilots.
Under the new screening protocols, passengers are subjected to a virtual "strip search" by being required to undergo a humiliating full-body scan, resulting in the display of a graphic image of their naked body to be scrutinized by a TSA agent.
If they choose to "opt out" of the full-body scan, they are forced instead to undergo the same kind of aggressive ("enhanced") pat-down that criminals and drug-dealers get, including direct manual contact with their breasts and genitalia. Children are not exempt.
While such degrading and invasive searches certainly violate passengers' Fourth Amendment guarantee to be "secure in their persons … against unreasonable searches and seizures," the generation of naked images of minor passengers arguably amounts to the creation of illegal child pornography.
Moreover, backscatter X-ray technology is known to produce radiation that is potentially harmful to frequent fliers and airline crew members, which is why the American Pilots Association, representing about 12,000 pilots (including almost all of American Airlines' pilots) has strongly warned its members to refuse the full-body scanning.
This humiliating and degrading new program is already massively unpopular, and obviously subject to horrific abuse. As such, it is certain to result in a significant decline in air travel by Americans at a time when neither the airline industry nor the country can afford another economic crisis.
Therefore, I call for the immediate and indefinite suspension of these "enhanced security screening procedures," as well as an apology to the American public by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for her ill-advised decision to implement it.
Thank you.
Topic: 14,000 petition to stop airport harassment (Read 1165 times)