TSA: Get your hands off of our children
© 2012 Roy Benaroch, MD
Look, I get it. I realize we have to be vigilant, and that there are bad guys out there who hate us and want to blow up our planes. I’ve stood in line at the airport with my little baggie of miniature shampoo bottles, and I’ve experienced Very Personal Gropage from TSA agent Pat Matushie. I’ve been through the gizmo that irradiates by body and reveals my very own naked soul. All of this we’ve endured because, we’ve been told, it keeps us safe.
Now they’ve gone too far.
TSA goons—and once you’ve read the stories, you’ll agree that’s an appropriate term—are terrorizing children. A seven-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, who uses crutches and braces to walk, had to be “fully inspected,” which apparently requires aggressive manhandling. A four-year-old girl, in hysterics, had to be physically patted down because she hugged her grandmother at the wrong time.
The TSA has defended their actions in both of the above cases, in part because they’ve found bazookas under the shirts of other preschoolers. Or so you’d think, given their reaction to having children—children!!—boarding aircraft. Why not just pick ‘em up and shake ‘em until their lunch money falls on the ground?
I have some advice for the TSA. Stop looking for weapons on children. Start looking for terrorists instead. Let me give you some hints to get started: terrorists are not little girls in crutches, and they’re not kids traveling with their grandmas. A little common sense, please. And get your hands off of our children.
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The Pediatric Insider 
April 30, 2012 at 6:12 pm
John Pistole and Janet Napolitano are responsible for the abusive practices being inflicted upon travelers by TSA every day and they should be prosecuted for violating the basic human rights of millions of Americans. Under their policies, TSA screeners have been turned into child molesters and our children taught to be victims. Al Qaeda has succeeded in altering our way of life and stripping us of our liberties and Pistole has been their willing accomplice.
In less than 10 days they molested three children, a ten year old with a diabetes pump, a four year old who hugged her grandma and a seven year old with cerebral palsy, twice! They also sexually assaulted a Congressman, molested an elderly couple and robbed them of $300, closed two terminals for security errors and four TSA screeners were arrested for smuggling drugs through LAX.
Meanwhile, a report from Atlanta indicates that they are allowing airport workers to operate in secure areas of airports without completing background checks. Yet the TSA apologists continue to say that this crime and abuse by TSA is somehow improving airline security.
There were a total of 91 TSA workers arrested in the last 16 months including 12 arrested for child sex crimes, over 25 for theft, ten for smuggling and even one for murder. Crime, abuse and incompetence is so widespread in TSA that even Kip Hawley, the last TSA Director, has called for its overhaul.
This just demonstrates how stupid and perverse the TSA approach is and why it needs to be overhauled. TSA has done more damage to our liberty, way of life and morality than Al Qaeda could have ever hoped to do.
It’s long past time to replace this agency with a sensible and effective system.
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April 30, 2012 at 8:40 pm
And who are these agents molesting our children? Even the TSA doesn’t know because they are behind in background checking. The agent sexually abusing your child could be a pedophile. In my opinion, any parent who stands by while a government employee abuses their child is also guilty of abuse. If parents will not protect their children, just exactly who will?
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May 1, 2012 at 5:59 am
Part of the problem, sir, is that you have bought into the fear mongering of our government: “there are bad guys out there who hate us and want to blow up our planes.”
If you and others would refuse to travel by air, except when absolutely necessary (and your vacation is NOT a necessity – find some place close to home), the TSA would go the way of the dinosaur.
Although Paul Broun is apparently not your Congressman, you should know that he has called for John Pistole to be gone as head of the TSA. As a fellow physician, it would behoove you and all other physicians who understand the psychological harm that is being done at TSA checkpoints to support him.
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May 1, 2012 at 11:01 am
Some of us have been trying to fight TSA abuse for several years now. Please join us at TSA News Blog (dot com) and at Travel Underground (dot org). Or just click the link at my name. We would value your participation.
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May 9, 2012 at 3:02 pm
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/state/story/TSA-diabetes-salt-lake-insulin-savannah/Az-QjubuEUeXMX7LAbC1Xw.cspx
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