your authority is not ....

I've written in a few posts in some of the TSA forums about how we all need to take action and that the best way to do that is with the skills we each uniquely possess. One of my joys in life is making books, whether those be books of french surrealist poetry or artist books involving my own poetry and oil pastel work. This is a set of 3 volumes I've recently finished, entitled Your Authority Is Not... using a song by Tobias Lilja called "My Authority", which you can listen to over here on his myspace page. Its a beautifully haunting song and one I believe puts forth a strong message about authority and its abuseness. For me the song is divided into 2 sections. The first is the voice of those in authority, the second, those yearning to fight that authority.

The lyrics are as follows:

My Authority

show me
show me
show me
show me
i am misleading my army
i am making holes in the walls
to let in spies
and i am sending your sons and daughters
out on crusades on false grounds
i am pointing my guns
in the wrong direction
locking up my allies
locking up

and i am welcoming the mutiny
with open arms, with open arms
everything... just to see the world again
just to see the world again
and i'd do anything,
i'd do anything, anything,
just show me
show me

I chose to build 3 books interpreting this song in different ways. The text in the first volume fades in and out in strength equal to the oppression presented by that text. The 2nd volume highlights the letters T S and A throughout the text in red, speaking to the fact the TSA these days seems to be everywhere, trying to control us and keeping us from our 4th amendment rights. The 3rd volume rescripts the song lyrics, creating a new message from the text as follows:

"My, how I am misleading your sons and daughters on false grounds. It is wrong, everything, TSA, HS, me me me me..."

I will be displaying these books as part of my gallery show in May. Take action, take a stand, use your abilities and beliefs and fight for you, your children and your families.

the 'weak' in review

"(People) take the side of those in authority, which is not the same as having authority. Obedience is a way of reconciling oneself to a lack of authority or a lack of choice. But it is not the only way." slightly paraphrased from a story by John Haskell

Never believe we are the weak ones in this struggle.

The TSA and our fight against their policies remains a fluid engagement. I think ultimately states are going to be the ones to stop this and to do that some of us must start bringing lawsuits and assault charges against the TSA (there are a few suits started and most state governments will not entertain motions, I suppose, until the new year when new things can be added to the congressional rolls). I've also been wondering lately if, in our phone call blitzes, we need to start calling our local DA offices and asking them if they will bring assault charges against TSA employees (as some DAs in California and Georgia have said they will consider), and if not then why.

We are still too nascent a group of domestic extremists to see what is going to work yet, but we are learning. I feel everyone needs to try their ideas, keep attacking it from all sides and we can begin to see a way through it. There has been successful countering of 'well don't fly then' commenters, press comments are now full of people on our side questioning, and often we are asking the questions the media does not seem willing to ask. Now some are starting to get credit card companies to get money back from airlines. If that works then it is something many more can try.

Some actions you can take this week:

Wewontfly.com is sponsoring a billboard campaign to place a billboard near a major airport and will then extend it to other airports if successful.

Someone else I know is working on a video project called "We the People" where you can send him 15-30 seconds of you speaking out on why the TSA policies need to be rescinded. (And for more info please feel free to email me for details.) We would like to have 100 people speaking out before the end of the year for this project.

Things giving me some hope this week:

Some media sources are beginning to wake up in their limited/controlled way and finally asking some better questions. Others are starting to print opinions in their editorial sections.

Some politicians are doing the same.

People are starting to bring lawsuits against these TSA policies which I hope can set some precedents.

Good people are speaking out more and more.


Things that tell me it will continue to be a very long fight:

You may be searched in Philadelphia for putting your hands in your coat pocket.

WalMart agrees with Homeland Security on some new Orwellian language. Here is one answer to that. (One brief admission - I've never set foot in a WalMart much less given them any of my money. Their decision this week will keep me from even driving anywhere near one).


If you'd like to call every airline and tell them you will not fly any longer and why you have made that decision, here is a fairly complete list of phone numbers.

Lastly, if you are curious about who in Congress recently voted, and how they voted, for an amendment to prevent the TSA from using their scanners as a primary means of security, look here, then consider asking which of them receives money in one form or another from the scanner companies.

This post will end with one further quote from John Haskell on a story about Joan of Arc, who died for believing in something.

"And the men who were doing the burning thought turning her into the devil would allow them to keep their authority - and their abuse of authority - hidden. The only problem was this girl who opened her eyes. They did what they could to prevent it, but as Joan stood there, tied to the stake, she saw that she did have a choice, and before she died she decided."


Addendum

stories circulating today:

A female diplomat from India was gropeharassed by the TSA, and India would like an apology.

More scientists are speaking out that the TSA backscatter machines are not only health risks but useless.

And the ACLU has a post listing what you may expect when the TSA illegally searches you.

measures of success

Did those fighting to stop the TSA and its illegal searches and sexual assaults succeed last week?

I have been thinking about this for days now and am no closer to an answer. The TSA and Homeland Security backed off from using the backscatter scanners and gropeharassment from the day before Thanksgiving to a few days thereafter, due, I believe, to our pressure. For a few days children have not been molested and adults were not sexually assaulted or exposed to possible radiation risks (and this included TSA agents having to stand near these machines for eight or more hours a day). However, they did it in such a way to make those of us shouting the alarms look foolish and naive.

The media reported how the lines were moving smoothly and no one was opting-out (Nothing to opt out from, the machines having been turned off). Perhaps though, some suggest, this was because airports were uncrowded on one of the busiest travel days of the year and those who were worried or trying to fight this were in their cars instead of flying (and just out today, Pennsylvania had the largest number of holiday road fatalities since 2003).

People on the side of stopping this policy were interviewed. Some appeared foolish with the help of media-editing. Others were made to look like what we are doing is all a big circus of malcontents and look-at-me-ers

What I do know today:

The TSA has released its new policy for children under 12. From their blog: Even with children younger than 12, a screener will pass the back of his or her hand over the genital area. While few parents are comfortable with this, child psychology experts suggest refraining from showing outrage or distress as this will further alarm your child.

Yes please do not show any outrage while your child is sexually assaulted in front of you.

A TSA agent here in Pittsburgh has been interviewed about being harassed from within the TSA itself and this may be one reason more TSA agents are not speaking out. I've seen news reports of this kind dating back two years.

One of our federal representatives - Tim Murphy - is hearing from citizens who want this policy ended, as well as TSA agents who want the same.

One of the founders of the We Won't Fly movement was interviewed by a very ill-prepared reporter on CBS last week.

Roger Ebert has written about his own harassment from the TSA.

And here is another article by a biologist on why the backscatter radiation is dangerous. What I find compelling in this essay is something more people are waking up to: small children and infants are not the same size as adults, yet the dosage of radiation from these machines is one size fits all.

In closing some have asked me recently what they can do to help stop this policy before it gets any worse. We all need to act as well as educate ourselves.

I have decided to try and speak to at least one person a day about this subject and I wanted to offer some of what has worked for me:

1. Look people in the eye when you talk to them. This is an important issue and it really puts across the belief in what you say and feel. (and thanks to Mr. Biden for proving this point on Larry King Live where he would not look Mr. King in the eye during the interview.)

2. Talk the truth to people. What you know. Don't try to fabricate horror stories, there are enough real ones out there. Prevarication can be detected by most and makes people less likely to believe you.

3. Sound people out. If they say to you 'well I think the scanner radiation is safe enough' talk to them instead about the lack of training TSA operators have vs. x-ray technicians.

As an example of this, I offer up an abbreviated talk I had with a bank teller two days ago:

her: so how was your holiday
me: not so good, car died and i need it running so i can drive to atlanta for christmas.
her: oh i have family there
me: i am not going to fly until the TSA stops their policies
her: yeah i saw something about that, they are reaching into ladies' breasts
me: yes and more (explains the more and gets the usual big eyes and jaw dropping when i speak about child molestation, sexual assault, 4th amend. and scanner radiation). i am one of those trying to fight this. if you can, please do not fly until the policy is gone. i know i will not.
her: thanks for telling me (genuine smile) have a good day and good luck.

4. It gets easier with each person you speak to.


Also it is my belief we need to each use what we are best at to fight the TSA policies. For me it is writing and speaking persuasively and being a designer and artist. In order to not just talk but act (and I am still new at this) I am working on a simple book anyone can xerox and leave or hand out or use to poster with. I am designing this book for the text/tweet generation in a bold and simple style and will provide a link to it as soon as it is ready. Everyone is free to use it as they see fit.

Lastly please do not fly if you can help it. Continue to call people in government, as well as airports, airlines and travel destinations (Disneyworld for example) and tell them you will not fly until this policy is rescinded. Companies and governments seem to only listen to money now, sadly enough, and our money this time does count, I hope.

As before I will leave comments open for this post but if you post anything hateful, infantile or illiterate I will delete it. If you cannot be civil or do not know the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ or ‘lose’ and ‘loose’ I do not care to listen to you.

The TSA is wrong and I will not fly

Normally here I post on my interest in cooking and art and the things I care deeply about. This is still one of those things.

I have a round trip ticket I purchased to Atlanta for Christmas, to spend it there with my family, including my two nephews who I do not see much because they live very far from me. I have decided to call my airline, AirTran, and cancel my ticket because of the illegal policies of the TSA and I will not fly again until these policies are rescinded.

I was asked yesterday “well you have your ticket and you probably will not be made to go in the scanning machine or searched so what will it prove by cancelling your ticket.”

If this policy is not stopped now everyone will be made to go through these scans and searches. I am doing this for my nephews, for my family, for a promise I made to someone I loved, and watched die, to protect her daughter, and for me as a citizen of this country.

What this means to me now:

Missing out on Christmas with my family and seeing my nephews and interacting with them as their uncle. I will not ever have children of my own so I look upon those two boys as very special. I will not be participating in our family rituals, ties that bind us as a family.

What this means to me later:

I will not be visiting friends in Chicago or San Francisco as I had planned. I will not be going to Paris again, something I really had wanted to do more of.

Why the TSA policies are wrong and illegal:

The policy of the TSA to make people go through backscatter scanning machines and/or receive excessive bodily searches (seen as punishment for not going through the scanner) if an alarm is set off in a metal detector, or merely on the whim of a TSA agent is against the 4^th Amendment protecting us against unlawful search and seizure. Security in an airport is important. This is not security. It does nothing to stop a potential terrorist.

That aside:

The scanners:

These machines were brought about through the lobbying efforts of Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of Homeland Security, appointed by then President Bush. His consulting firm represents one of the companies that manufacture these scanners.

TSA employees receive very little training in operating these machines, less than two weeks. An X-ray technician receives up to two years of training.

The TSA has no budget for maintenance of these machines, nor any yearly calibration scheduled, as machines in hospitals are required to have.

Whether the radiation dosage is as low as the FDA says, it is one dose fits all. Small children are not the same size as adults.

There is growing information these scanners have much higher yields of radiation than admitted to.

Doctors and scientists warn the people over 65, women, cancer survivors, people prone to cataracts, pregnant women, children should not go through these machines. My family meets many of those characteristics. This is due to how the radiation is delivered to the human body.

Yes you do receive radiation when flying from cosmic rays, this is a different type of radiation than backscatter radiation from these machines. Cosmic radiation is shielded to some extent by the plane itself, as well as the Earth, when flying at night. It is a voluntary choice to receive the radiation we do in our lives. Except for these scanners, and I believe shortly they will be mandatory in airports as well as eventually in train stations, bus stations, stadiums and other places where people congregate.

You are given shielding of some sort in a dentist, doctor’s office or hospital. Neither the people being scanned nor the TSA agents themselves are given any sort of shielding nor dosimeters to monitor exposure levels. In fact it looks like TSA agents are prohibited from these safety measures.

Michael Chertikoff and the scanner companies are now immune to prosecution from lawsuits arising over any health problems that may develop from these untested scanners. These suits can potentially come from HIPAA, OSHA as well as types of civil cases that make take years to be brought forth.

These scanners show the naked bodies of adults and children. This is against child pornography laws, right to privacy laws, health laws and common decency. While the machines are supposedly altered not to save scans of adults and children this is most likely an easy software change. And would the TSA not want evidence of someone carrying an illegal weapon or device when prosecuting them?

The body searches:

TSA agents are not required to change gloves between searches where they may touch your genitals and stick their hands down your pants. This can transfer illness from one person to another.

The kinds of people being searched it seems are, more often than not, well-endowed women, children, the elderly, people requiring wheelchairs, people wearing prosthetic limbs. Not to mention TS/TG people who should not have their privacy invaded either. These people are not terrorists, they are not going to be terrorists. They are customers of an airline service wanting to fly to see loved ones or go on business or vacation trips. Some say flying is not a right. The 4^th Amendement is.

Children under 12 will now be subject to a modified bodily search though the TSA has not published what that entails. However last time I checked, children over 12 and under 18 are still considered minors and will still be subject to these searches.

These policies of the TSA are illegal, immoral and wrong and need to be stopped. Today, the 24^th, the TSA has eased restrictions in order to make it look like those of us willing to fight this are silly or naïve or foolish and cause uninformed people to think everything has been blown out of proportion. If this policy is not stopped now it will spread to other forms of transportation and other parts of our lives. At that point I will work to give up my citizenship and move to another country.

This is my stand. Do what you wish, believe what you will. If this is less important a cause to you and you wish to spend time fighting Monsanto’s attempt to make it illegal for people to grow food in their backyards currently being legislated, or the cholera epidemic in Haiti or many of the other injustices of the world, that is ok – as long as you fight for what you know to be right about what you believe. I’ll fight for this. I’ll fight any time a child is put in danger or molested by our government. Especially if those children are three very very special people to me.

I am not a terrorist now, I do not plan on ever being one. I am now, however, considered by my government to be a ‘domestic extremist’ and due to my activities these last two weeks am probably on one or more watch lists. I do not need to prove my innocence to the government or some TSA agent with fewer than two weeks of training. People in this country were once innocent until proven guilty. And no this is not an anti-republican stand nor an anti-democratic one. I do not belong to either of those artificial modes of thought. The former regime put these policies in place, the current administration is letting them continue (especially one particular member of the government who was a constitutional and civil rights lawyer who could end this with one phone call but has chosen not to). Both parties, all the politicians who support it, and all Americans who do as well disappoint me.

I will be alone this Christmas and that will be ok by me because I am fighting for those I will not be with.

What I will do next:

Call each congressman and senator I have already spoken to who are trying to stop this injustice and thank them again and remind them they need to fight this.

Talk to at least one person a day about this, looking them in the eye and expressing what I feel to be the truth.

Speak to the airlines, travel group, hotels, on-line travel industry sites about the TSA policies and why I have made my choice.

I will leave comments open for this post but if you post anything hateful, infantile or illiterate I will delete it. If you cannot be civil or do not know the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ or ‘lose’ and ‘loose’ I do not care to listen to you.