I couldn’t NOT relay this one from BoingBoing:
A traveller flying to San Diego from Seattle found his luggage had been opened by the Federal Transport Security Authority, who had left behind a note telling him so, on which was scrawled “DONT APPRECIATE YOUR ANTI-AMERICAN ATTITUDE” — a reference to the “No Iraq War” signs he’d picked up in a shop in Seattle.
So, the Feds are not only inspecting our bags — and invading our privacy — to ensure that they are bomb-free; they’re now taking it upon themselves to chastise us for our political beliefs? What the hell does keeping bombs off airplanes have to do with winkling out protest signs?
Nothing like a little thoughtcrime policing to undermine the entire mission and credibility of the TSA. Of course, the TSA is maintaining that this wasn’t the work of an inspector — rather, someone at the airport cut the security-seal left behind by the inspector, defaced the “You have been inspected” card, and replaced the seal, all without being caught by the TSA itself (wow, that gives me a lot of confidence in the TSA’s ability to secure the nation’s airports!).
BoingBoing also has an entry about Charlie Daniels’ anti-anti-war (and anti-abortion) rant. It’s amusing how a celebrity gets all worked up about other celebrities having political opinions. He must feel left out.
Maybe they will also tell us that our Italian shoes are unpatriotic when they run them through the screening machine. I guess wearing a beret to the airport is definitely out of the question.