Why Would Anyone Want to Attack a TSA Agent?

[Emit]

Why Would Anyone Want to Attack a TSA Agent?

This past Friday, 23-year-old Paul Ciancia walked into Los Angeles International Airport's Terminal 3 and used his legally-purchased assault rifle to kill one TSA agent and wound two others. Before the shooting, Ciancia made “the conscious decision to try to kill” TSA employees in order to "instill fear in their traitorous minds," according to a letter found in his possession. But where would anyone get the idea that TSA employees are worthless, rights-violating, traitorous federal agents that should be stopped?

From Ron Paul, maybe? The former Texas representative and sometime presidential candidate thinks TSA agents are "jack-booted thugs" whose "authority is thoroughly dangerous, un-American, and insulting to earlier freedom-loving generations who built this country."

Or maybe from Paul's fans and friends in conservative media? They certainly liked his language—columnist and radio host Todd Starnes referred to TSA agents as "government-sanctioned thugs" and Fox News contributor Judge Napolitino called TSA agents both thugs and perverts.

Or maybe from National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg, who suggested in 2011 that it might be time for a “Jihad” against the TSA and compared its agents to programmed machines incapable of using common sense.

Or former Fox News host Glenn Beck, who once theorized that the TSA's attempt to unionize was somehow part of a plan by President Obama to create his own private army.

Or Beck's former colleague Geraldo Rivera, who claimed he "was manually raped" during a pat-down by a TSA agent who, according to Rivera, seemed to be "getting off on it."

~snip~

Or if not Ron Paul, his son Rand? The plagiarism-prone senator from Kentucky said in May 2012 that “it’s time to END the TSA and get the government’s hands back to only stealing our wallets instead of groping toddlers and grandmothers.”

Cont'd: http://gawker.com/why-would-anyone-want-to-attack-a-tsa-agent-1458152619

[Gravitycollapse]

1. They are one of the most commonly encountered realizations of federal authority.

And also one of the least secure. Not surprising at all that someone who despises the federal government would attack a TSA agent.

[hollysmom]

2. I swear Newark Hires the worst TSA agents,

They have been found stealing from carry on and I, an elderly person was felt up for one TSA agents fun another made me take my shoes off and them smelled my feet and started to rub them, it was very creepy. and that is only the stuff I know first hand, imagine all the others stuff they do to other people. Ugh. I like going to smaller airports where their agents seem more responsible.

[customerserviceguy]

5. Don't leave out Portland, Oregon

My lady always gets what we call the "Portland patdown" that she never gets when we fly out of Newark. She wears a skirt, and they naturally assume a 57 year old overweight woman must be hiding a bomb under there. No matter that neither of us could pass ten percent of the Al-Queda fitness exam.

Do away with the TSA, they're an irrelevancy.

[hlthe2b]

3. Poorly trained, inconsistent, exceed authorities & in some cases highly disrespectful of the public

That is why TSA incites disdain.

But disdain does NOT equate to a desire to attack or harm in any way for those who are not already deranged and amenable to being provoked by the likes of these disgusting hate-mongers. I certainly agree with the article that so-called "libertarian" extremists are inciting these violent and deranged elements. Free speech is one thing, but the inciting behavior needs to be addressed.

That said, TSA does need an overhaul and far better management--at least at some airports. Policies that are not "evidence-based" in terms of risk-benefit analysis, but merely enacted for "appearances' need to be addressed. And, a very close look at where and how they are asserting their control in new areas including trains, buses and local public transport.

[Scuba]

4. Stochastic terrorism.