Jesse Ventura sues TSA, says body scans and pat-down searches violate rights

[Truth2Tell]

Source: TwinCities.com

By Amy Forliti
Associated Press
Updated: 01/24/2011 07:50:14 PM CST

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura sued the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration on Monday, alleging full-body scans and pat-downs at airport checkpoints violate his right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Ventura is asking a federal judge in Minnesota to issue an injunction ordering officials to stop subjecting him to "warrantless and suspicionless" scans and body searches.

The lawsuit, which also names Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and TSA Administrator John Pistole as defendants, argues the searches are "unwarranted and unreasonable intrusions on Governor Ventura's personal privacy and dignity and are a justifiable cause for him to be concerned for his personal health and well-being."

According to the lawsuit, Ventura received a hip replacement in 2008, and since then, his titanium implant has set off metal detectors at airport security checkpoints. The lawsuit said that prior to last November officials had used a non-invasive hand-held wand to scan his body as a secondary security measure.

Read more: http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_17186132?nclick_check=1

[DeSwiss]

1. Abolish Homeland Security!! - K&R n/t

[avaistheone1]

2. I'll second that. It has become a total disgrace and albatross

Fire Napolitano and the head of the TSA as well.




:kick:

[woo me with science]

3. [phone]

This abomination has gone on way too long already.

[ixion]

9. Indeed.

:applause:

[defendandprotect]

33. +! -- and k/r

[1776Forever]

68. Did you see that report on Homeland Security paying people to walk through Airports and see if they

can pick up dangerous people by their actions? Say what? Wonder how much that costs us?

Airport security arsenal adds behavior detection
Updated 9/26/2007
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-09-25-behavior-detection_N.htm

[Swagman]

81. HS is a Trojan Horse to futher restrict freedoms

[indimuse]

4. KNR! n/t

[lib2DaBone]

5. At least Jessie shows some leadership...

Repeal Patriot Act and TSA Goons...

[Hubert Flottz]

6. He's exactly right...

We have been Nazified by the Patriot Act/enabling act.

Edit...even our kids are suspects just like in Nazi Germany of Communist USSR.

[molly77]

15. Nazi Germany of Communist USSR?

You understand that Russia fought against Hitler?

[Hubert Flottz]

24. Yes but I understand what Stalin did to his people...

and how the KGB operated.

[defendandprotect]

34. Isn't this Rahm Emmanuel's company selling this stuff?

Been a while, but think that was what happened --

Emmanuel had been trying to sell this stuff for 6 months -- and then the STIMULUS package

brought the contract to his doorstep? Wasn't that pretty much the way it went?

[Oldtimeralso]

58. No, Not Rahm but...

Michael Certoff; Shrub's Czar of the homeland insecurity. If it makes money off the government (especially in a no-bid contract) it has to have a member of the GOP (Greedy Old Party).

[defendandprotect]

60. Ah, thank you !! Correction!! Not Emmanuel ... Michael Chertoff --

I'm trying to save this info more often when I come across it --

:)

[valerief]

43. And like the Nazis, our kids will 'turn us in' if they want. nt

[Hubert Flottz]

69. Right...

The Nazis and the KGB had family ratting out family. It can and did happen in the US during the "War Between the States." Brother against brother, father against son, son against father.

The Patriot Act is not good for the "Democracy" IMO.

[KG]

7. 'bout time.

[ixion]

8. Go Jesse!!

:woohoo:

I'm glad to see at least one (ex) politician out there vying for what's right.

[Mike Niendorff]

10. America has fallen.

Random strip searches of travelers. No warrants, no suspicion, no probable cause, nothing. Just because danger exists in the world, somewhere.

There should not even be a debate about this one, it's *that* far over the line.


MDN

[molly77]

16. America is fascist and nobody wants to admit it.Odd dynamic.

[defendandprotect]

61. Because we would also have to admit the involvement of Congress and our politicians ....

and our corporte press --

People have a hard time still recognizing capitalism as something suicidal --

they were taught so long in schools and press that we had the best system ever!

Best of everything! And that they could absolutely TRUST their government!!


It's going to take a while longer before they come to recognize how immense

the corruption is!!


:(

[woo me with science]

46. It is OUTRAGEOUS that our President and representatives continue to defend it.

Someone is making a hell of a lot of money off this violation of our Fourth Amendment rights.

[defendandprotect]

62. Michael Chertoff ...

[woo me with science]

65. Thank you.

Keep posting it. People need to know.

[PDittie]

11. No touching The Body!

No scanning it, either.

[xochi]

14. including my DNA, my blood, piss, and brain scans...

not without REAL probable cause, and not without a warrant.

[av8rdave]

20. That bridge was crossed long ago

For 20 years now, I have been subjected to random urine testing, though I have no history of drug use or alcohol abuse. Should a sample come up positive, I lose my job with NO due process and NO means of getting it back.

Thank God the traveling public is safe from the likes of me!

[Alameda]

85. Good Lord, where do you work? That's awful.......and scarey.

[av8rdave]

87. Airline pilot

Apparently, public perception of safety is more important than civil liberties.

[liberal N proud]

12. Hope he takes this to the SCOTUS

Of course considering the state of that organization, we have no hope.

[dotymed]

13. PROTECT THE HOMELAND !

Doesn't this sound familiar? It is almost exactly what Hitler used as a mantra.....

[1American]

17. Jesse

He might be correct about it! I have gone back and forth about its legality. These searches do imply that there is criminal intent just by flying. But, intent and reality are two different things.

I can't imagine that, with the millions of people flying daily, the Israeli system of looking for odd behavior could possibly work unless passengers would be willing, without complaint, to come to the airport 3-4 hours before departure.

HOWEVER: Let's hope that the one little old lady who bypasses the security system isn't the one loaded with explosives and YOU are not on that plane! How quickly will you fly when the criminal terrorists finally blow up a plane?

[ccinamon]

19. 1American...it's about percentages

If I remember correctly, you are more likely to win a megamillions lottery or die from being hit by a meteroid than die from a terrorist attack....it is all about percentages.

You are not afraid to go outside, you shouldn't be taught to fear flying...especially by the government.

[arikara]

50. They brainwash people into believing that their idiocy is making us safer

The ex-ray machines are harmful and the random gropings they do now are useless, they don't find anything except medical devices. I've heard horror stories about how they are treating people, from dislodging colostomy bags to harassing and hurting old women who can't lift their arms high enough after mastectomy surgery. I would sooner drive than fly anywhere and now only consider flying if absolutely necessary. I have a tendency to make comments better left unsaid and suffer the consequences of airport security's power tripping. I am more concerned with how security is treating people than any damned terrorist. There wouldn't even be any terrorists if every one was treated decently.

[Kurovski]

74. If I didn't know any better. I'd swear we were being trained to live

in a--somehow--fascist America with greatly reduced civil liberties.

[Pacifist Patriot]

51. I refuse to live my life terrified of statistical improbabilities.

[molly77]

71. OOOH Scary stuff there Jesse

[pecwae]

18. Thank you Jesse!!

[KoKo]

21. K&R

[snappyturtle]

22. Yes, yes, yes! I voted for Jesse and am happy to see that he again may

make a difference.

I HATE flying anymore. Hate it. I do think the TSA's security measures are unreasonable. I'm tired of the wreary explanation that we don't want 9/11 to happen again. It wouldn't have happened in the first place if the powers that be had been paying attention to the information the dutiful government employees had gathered. Last night on one of the MSNBC talk shows, John Nichols of The Nation magazine warned of his fear that the country is becoming an oligarchy. We, the people, need to get some control back and Jesse efforts in the Homeland Security arena may well be an excellent place to start to do just that. imho

[greiner3]

23. It't won't go far.

Another thing, if the searches are stopped or curtailed any 'incident' with terrorists that can be attributed to a lax in the searches might be the downfall of any sense of Democratic rule in 2012 and beyond (cue sci fi sound effects).

[LisaL]

26. How will TSA procedures prevent an attack like the one in Moscow?

TSA is trying to prevent people from getting a bomb onto the plane.
The terrorist in Moscow did not try to get a bomb onto the plane.

[KansDem]

66. I thought the same thing...

"Incidents"

Put a stop to TSA and watch for the next shoe or underwear bomber to board a plane due to "lax security."

Then we'll be back to irradiating and groping...

[LisaL]

86. And if a cavity bomber gets onto the plane I suppose

we all can be looking forward to cavity searches.

[DirkGently]

25. Don't always agree with Mr. Ventura, but when he's right, he's dead-on & deliciously blunt.

[SouthernLiberal]

27. I've just stopped flying

Fortunately, I do not have to fly for business. Somehow, we have allowed the terrorists to convince us that because some terrorists have attacked commercial flights, any one who buys a ticket to fly must be considered a potential terrorist. And many Americans who fly justify this on the grounds that 'it makes us safer'. Really? We are busily checking for methods of attack, not based on their likelihood of occurring, but based on our ability to check for them.

I long ago came to the conclusion that TSA searched are not about making us safer. They are about making us feel safer, mostly by making the flying public uncomfortable. And it works. How many Americans are happy to expose themselves to dangerous levels of XRay radiation (and what may make the levels dangerous is not just the devices themselves, but the cumulative amount of radiation absorbed) so they can tell themselves that no terrorist could get on the plane if ordinary folks like me are being examined this thoroughly.

We don't check everyone, though. So, if a terrorist doesn't set off the metal scanner, there is a good chance they won't be checked further. And we are now told that the new high-tech scanners would not have caught the 'underwear bomber' anyway.

I think that Mr. Ventura is correct to sue. He is a well known person and frequent flyer. Is anyone in Homeland Security or the TSA going to argue that they really think he is a terrorist? No, he is scanned, not because of any perceived likelihood that he is a threat to the traveling public, but because he sets off the metal detector. I'm sure that by now, every TSA agent at his home airport knows about his hip replacement. So they know why he set of the metal detector. They are sure that they will not find a weapon or a bomb when they search him, but still, they do so. They search someone they know to be a safe traveler.

While they are searching him does the whole security line come to a halt? I doubt it. So, searching Mr. Ventura may actually increase the chances of a terrorist getting through the security checkpoint without detection. But the other people are meant to feel better because they see a celebrity being taken away for searching.

This is not security, but security theater.

[LibDemAlways]

29. Excellent, succinct post. And it amazes me that

anyone would feel safer after an encounter with TSA. The agents I've had the misfortune of coming into contact with struck me as dim bulbs who should never be anywhere near a security checkpoint.

[qb]

28. Way to go Jesse! I hope he gets into national politics. We need a bullshit detector.

:bounce:

[Zoeisright]

30. If you lived in Minnesota you wouldn't wish that.

Ventura has an ego the size of the planet. He is also a total conspiracy nut, as evidenced by his program. He needs to stay out of politics.

[defendandprotect]

35. Are you claiming this is "Conspiracy-free-America" .... ???

[forty6]

37. I agree! There is nothing to Ventura but a giant ego, no brains, and after all

the body girations he went through as a Pro Wrestler, for big money, the ONLY reason he is taking up this body scanner cause is to get attention from fools whothink Jessie makes sense. Jessie is one step away from Bill O'Reilly on the brain scale and about equal on the over-inflated ego scale.

[qb]

59. I do live in Minnesota. I voted for Jesse and was pleased with him until

he got sucked into the tax-cut frenzy and gave away our rainy-day fund. His nuttiness is of little consequence. He can be a very effective politician.

[defendandprotect]

63. Did he ever apologize for that?

[qb]

64. LOL - not to my knowledge. Then again, no one - Democrat or Republican - has.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

84. That give away of our rainy day fund was the only time he had support from MN House or Senate ....

... after that, both parties wanted to make sure he looked the fool so they stonewalled unless it was an issue they fully supported (for Republicans, that was basically draining the rainy day fund and nothing else; for the DFL is was light rail and mass transit). The parties were basically bidding their time, waiting for the next election in the hopes to take the governorship.

I think if he had had some Reform Party members in both houses, it would have been a very interesting time here. Fiscally conservative, he holds some pretty liberal social ideas and is certainly not afraid to state his mind. And he seemed to have a better sense of social justice than most I have seen. Sadly, he had (and has) a terribly thin skin when it comes to criticism, which you simply cannot have in politics.

How the two parties basically neutered him as governor convinced me that third parties are going to have a very hard time in this country.

And he was followed by Timmy "The Tool" Pawlenty, unlikable even to his childhood friends and family in South St. Paul. And we now have a $6.2 billion deficit, shit roads and public k-12 and colleges which are now middle-of-the-road.

[molly77]

72. The definition of conspiracy is one or more people planning to commit fraud

If you can look at our country honestly and not see that somebody , maybe a few people conspired to commit fraud, something is lacking.Jessee Ventura perhaps has a big ego. That seems to often go with leadership. Who else is leading?

Back when most progressives were criticizing Michael Moore...that was about all they could hang on him. He is about the most unassuming public figure in existence. Cindy Shaheen...what was it with her? Ego? When someone is right, and the right can't find anything to criticize, it is always ego.

[2Design]

31. need those with money to fight this sexual abuse to fly crap

[defendandprotect]

36. And... the other side of the coin is, how many people want these jobs where you

have your hands all over other people's private parts?

No exactly like prison strip searches -- but who would want to spend their

days this way?

While also acknowledging that there would be some who would -- and would

probably get the jobs.

[defendandprotect]

32. Good for Ventura -- but should our Congress and president being saying that -- ???

[sarcasmo]

38. Regardless of how you feel about Jesse he has some balls to take on this fight.

[lutefisk]

76. I'm sure the TSA would agree. After all, they've seen them as well as felt them...nt

[blackspade]

39. Its time for this theater show to close.

[molly77]

73. Like so many are speaking out about our unique brand of fascism.

The precious few who are should not speak out? You like being patted down and groped? Puhleeze

[blackspade]

78. You misunderstand!

The security theater must end. It does nothing to make us safer.
Homeland Security is just another way to instill fear into the public to cover the erosion of our civil liberties.

[pezDispenser]

40. I don't agree with Ventura on much

but this I do. Thank you for doing this Jesse.

[InvisibleTouch]

41. Good! We need someone visible who's not afraid to create a ruckus...

...to take on this insanity. Hope others will join him!

[CLANG]

42. Jessie for President!

[varkam]

44. I'm all for sticking it to the TSA, but...

the government gets to search you without a warrant or any sort of probable cause just by virtue of your intent to board a plane. While I agree with the thrust of the complaint, I'm not sure the judiciary is going to be a fruitful venue to push for any sort of meaningful change.

[Peggy Day]

67. By virtue of you shopping, they must have "probable cause"

http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2011/01/dc-expanding-its-public-surveillance-camera-network#ixzz1Bj2Y8blj

Are you scared yet? Maybe if you were pregnant and didn't know it, you may think differently-oops sorry you were pregnant when we zapped your body with xrays.
Travel a lot? Sorry you came down with cancer from too many xrays.

Or maybe you'd like to be fined $11,000 for refusing scanners.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-11-20/business/sfl-airport-scans-pat-downs-refual-20101121_1_tsa-airport-checkpoint-sari-koshetz

They can see your private parts very clearly. Thus:

http://www.flyingpasties.com/

This whole thing is disgusting. I am against this-I will take my chances.
Did you know Michael Chertoff has an interest in the company that makes these thing?

http://gawker.com/5437499/why-is-michael-chertoff-so-excited-about-full+body-scanners

[varkam]

80. No, not quite,

When you enter a public space, you lose a certain amount of interest in your privacy -- simply by virtue of you being in a public space. Creepy or no, the government doesn't need probable cause to put up surveillance cameras in public places.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying that I'm hunky-dory with these scanners -- all I'm saying is that this method of challenging them is not likely to succeed.

[Peggy Day]

90. 4th amendment null and void then? nt

[varkam]

92. No....

when you enter a public space, the government's observation of you is not a "search" as contemplated by the Fourth Amendment.

[krabigirl]

45. K&R. Great news.

[RantinRavin]

47. This about says it all

[mnhtnbb]

57. LOL. Good one.

[Kurovski]

75. Only three natural blondes?

That's not fair, sometimes the drapes are lighter due to sunlight exposure.

[katty]

48. go Jesse! TSA's next move could be the anal probe-sickening

[KansDem]

49. But...but...think of the investors!

Michael Certoff's investors of Rapiscan!

If we do away with the porno-scanners, then "Shirtoff" and his ilk will lose hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts!

[joeglow3]

52. Is flying a right?

As much as I agree with him, I don't see him having a shot in hell of winning.

[midnight]

53. I don't think his problem is with flying. It is the part prior to flying...

[GoneOffShore]

55. Freedom of movement is a right.

The TSA is trying to restrict that at airports, train stations, bus stations and soon a shopping mall near you.

They've had several go's at general aviation(private pilots) and lost. They'll be inspecting you as you board a cruise ship soon.

Stand up to them every time.

[harvey007]

54. Jesse Ventura is a true hero and patriot

All liberty-loving Americans need to rally around him.

We are sinking into a tyrannical police state more quickly than most people realize.

If TSA is allowed to get away with this abuse of federal power, it's only going to get worse.

Go Jesse!


:headbang: :yourock: :patriot:

[mnhtnbb]

56. Good for Jesse. Both hubby and I have hip replacements and hubby

was subjected to humiliating--in full view of everyone--groping of genitals
at LaGuardia last spring! This was PRIOR to the new rules
and hubby expected the same kind of wand/pat-downs he'd previously had.

For some reason, my hip replacement no longer sets off alarms EVERY time
at every airport.

Raleigh/Durham--our home airport-- has the new body scanners. Not wanting
to be felt up, I went through the scanner last time I flew.

[2Design]

70. I would rather be in full view so they don't do worse NEVER go off

to a private room with a stranger - it is your word against theirs

the pat downs = sexual assault
same as the enhance interogation = torture

They can reword it but it is assault

[lordsummerisle]

77. Thank you Jesse

The more high-profile types get involved with this discussion the better.

[Chalco]

79. Obama's spending cuts

I just heard on the news that Obama was going to put a spending freeze on everything but security.

Welcome to the comeback of George W. Bush.

[customerserviceguy]

82. Finally, an American hero emerges to challenge this nonsense

I wouldn't have guessed it would have been Jesse Ventura, but I'll take my champions where I find them.

[LibDemAlways]

88. Anyone who sues TSA is a hero in my book. The sooner those

thugs disappear, the better.

[SkyDaddy7]

83. I can't stand Jesse Ventura!

It is cool he is going after the TSA I guess but he has been promoting FEMA CAMPS on his show along with the other IDIOT Alex Jones! They both are scum!

[AllyCat]

89. He's right. I can't believe I agree with him on anything, but he is right.

I hope he wins.

[MisterP]

91. well, things are only unconstitutional if it's the wrong party doing it

if it's a deficit under a Democratic Prez (no matter who ran it up), the GOP pisses itself
had McCain pushed mandated purchase of the vampire corporations' product, we'd be going Cairo right now instead of piously saying that Cuccinelli dislikes it and the Sainted Founding Fathers in 1798 were all for breaking the Constitution, and running cartoons with the GOP trying to pull the plug on someone's healthcare

[sarcasmo]

93. Kick.

[Odin2005]

94. Jesse has an over-inflated ego, but he's right, here.