A story came out Tuessday about American actor Alec Baldwin, who apparently sent a tweet saying that his 5-month-old daughter had been randomly selected for a pat-down.
Baldwin blamed the TSA (understandable, given the TSA’s history with children), but since he was flying from the Bahamas back to the U.S., it would’ve been the Bahamian authorities who committed the stupid and, frankly, criminal act of touching his daughter.
Airports in 14 countries are participating in the programs, which have been expanded over the last several years and have required substantial concessions from foreign leaders. In many cases they have agreed to allow American officers to be placed in the heart of their airports and to give them the authority to carry weapons, detain passengers, and pull them off flights.
Therefore, given both the TSA’s actions in the U.S. and its meddling abroad, Baldwin could be forgiven for blaming the agency for what happened to his daughter.
Regardless of which security goons did it, the touching of his daughter was wrong.
I’ve asked it before and I’ll ask it again: knowing that the TSA abuses people with impunity, why are people risking their children’s well-being? Why are they still flying with their children?
You can read various accounts of the Alec Baldwin story around the web—New York Daily News, NBC, E! Online—along with a high number of derisive comments from submissive, authoritarian-loving readers who side with the security forces and castigate Baldwin.
Ah, yes, the Land of the Free.
Lisa Simeone is a writer, editor, political activist, Glamour Girl, and radio host. She publishes ABombazine, where this originally appeared.
RSS
Alec Baldwin’s infant daughter—‘randomly selected’?
Posted on January 30, 2014 by Lisa Simeone
Baldwin blamed the TSA (understandable, given the TSA’s history with children), but since he was flying from the Bahamas back to the U.S., it would’ve been the Bahamian authorities who committed the stupid and, frankly, criminal act of touching his daughter.
People should know, however, that the TSA does indeed have its tentacles in security in other countries. The TSA routinely sends staff to foreign countries to “train” other security agencies. DHS even supplies American officers to work at foreign checkpoints and dictate how security is conducted. Many people have experienced this U.S.-manded security, including me.
Airports in 14 countries are participating in the programs, which have been expanded over the last several years and have required substantial concessions from foreign leaders. In many cases they have agreed to allow American officers to be placed in the heart of their airports and to give them the authority to carry weapons, detain passengers, and pull them off flights.
Therefore, given both the TSA’s actions in the U.S. and its meddling abroad, Baldwin could be forgiven for blaming the agency for what happened to his daughter.
Regardless of which security goons did it, the touching of his daughter was wrong.
I’ve asked it before and I’ll ask it again: knowing that the TSA abuses people with impunity, why are people risking their children’s well-being? Why are they still flying with their children?
You can read various accounts of the Alec Baldwin story around the web—New York Daily News, NBC, E! Online—along with a high number of derisive comments from submissive, authoritarian-loving readers who side with the security forces and castigate Baldwin.
Ah, yes, the Land of the Free.
Lisa Simeone is a writer, editor, political activist, Glamour Girl, and radio host. She publishes ABombazine, where this originally appeared.