The Sound of Freedom... or What Would Saul Alinsky Do?

There has been much hubbub recently about the latest TSA screening methods: full-body scans or enhanced pat downs, sometimes both. Many Americans are questioning the appropriateness of having government bureaucrats either gaze at their private areas or grope them and their loved ones. Have we crossed the boundary of security into absurdity? Can we—should we—stand by passively while watching TSA employees grope three-year-old girls and ninety-year-old ladies? We have seen the slow creep of government intruding into far too many areas of our lives. Have we at last been burdened by the final straw of being asked to allow its agents to intrude into our boxers, briefs, and bras as well? Saying that the alternative to such pat downs is death at 30,000 feet is, quite simply, a non sequitur that we must reject.

Many have called for travelers to engage in a day of protest on November 24, 2010, the day before Thanksgiving. The plan is to have people refuse the full body scans at airport security and instead demand a pat down, thereby causing delays at security.

Although a call of action is in order, that plan is not the one to implement. Those who advocate creating delays would do well to read Rules for Radicals, a helpful primer by Saul Alinsky.

Frankly, I liked this idea overall. Using Alinsky tactics effectively against the policies of the political class gives me a certain chill when considered. (Sort of like Chrissy’s tingle, just a lot closer to the heart). The difficulty is getting a majority of folks to break free of their natural desire to be polite or anti-confrontational. I liked the “Don’t touch my junk” approach because he pointed out the absurdity of the policy, but he didn’t reach his destination and now faces, unimaginably, possible civil fines. Most importantly, however, he caught the moment on his reality recording device. Libs so hate it when reality get’s captured and broadcast to the masses. That’s a sure sign it should be happening SO much MORE. To be effective, the Balking Traveler Brigade would have to be aware how to avoid being seen as resisting the process rather than simply speaking out BOLDLY about the process to the rest of the Brigade. It doesn’t help that the ones speaking boldly up to now have been harassed by the Politburo, but that might just mean we’ve got their attention. The rest of the Brigade waiting in the cattle lanes would have to perform their CRITICAL role of documenting and spreading evidence 24x7 of our freedom of speech moments with their iPhones, vid-cams and phones. This could also help defend Brigade members who’s freedoms are abused just for exercising their 1st Amendment rights by SPEAKING BOLDLY about their rights against unreasonable search and seizure. Free speech is a powerful weapon that, if leveraged and is side-bustingly funny enough to get wide spread attention, it could further illuminate and help turn this policy and it’s dangerous proponents around 180 degrees. I could see the potential for a well produced u-tube video that gives humorous and instructive demonstrations of various methods of setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of fellow American travelers. Sounds like a job for suited for Breitbart or a few good comedians. One viral video giving the masses prime and hilarious examples of such a verbal rebellion might just be the new seeds that grow further the ranks of the Revitalized Individual Freedoms First, Remembering America’s Founding Fathers movement. RIFF, RAFF :)

Happy Holidays, and here’s to the Balking Traveler Brigade !
Charge up those spare batteries and speak BOLDLY about that blade-of-the-hand in all your cracks.

Ri4dc/

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