If you are out there searching for ammunition for a story on how Texas has become a rogue US state, look no further than this FOXNews video with Texas state representative, David Simpson, discussing his plans for legislation that would effectively ban TSA agents from controversial pat downs at the airports in Texas unless they had probable cause – wonder what he considers probable cause in this case, is it racial profiling all over again? (
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This story is fascinating on a number of levels not to mention the interview in which he seems to contradict himself near the end, more on that later.
To begin, of course, Mr. Simpson will find himself and Texas in a particularly uncomfortable situation is this bill were to pass and be signed into law.
1) The state will have a difficult time enacting a law that supersedes laws of a Federal Agency.
If they get beyond this factor somehow...
2) The airlines that operate out of Texas will find themselves in a bind because other states may refuse to allow passengers on planes from TX from entering their airports – sort of like the way our nation forbids air traffic to our nation from countries that don't meet our federal levels of expectations in the way of security screenings.
3) Insurance agencies may refuse to insure aircrafts and flights containing passengers screened in Texas.
4) Passengers may opt not to travel to and from Texas out of fear that the TSA is not as strict as elsewhere.
Surely 2, 3, and 4 would have a gravely negative impact on the economy of Texas.
Beyond these things, as the FOXNews hosts correctly suggest, the law punishes workers for doing their federally mandated job. Are there many out there that would agree with this position? The host then follow-up with the question, "Isn't this designed to get the attention of the federal government?" Rep. Simpson says well, yes, but his answers to most of the questions are scattered and contradictory. He apparently feels the Constitution protects citizens from unwarranted searches by the government. Where was this Simpson character the day after 9/11 when terrorists armed with box cutters boarded passenger jets and used them as WMDs? Was he off owl hunting in the backwoods? Does Simpson get the concept that there are many of us out there who think the government went way overboard with the Patriot Act and Homeland Security Dept. that really don't seem to have accomplished much more than making domestic air travel a much bigger hassle than before? We were not the ones out there shouting for all this senseless security. If it occurred to no one that four men attending flight school in Minnesota with the only objective being to learn to fly and not land or take-off, then where we're at now wouldn't stop that. In any case, it's just ironic that Texans lead the nation in their right-wing zeal over patriotism and war-mongering, and here's a Republican representative out championing legislation to decrease security. Oh, the right wing, neo-conservative contradictions never cease.
Finally, let's get back to the contradictions in his statement mentioned earlier. If you watch the video which will consume approximately 4 minutes of your life, which you'll never get back, you'll hear the honorable Representative expound on the 'inappropriate touching' by TSA agents even going so far as to accuse some of them of probably liking what they are doing – a disgusting comment spurted involuntarily to be sure. You'll here him talk about how this is such a violation. Then you will hear him say that in the past month no fewer than five undercover agents have gotten through DFW security with hidden guns and what we need to be focusing on isn't pat downs but, rather, metal detectors and explosive sniffing dogs. Hopefully, the many ironies of this won't be lost on most readers especially since it's pretty well known that carrying a gun in Texas is king.