Blogger Jonathan Corbett is suing the TSA… are you?
All we can think, really, is; why aren’t everyone” doing that?
There’s a lot of criticism towards the TSA flying around both the internet and in conventional, printed form, and it’s getting increasingly hard to find any support for the massive US Government agency. That is also why we’re not linking to any of it here – we could probably place one link in each letter in this post and still not manage to include even a fraction of the articles, papers, blog posts, editorials, documents and commentaries that deal with the negative sides of the TSA. Instead, there’s a question that should be haunting anyone who has experienced the TSA, or even heard of and is in a position to do it: Why aren’t everyone suing the TSA?
The question is a little strange, since the US is well known for its legal system and the system’s succeptibility to frivolous lawsuits. We’re not saying that suing the TSA is that, but when you can successfully sue a restaurant for massive damages because their coffee was too hot, then kicking the TSA’s ass for breach of the 4th amendment to the US consitution (a.o.) should be a cakewalk. Why? Because hot coffee is not just a raunchy GTA secret, it’s also a matter of opinion, while there is evidence piled to the ceiling every day of what the TSA does.
Jonathan Corbett – we wrote about him; he’s the guy with the video that proves a major flaw in the full body scanner technology, both x-ray backscatter versions and millimeter wave – is doing something about that. He’s suing the TSA on a number of counts, and is including a named TSA manager, Broward county and the US (since it’s a federal agency), both for money and admissions. Which is only right.
The US constitution and amendments gives the citizens a wealth of rights in addition to the obligations, and when those rights are being violated, such as the would seem to be in the operations of the TSA (a federal agency), then citizens shouldn’t just stand by. When that federal agency also decides to threaten the media, the by far strongest power of critique that exists, then it should be a definite sign to the citizens that something is horribly wrong.
So what can/should you do? Here’s the answer from Jonathan Corbett’s blog:
Q. How can I sue the TSA?
A. If the TSA has wronged you, it is possible to sue them and win. I’m not an attorney and cannot give you legal advice, but I can suggest that some of the first things you need to do are to file Freedom of Information Act requests to get any evidence (especially video), and to file a notice of claim with the agency (you have limited time!). Read up on the Federal Tort Claims Act and Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents for more details. As best I am aware, you must file in federal court — your local small claims court won’t do. You should be aware that it’s a long process, and not worth starting if you don’t intend to follow through with significant research and writing, or pay a lawyer to do so.Q. What can I do to help?
A. Contact your Representatives and Senators and ask them to take a look at the video and then remove all funding for the body scanners. Additionally, there’s adonation link to contribute towards helping my lawsuit seeking injunction against the TSA’s nude body scanners and genital groping make it to the U.S. Supreme Court for the win. Filing is expensive, printing and mailing is expensive (in SCOTUS, documents must be filed with 40 copies — no joke!), and I’ve taken hundreds of hours off of work to get things done so far. It’s important that we go after the TSA from all angles and simultaneously prove to Congress, the courts, and the public that the scanners are unsafe, ineffective, and invasive, and your support — either financially, in the form of calling your representatives, protesting, or whatever you can and choose to do – helps this to happen.
(More excellent commentary here!)
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