Modesty, bodily privacy, and human dignity…
The international press and the blogosphere has been full of news items about banning the burqa in various European countries. (Phyllis Chesler offers many strong arguments in favor of banning the burqa.) This is part of the ongoing controversies regarding shari’a law and Muslim demands for the veiling, isolation, and abuse of women under the pretexts of honor, shame, and “modesty.”
Such intrusive demands for us to change our ways to accommodate Muslim gender apartheid have nothing to do with modesty as we know it in a society founded upon Judaeo-Christian principles. In fact, the Muslim idea of “modesty” is the very antithesis of ours.
For Muslims, veiling the female body to the point of anonymity with the chador, the niqab, or the burqa, becomes a denial of human dignity and a denial of the equal value of men and women in the eyes of our Creator.
For us, decent clothing for all people – including men, women, and children – is a basic requirement of human dignity. Rabbi Daniel Lapin recently appeared on the Glenn Beck show, where he said that, according to the Torah, clothing the naked is an even more meritorious deed than feeding the hungry, because clothing is essential to human dignity.
…versus totalitarianism
The news is also filled with controversy about the recent TSA “naked body scan” and “crotch grope” policies for passengers boarding aircraft in US airports.
I should not need to remind our misguided policymakers that, even in athletic venues such as the gym and the beach, practicing Christians and Jews of both sexes and all ages cover the buttocks and genitalia, and females of all ages cover the chest. This, of course, is the minimum; in other venues, we cover a larger portion of our bodies, dressing in whatever manner is appropriate for the circumstances. We do this to preserve our own dignity as human beings created in the Lord’s own image, and to avoid distracting others with inappropriate temptations.
Despite the recent policies of the TSA, we consider staring at, touching, or groping the private parts of a stranger to be taboo. It is also taboo to peep at, or photograph, a stranger in the nude or even in his or her undergarments. If a private citizen did such things, he or she would end up in prison, and rightly so. Government employees should be under the same rules as the rest of us.
Stripping an unwilling person of his or her clothing, as is commonly done with prisoners, is a deep insult that is intended to shame and dehumanize. The person stripped naked is exposed to ridicule and abuse, and has lost control of his or her fate. Even though I suppose someone will invoke Godwin’s Law, I cannot help but be reminded of the naked prisoners in concentration camp photos from the Third Reich. Yes, there is such a thing as a slippery slope, in which we allow our government to get out of control and to become totalitarian. This is a path that we must never take.
Airline boycott?
Rep. Ron Paul has recently complained of having been repeatedly groped in a “disgusting” manner while flying on official state business, on account of the fact that he has metal in his knees. He rightly points out that this is unconstitutional. He recommends that, whenever we can, we use other means of transportation and not fly on commercial aircraft until this intrusive nude scan/crotch grope policy is discontinued. He also favors a national “opt out” day. Even though readers of this blog, including myself, strongly disagree with Ron Paul on many other things, on this particular point I concur that he is right in saying that the current TSA procedures are an unacceptable governmental intrusion into our personal modesty and dignity and our Constitutional rights.
I recognize that the current scan-and-grope TSA policy is the fault of the Obama Administration and not of the airlines. While that is true, at this point, the only effective way we have of making our anger known to the government is to refuse to participate in their totalitarian activities. Wherever possible, I plan to use other means of transportation that are not yet under this level of government intrusion.
Tags: airline boycott, aviation, backscatter, Burqa, chador, crotch grope, Glenn Beck, modesty, naked scanner, niqab, nudity, Phyllis Chesler, Privacy, public nudity, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Ron Paul, Transportation, TSA, US constitution
Even to consider not doing a pat down of a “person” in a burqa is such an insult to me. Why the hell do they think we are doing this in the first place? Could it be that Muslims are the people that are attacking us????? If you come to the airport in a burqa you should be profiled.
@ BBEV:
That is the most infuriating thing about this, and why I keep saying this is not about security at all. This is Obama punishing America for daring to vote against him and he is showing us who is boss. That is what it is all about. Power and control.
ADMINS: This thread and the “Friday with the ‘hammer” thread got scheduled at almost the same time. Please fix this. Thanks!
@ 1389AD:
ok
@ coldwarrior:
Damn. I hope you didn’t lose my last comment
According to the news bimbo on fOX this morning its no big deal and most Americans are ok with being assaulted for safety. What???
***krauthammer thread got moved to 1500 as this current thread was scheduled for this ahead of mr hammer.***
Excellent commentary from one of our blogrolls, Reaganite Republican Resistance, from yesterday.
More to come?
lemme go ask my neighbor, a usair mechanic, what he thinks of idiot ron paul’s idea of an airline boycott…
vagabond trader wrote:
Foxnew’s is pushing the official Marxist state propaganda line, they sold out. Fox is now just another member of The Fifth Column Treasonous Media.
@ vagabond trader:
I posted a couple days ago that a friend of mine had heard that only 20% of American’s were against the new TSA actions.
Can’t blame the employees, they’re just doing their jobs. We can, and should, blame the upper echelon of TSA, Homeland Security, and the administration.
Has the ACLU started filing lawsuits yet? If they have, it’ll be one of the first times I’d be willing to back them up on something.
vagabond trader wrote:
That’s kinda how I feel. Now do I think the scanners and the pat downs are the answer no, but I have no real problem with either. To bad the boobs doing it are untrained morons and we don’t profile, but that’s another story.
Al Qaeda responds to the TSA measures.
@ Nevergiveup:
You’re ok with your daughters being groped?
Whatever man.
the plan from the 0 is working perfectly…these new measures will get us off target so we fight each other and lose sight that muslim men from the age of 18-35 are the prime terrorists.
coldwarrior wrote:
I beg to differ, Obama is the prime terrorist, hell he might as well be Osama Bin Ladens right hand man, or for that matter his new replacement, muslim men from the age of 18-35 are the prime delivery system.
@ coldwarrior:
Some of us know exactly what the agitator in chief and his henchmen are up to.This has nothing to do with public safety.
Meanwhile our borders remain wide open and when AZ dares enforce the laws it gets hit with all the weight of DoJ.
@ coldwarrior:
Obama is over 35
@ unspecial:
@ doriangrey:
he is doing exactly what he said he would, fundamentally change america…meanwhile we have bozo’s like ron paul talking about boycotting airlines and taking food off the table for the airline employees.
These intrusive “pat downs” really are not about security. If
this was a serious effort we would be profiling at least based on
observable conduct.
Napalitano would not even confirm that there would not be a “Muslim”
exemption (Pistole did, but he reports to Napaliitano)
This is about forcing the American people to submit & to see how
much BHO can dominate.
Oh & good morning.
On subject and off a bit but it all ties in.
The two most commie loons of the family, both live 100% now and forever off the trust and the mother of all moon bats my aunt.
The sister, the 50 year old Austin Tex one whose only appointment each week is the AA/NA meeting she missleads.
“Well I guess your happy now that you helped get all those teabagger retards elected into the Texas House and in D.C.,,,uh, give you more cover for your excuses for all those gas hog trucks you drive.”
The son, the 48 year old “dance shoe/dance instructor”, who goes to dance gettogethers at malls around the country and lives in the small travel trailer his mother and step father gave him.
“So, I guess your still supporting the killing in Iraq and Afganistan,” if your so hot at it and have so much experiance why don’t you get a job at the killer civilian corps Bush and Cheney set up Blackwater?”
They all spent the night over in Dallas with the ACLU lawyer they hand out with and are due back when my brother and sister and their worthless 50 year old wayoffspings arrive for the annual “where’s my check” meeting.
Our share of the next generation are up in Dillion Colorado doing the down hill thing and will phone in to say happy, happy. They do not care to much for the drama.
later
later
This is what I’m talking about.
vagabond trader wrote:
Would I be happy about it? Not particularly, but at the same time I do not want them blown up at 35,000 feet. I’d much rather they profile and question like EL AL does, but at this point that is not in the cards.
I think it is all the same jihad.
The terrorist muslims attack, the moderates deny.
The Democrats want to make our response so expensive and exasperating that we just quit.
They are fighting in the “War on Terror”, just not on our side.
coldwarrior wrote:
Yes, and perhaps we should be giving serious consideration to where his increased dehumanization and Stasi like restrictions on public fourth amendment Constitutional rights are really leading.
What was it you asked me the other day? Where do I sign up? How did the citizens of the Confederate States know where to sign up? and when it really was time to do so?
People who travel infrequently don’t give it a lot of thought, so
I don’t consider the polls very valueable.
Frequent flyers like me have witnessed outrages against the American
people, old ladies & children & everything in between being actually
sexually assaulted.
This meme “Well, you don’t have to fly” is a load of crap.
If you have to be in California departing Chicago in the afternoon,you really have to fly , you can’t invest three business
days to drive.
unspecial wrote:
Are you sure??
BBEV wrote:
Well physically anyways, mentally, absolutely not, fucking spoiled 12 year old.
@ doriangrey:
I would like to see Our President roughing it in Alaska.
2010 came and the results where better than expected for U.S..
2012 will come and the commie hate America Democrats have Pelosi, Reid, Obama in the lead still. The 2012 results are all that count.
Its about the turn out and canidates we get elected in 2012, all this other shit is just a distraction. Get in the local party deals, get active in your precienct’s, get to know who is the best state rep, state senator, U.S. house canidate’s, U.S. Senate canidate’s and work for the correct aka best of the lot. Find ways to distupt the commie Democrats, get inside their meetings undercover of being a moonbat too. We all know the code words and who to pretend to hate, and can babble off the loon global warming talking points better than most of them. Just get a ACLU bumper sticker that is easy to put off and on and get inside their camp. Push them as far left as possible so’s it is easier to win out over them.
like that
unspecial wrote:
Fuck that, I’d like to see the son of a bitch dropped off near the Pakistani border right after a particularly successful predator raid.
@ doriangrey:
‘Spoiled 12 year old’ is a bit generous, IMHO.
Five, maybe.
@ doriangrey:
It’d be like Brier Rabbit in the brier patch, “Haw Haw Dorian, this is the safest place in the world for Me!”.
I expect to see President Obama making videos with Osama after 2012.
@ RIX:
Forget that – try driving to Beijing.
So TSA does profile. Sheer genius.
btw,I thought cong-critters have been exempted from invasive body searches.Something to do with….. oh yeah,dividing and conquering.
mfhorn wrote:
Nope, 5 year old’s just want what they want, they’re not devious enough yet to be vindictive when they don’t get it.
@ taxfreekiller:
I can’t even fake it in a chatroom.
@ doriangrey:
Good point.
@ unspecial:
Yeah, I’d be in the same boat.
@ vagabond trader:
Reminds me of the age old advice, “Just lie back and think of England”.
Nevergiveup wrote:
That is the only real answer toterrorism. The other stuff is window dressing.
Mike
wrote:
And taht’s where their arguement falls apart. Flying is a necissity
for many people. Molestation is not part of the deal.
Everyday Americans are being punished but the RoPers are being
kowtowed to.
I honestly can’t remember even one M.E male being hassled at the
airports since 9/11.
ya know if these TSA pat downs are necessary & no big deal, BHO
should lead by example.
How about he, that thing that he’s married to, Sasha, Malia & Moma
Robinson go through it?
They could have the whole thing done publicly, even televised.
@ PaladinPhil:
lol,isn’t it odd how they respond to what they consider offensive t-shirts but the obvious threat is ignored.
OT:
Iran, North Kora, Cuba lecture the US on Human Rights
@ RIX:
Yup. Off to the airport Monday to head back to Houston. That’s two long days of driving, one way, and I’m getting too old for that crap.
doriangrey wrote:
trains, ferrys, crossing state lines, getting on and off limited access highways, random ‘safety checks’ on the highways…
@ taxfreekiller:
Here is your inspiration, you are a government union employee in a big city, where crime is so bad you live in fear. You hate people who drive pickup trucks, are faithful to thier spouse and go to church. You fear guns, and if you had one, you would go to work and shoot everybody there.
You believe the Earth is god, and human beings are ruining it.
Thats right, humans are evil, unless thier communist, or criminals or part of a death cult, or part of the super smart, rich, leftist ruling class.
on and on and on
I drive when I can , just to avoid the airport hassle.
Some drives are just too long though.
Aviation is really going to suffer if they don’t modify these
procedures.
@ mfhorn:
You could put that stuff on President Obama’s teleprompter and he would get standing ovations from our fellow Americans.
@ RIX:
My sympathies for you having to endure this bs RIX.Despite the inconvenience and intrusion you must feel safer,right?///
coldwarrior wrote:
Welcome to the United States of
AmericaEast Germany, please enjoy your stay, you’re going to be here a while… And we WILL be watching your every move.Hi Trader. Oh yeah, feeling perfectly safe now./
@ Speranza:
More like window un-dressing.
doriangrey wrote:
the irony of this is that i left east germany in 1990!
its baaaack!
coldwarrior wrote:
It followed you…
Didn’t they ever teach you to make sure you weren’t being tailed? Or how to shake a tail?
doriangrey wrote:
shake a tail? i’m not a very good dancer, i’m afraid.
coldwarrior wrote:
I bet you failed anti-counter surveillance 101 too.
doriangrey wrote:
nope, that was easy…i failed ballroom dancing.
heh, we used to mess with the russians and east germans something fierce…
coldwarrior wrote:
Who wads messin with whom? apparently you lead them right here… Good lookin out there CW…
fiendish plan!
now this is funny
the backyard brawl is on…pitt v. wvu.
hail to pitt! (one day they will fire wanstedt and pitt will be good again)
TSA Groping and Obama’s Black Revenge Narrative….
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/11/tsa_groping_and_obamas_black_r.html
@ NoThreat2U:
yep, we have been outlining that same thing here as well, too bad more peeps arent in the loop
@ coldwarrior:
I saw that article last night. Makes sense to me.
When Wanstedt coached the Bears, he was frustrating.
He seems like a nice guy that just doesn’t get it.
RIX wrote:
totally predictable in every facet of the game.
wins enough of the big games to keep his job, loses games he should win. pitt will never get back on top with him as coach. he is an awesome recruiter tho.
What’s with their uniforms? Both sides. Their helmets look different and WV colors look washed out.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/architecture/temple-grandin-interview-airport-security
How Animal Behavior Scientist Temple Grandin Would Fix Airport Security
Many travelers feel more like cattle than people when they fly for the holidays—and the TSA’s new body imaging machines have added another irritating layer to the mix. Popular Mechanics spoke with Temple Grandin—a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University whose insights into animal behavior have led to redesigns of slaughterhouses that have made them both more efficient and more humane—to get some out-of-the-box ideas on how to make the process less intrusive.
I thought this was an interesting article in Popular Mechanics magazine.
So, it has come to this. Animal Behavior Scientist.
@ taxfreekiller:
I’ve figured it out! You’re Lewd Wank van Spank! That is what you are doing, being as crazy Left as possible, and Chuckles bought it! Good show. You had me fooled. I thought “he” really believed all that shit
coldwarrior wrote:
That’s the entire point of the boycott idea. Put the screws on the airlines and their employees hard enough, and they, in turn, will pressure the government and the TSA to end the intrusive security theater.
It’d be nice if you could boycott TSA, but you can’t, so have to settle for a target you can reach. If the airline employees suffer because of this, all I can say is, hopefully, if a boycott develops, it accomplishes its purpose in a short time, and things get back to normal.
coldwarrior
69 | November 26, 2010 12:29
Wanstedt used to meet Ditka for dinner all of the time.
It seemed like he wanted Ditka to console him, while the
media picked on him. The media was really tough on him.
NoThreat2U wrote:
wvu is in cammo trim, they are bow hunting, i think
Alberta Oil Peon wrote:
and the govt will listen?
i’m sorry, that isnt going to happen.
@ coldwarrior:
Not sure if I like the look or not. Nice TD by Pitt. I guess I can be nice to Pitt today. lol
RIX wrote:
ditka is a pitt grad, he’s from right down the road here, i met him a couple o times. nice guy.
@ Alberta Oil Peon:
and…i am not so sure that the govt would like to cripple and then take over the airline and airplane industry a la gm/chrysler as well
He is & definitely a guys guy. He was a colorful coach & could be a US Senator from Illinois if he wants it.
It would be great to see Durbin retired.
NoThreat2U wrote:
good for you!
RIX wrote:
The Penalty for Treason is death by hanging, or it should be. MOtherfucker went on the floor of the Senate and read al Qaeda propaganda into the Congressional Record, giving it the weight and voice of a US Senator speaking against our troops. He should have been stripped of office, charged with treason, tried, convicted, and been hanged by now.
Speaking of West Virginia. The Bears paly WV grad Michael Vick &
the Eagles Sunday. The Bears 85 defense were known as junk yard dawgs.
Be dawgs Sunday, snarling ,snapping dawgs & bite Vick in the ass.
Do it for dogs everywhere.
@ coldwarrior:
But you still know where my heart lies. lol
RIX wrote:
vick wen to VaTech
@ coldwarrior:
Well, the government sure as hell won’t listen to conservative-minded members of the public who complain about these intrusions, will they?
I might have a week or two of slack time coming up. I’d like to fly to Arizona for few days, but I can do without the “security theater” for what is supposed to be a pleasure trip.
So, if there is enough time, I’ll drive instead. Two and a half days of seeing the beauty of western America. Not too hard to take.
RIX wrote:
i want vick permanently maimed and broken for life after what he did
Durbin is an ass, but he is in the pocket of the unions.
After he got blow back on his remarks, he went on TV crying & begging
for forgiveness.
NoThreat2U wrote:
the penn state psu rivalry ended 15 years ago.
EUROPE
Russian parliament: Stalin ordered Katyn massacre
Ah Socialism at it’sbest
@ RIX:
its a typical wanstedt team on the field, pitt just isnt quite executing as well as they should…mediocrity
Yup, he doesn’t need my forgiveness & he can’t have it either.
He has shown no real remorse or even understanding for what he did.
He was not just involved in fighting the dogs , but he & his posse
tortured them.
Dogs that couldn’t fight anymore were drown , hung & electrocuted.
A lot of people have forgotten that.
Yeah, I’m watching. Wanstedt is a pretty fair football guy, but just misses.
TSA Worker Accused Of Assault Had Prior Record
Posted: 4:44 pm EST November 24, 2010
Updated: 6:56 pm EST November 24, 2010
ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News has learned a TSA security worker accused of abducting and sexually assaulting a woman had previously been convicted of misdemeanor harassment and stalking
TSA has a long list of “disqualifying offenses” for employment at the federal agency that operates airport security. Those offenses include felonies, violent crimes, theft, and crimes involving security and transportation. Regan checked the list and found that it did not include misdemeanor offenses of harassing and stalking.
@ coldwarrior:
They last played in 2000. Still gotta have a favorite team. lol
NoThreat2U wrote:
i’m a pitt grad and i root hard for psu…its a state thing now, they aint the rival, wvu and nd are
@ coldwarrior:
Oh I definitely get the Pitt – WVU rivalry. In fact, I think I like it better.
@ Nevergiveup:
oh, THAT is just perfect!
That field is a mess. They are gonna be busting their butts tomorrow after the high school games. lol
wow! what a move sunseri!!!
Ok, I think I have truly outdone myself today. If this isn’t a bitch slap of EPIC proportions then nothing is. It fit’s almost hand in glove with Elaina’s next thread.
Brittan, a haven and safe harbor for cowards and tyrants.
@ Nevergiveup:
No surprise.
RIX wrote:
6 fumbles in the first half, 3 of them turnovers by pitt, that many 100% the coaches fault, period for not practicing the basics…typical wanstedt ball.
Speaking of ND, they have a huge game with USC tomorrow night.’
I am an ND fan , but they have problems, the kid getting blown over
on the scissor lift & killed at practice & the freshman across the street at Saint Marys reporting an alleged sexuals assault by an ND
football player & then committing suicide.
The University was more concerned about bad pub & liability then
protecting these kids.
And I don’t like Brian Kelly even a little.
@ RIX:
ND has some big problems indeed.
i have no opinion on the coach, he did an awesome job at cinci u tho!
Yeah, he had a good year at Cinncinatti.
But at ND he is constantly yelling at the kids to the point
of getting redfaced. The alums are complaining about that & that
is not good. Add to that kelly has made some really stupid game costing decisions.
I want Holtze back
Everybody , enjoy your day after turkey day.
I am out to put up the Christmas lights in the freezing cold.
I either have to put them up in July , or just leave them up all year.
@ RIX:
he could control that anger.
however, calling for a college coach’s head before he gets 5 years and a chance to have his peeps run his plan is not fair.
vagabond trader wrote:
I am not okay with my husband or my stepdaughter being groped.
My husband got groped once already because he uses metal crutches. They took the crutches from him and made him stand without adequate support while they hand-frisked him in what I considered to be an excessively familiar manner. This happened before the current regs took effect. He is very pain sensitive on account of some prior injuries. He could easily have fallen and gotten hurt at the airport. Good luck getting any medical expenses back from the TSA if that happened.
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