Jun 22nd, 2009
Posted by Rachel Myers, ACLU at 4:17pm	Technology and Liberty

TSA Search Case on CNN

On Friday, Steve Bierfeldt, treasurer of Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty, and Larry Schwartztol, fearless ACLU attorney, appeared on CNN to talk about our new lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security.

We filed the lawsuit on Steve's behalf after he was detained in a small room at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and interrogated by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials for nearly half an hour for passing a metal box containing cash through a security checkpoint X-ray machine. He was carrying the cash in connection with his duties as the Director of Development for the Campaign for Liberty, a political organization that grew out of Congressman Ron Paul's presidential campaign.

We wrote about the case on Thursday. The CNN segment further underscores the TSA "mission creep" – using post-9/11 heightened security measures as an excuse to exceed their search authority – to which Steve was subjected. Watch it here:

Please note that by playing this clip You Tube and Google will place a long-term cookie on your computer. Please see You Tube's privacy statement on their website and Google's privacy statement on theirs to learn more. To view the ACLU's privacy statement, click here.

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1. Vic Livingston Says:
   Jun 22nd, 2009 at 5:10pm

   BULLETIN TO ACLU: TSA Is Just the TIp of the Iceberg

   DHS SECRETARY NAPOLITANO:

   DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR FUSION CENTERS ARE REALLY DOING...

   ...USING SURVEILLANCE AS PRETEXT TO HARASS AND CENSOR?

   • Is DHS secretary and Team Obama unaware? Or is telecom malicious tampering, prior restraint and censorship an indication that authoritarian bureaucrats are using the telecommunications system as an unconstitutional "control mechanism"?

   Can't seem to access, or post to, certain web sites -- especially, political sites? Or audio/video news feeds?

   Are the functions of your computer "hijacked" by third-party remote computing software? Do important email messages fail to elicit a response?

   Does your web browser suddenly and repeatedly crash for no apparent reason -- especially when you are visiting a site that focuses on politics or opinion?

   Do you often get the "endless beach ball" -- your computer simply stalls and refuses to move -- except for that constantly whirling icon?

   Are you blocked from making posts to certain web sites -- seemingly based on the content of your post? Do you receive messages like "your comment awaits moderation" ... but your comments never seem to post?

   When you hit the "submit" button to send a comment, does the browser task bar start to churn, and then suddenly reads "stopped" before resuming after a noticeable pause?

   Do political blog pages fail to update even if you hit the "refresh" button -- keeping you from making timely comments to new blog entries?

   Do cookie "blocks" show up in your "preferences" list, even though you didn't request a block, thus preventing you from access?

   Are you prevented from fully viewing public documents youy try to download
   from government web sites?

   When you post, do typos, spelling errors and other anomalies appear in your comments (after a time-delay in the posting process) -- even though you carefully proofread the submission?

   If any combination of the above happens with disturbing regularity, you could be the unwitting victim of government "fusion centers" that apparently are using internet "filtering" and real-time remote computing surveillance to censor and maliciously interfere with the telecommunications of American citizens.

   Please see this running account of an apparently "targeted" journalist and his quest to exercise his First Amendment right of free speech, and his Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures of telecommunications.

   http://blog.aclu.org/2009/01/26/internet-fi lters-voluntary-ok-not-government-mandate

   Then demand that American Civil Liberties Union renew its fight against warrantless government spying by filing a class-action suit against unconstitutional surveillance and malicious interference with personal and business telecommunications.

   Recently, while reading the ACLU blog, this reporter learned of the Bush-Cheney "doctrine" of "ideological exclusion" -- apparently used to bar political "activists" from abroad from visiting the United States.

   Could authoritarian bureaucrats be using this doctrine as a justification to censor political speech in this country?

   If you suspect the answer is "yes," please add your account to the free speech thread cited above.

   http://nowpublic.com/world/govt-fusion-center-spying-pre text-harass-and-censor

   OR (if links are corrupted / disabled):

   http://NowPublic.com/scrivener

2. Anonymous Says:
   Jun 23rd, 2009 at 8:44am

   Outrageous. Nothing short of outrageous.

   "Mission creep" is pervasive and needs to be rolled back in a big way. Thank God there are still people like Steve Bierfeldt who are willing to stand up to abuses of authority, which are so much worse that most people realize. I sometimes wonder if I'm really living in America.

3. Paen Says:
   Jun 23rd, 2009 at 1:36pm

   Once again the Departement Of Fathrerland Security is using 911 as an excuse to act like big brother.

4. anonymouse Says:
   Jun 24th, 2009 at 4:49am

   I am getting tiredof my emails being intercepted and or not geting a response or response is somewhat abnormal then what a friend would write or .they crossed a line .when will obama do something about this????

5. anonymous Says:
   Jun 25th, 2009 at 6:56pm

   Encryption is a powerful tool and you can begin using it very easily and for free.

   This link can help get you started in no time at all:
   http://enigmail.mozdev.org/documentation/quickstart.php

   Ther e is also plenty of good info at https://ssd.eff.org/

6. Roamer Says:
   Jun 25th, 2009 at 7:51pm

   Sometimes I wish smart bombs could have taken out certain Mission Creeps in the last administration so their wouldn't be so much of this crap still going on. Did the Bushies put "embedded agents" in strategic settings to keep this going to undermine the present Administration until the Reps could re-capture the White House? Maybe they don't even need the White House to achieve their own Creep.

7. anon Says:
   Jun 25th, 2009 at 8:01pm

   Go ACLU for auditing TSA and protecting our unalienable rights. The language of the officer was completely unprofessional and intentionally "harassing" in nature. I wish all the best for the ACLU to win big in this case. This respective officer should have had his employment terminated and any supporting officers should have been terminated as well. Disciplined is not enough.

8. Ric Says:
   Jun 25th, 2009 at 10:18pm

   This fight against the Almighty DHS transcends all boundaries, and people, the fight against a horrible Department and their practices is a must and have to be supported by all. Today is Stephen, tomorrow who would it be you? Me? Wake up people the DHS is not for us. Stand up and support, fight back its our right.

9. Mary S. Says:
   Jun 26th, 2009 at 12:56am

   We have been instructed that it is legal to say, "I have nothing to say," and nothing beyond that. If you have identification on you, they will just take it, I guess. My own feeling about this has been that I need to practice this script. I am accustomed to assuming the best about people. However, police in my part of the country have killed numerous people of all races and ages, and I have come to see this advice as logical.

10. anonymouse Says:
    Jun 26th, 2009 at 7:04am

    Obama has indicated that a private security force in the USA. a.k.a. "SS", secret police, and computer records of "MEDICAL INFO" DATA BASE to be used by ?, Insurance companies, gov. agency, hospitals to track your "health"... Hell!, this is just a better tool for the "for profit market insurance" too make more money off us, and keep us as "financial slaves"!. Before long the TSA will require us to show our new NHC National Health Card, before we board an airplane, or be forced to comply and submit private police interrogations.

11. Anonymous Says:
    Jun 26th, 2009 at 1:07pm

    It seems pretty bizarre that I must attempt to post this again a day after I submitted my original post. "Awaiting moderation" is a bit of an enigma on this ACLU blog. Nonetheless....

    To the commentators above, I would suggest technological tools may help you overcome some of the problems you've experienced. Email encryption is easier than many think and also free. Here is a link that can help get you started:

    http://enigmail.mozdev.org/documentation/quickstart.ph p

    Also, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has added a section to its web site called Surveillance Self Defense. It is available at https://ssd.eff.org/.

12. Betsy Says:
    Jun 29th, 2009 at 11:40pm

    Cheers to you for this lawsuit.

    I personally object to the existence of Homeland Security. I'm not even sure it is a legally created body. It came into existence after the phony-baloney 911 propaganda to cover up what really happened.

    I not only object to the existence of
    Homeland Security, I object to the name. It reminds me of NAZI Germany and the Motherland SS.

    I also object to Homeland Security and FEMA calling a good portion of Americans "terrorists". Example, Tea Party people were called terrorist or at least extremists. Who is the heck does Motherland Security think they are; certainly not freedom-loving red- blooded Americans.

    And what about all this secret "no fly" list nonsense. Keeping secret lists is what they did in NAZI Germany.

    Ever since George Bush took office the Constitution started becoming a floor mat. Quote by George Bush (almost exact)
    (Referring to the Constitution)"It's only a G--D--- piece of paper." Can you believe that came out of the mouth of a man who sought the highest office of the land and swore to uphold the Constitution.

    The lack of concern for our country, our Constitution, our economy our values continues with Mr.Obama as he continues the devastating policies initiated by Mr. Bush.

    So, I cheer the ACLU for bringing Homeland Security to task. Frankly they need a trip to the woodshed or better yet to simply be dis-banned. It is time to call a halt to this developing "police state mentality". It is time to bring out what really happened in the 9-11 attack so we can quit this charade designed to bring the USA to her feet in tyranny.

13. anon Says:
    Jun 30th, 2009 at 10:21pm

    Surveillance groups are harassing good, law-abiding American citizens. COINTELPRO, possibly? Would the ACLU please push for hearings that might expose these abusive practices?

14. William Toodle Says:
    Aug 9th, 2009 at 6:53pm

    for all that goes on in America. Why is the justice system apart of so much wrong doing. I sent my story to the FBI, I blogged on your sight, also i recently faxed my concerns to the united states Justice Deparment to Mark Gross explaining to him the lawless acts of Phoenix justice system, and the illegal bugging of my home and computer. How personal information of my was released to police by Estrella Mountain College were i attend school, how i was told by staff at Estralla College to enroll in another College after completing the year with a 2.5 GPA. I was told this for racial reasons. If we as people keep letting official who are suppose to protect Americans within the law, use the law as somthing evil then we have only ourselves to blame.If any story is worth hearing this my story is the one. but to all the agencies who droped the ball on this one keep your eyes and ears open. I was recently asked why are you so determine. this is as simple as i can put it. I don't bother people. I mind my on business. so why let people get away with old slave way of treatment of my self. one other thing i want you to know there screening my calls into my home phone illegally also the phoenix police are discouraging jobs from hireing me. These people will do anything to keep from facing there on justice. they may even kill i sent letter to the FBI explaining this. ponder this if they will enter your home bugg it illegally bugg your phone and computer. you have to ask yourself what will they do next. it seems there already out of control...... Where is American Justice.

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