Airport Security is an Expensive Farce

SACRAMENTO, CA - An airline pilot is being disciplined by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for posting video on YouTube pointing out what he believes are serious flaws in airport security. The 50-year-old pilot, who lives outside Sacramento, asked that neither he nor his airline be identified. He has worked for the airline for more than a decade and was deputized by the TSA to carry a gun in the cockpit. He is also a helicopter test pilot in the Army Reserve and flew missions for the United Nations in Macedonia.

Three days after he posted a series of six video clips recorded with a cell phone camera at San Francisco International Airport, four federal air marshals and two sheriff's deputies arrived at his house to confiscate his federally-issued firearm. The pilot recorded that event as well and provided all the video to News10. At the same time as the federal marshals took the pilot's gun, a deputy sheriff asked him to surrender his state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon. A follow-up letter from the sheriff's department said the CCW permit would be reevaluated following the outcome of the federal investigation.

The YouTube videos, posted Nov. 28, show what the pilot calls the irony of flight crews being forced to go through TSA screening while ground crew who service the aircraft are able to access secure areas simply by swiping a card. "As you can see, airport security is kind of a farce. It's only smoke and mirrors so you people believe there is actually something going on here," the pilot narrates.

Video shot in the cockpit shows a medieval-looking rescue ax available on the flight deck after the pilots have gone through the metal detectors. "I would say a two-foot crash ax looks a lot more formidable than a box cutter," the pilot remarked. A letter from the TSA dated Dec. 6 informed the pilot that "an administrative review into your deputation status as a Federal Flight Deck Officer has been initiated." According to the letter, the review was directly related to the discovery by TSA staff of the YouTube videos. "The content and subject of these videos may have violated regulations concerning disclosure of sensitive security information," the letter said.

The pilot's attorney, Don Werno of Santa Ana, said he believed the federal government sent six people to the house to send a message. "And the message was you've angered us by telling the truth and by showing America that there are major security problems despite the fact that we've spent billions of dollars allegedly to improve airline safety," Werno said. The pilot said he is not in trouble with his airline, but a supervisor asked him to remove public access to the YouTube videos. He does, however, face potential civil penalties from the TSA. He said he would likely go public when it becomes clear what the government plans to do with him.

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=113529&catid=2

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Dream Act = Yesterday's Nightmare

Your dream is going to wait and, yes, if your came here illegally, you have committed a crime and thus, you are a criminal. Sorry, but you must obey the laws here.

Webster's dictionary: Illegal ~ 1. unlawful; 2. illegitimate; 3. criminal 4. illicit; 5. unlicensed.

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In a final showdown on immigration legislation, the Senate on Saturday blocked a bill to grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant children and young adults, likely taking the issue off the table for several years.

Known as the DREAM Act, the bill would have immediately legalized many illegal immigrants between 16 and 30, and would have offered a path to citizenship to some of them.

It was halted by a Republican-led, bipartisan filibuster, with senators saying they think voters want to see border security before any legalization.

"You're wasting your time," Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said. "We're not going to pass the Dream Act or any other legalization program until we secure our borders."

Hundreds of students, some of whom would benefit from the bill, packed the chamber's public gallery to observe the vote, with many of them wearing graduation caps on their heads.

They had spent weeks making visits to lawmakers' offices, pleading for action, and had their hopes raised last week when the House passed the bill — but were disappointed by Saturday's vote.

Sen. Richard J. Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who has led the fight to pass the immigration bill, pointed to them before the vote, urging his colleagues to have compassion for their plight.

"These people have been waiting for more than 10 years. Their lives hang in the balance," he said.

The final Senate vote was 55-41, leaving them five votes shy of the 60 needed to overcome the filibuster. Five Democrats voted for the Republican-led filibuster, while three Republicans joined Democrats in trying to move the bill through the chamber.

ANOTHER SOLDIER FIGHTS FOR HIS FREEDOM.

PFC David Lawrence is an American soldier from Indiana. David is 20 years old. He is accused of premeditated murder for the alleged shooting of Mullah Muhibullah on Oct. 17 while guarding him in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Mullah Muhibullah was a senior Taliban commander and had been captured by U.S. forces the day before his death. Muhibullah's death was announced by an angry Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Oct. 19. Formal charges were filed against PFC Lawrence the same day, Oct. 19.

PFC Lawrence was medivaced out of Afghanistan on Oct. 24, and he arrived at Fort Carson, Colo. on Nov. 6. Though the Army had ordered a sanity inquiry on Nov. 5 to determine PFC Lawrence’s mental status and whether he is suffering from a major mental defect or disease, the Army decided not to wait for that answer before initiating the court-martial process in PFC Lawrence’s case. When the Army scheduled PFC Lawrence’s Article 32 Investigation (the equivalent to a preliminary hearing) for Nov. 29, the defense submitted two separate requests for a delay to enable the psychiatrists to determine PFC Lawrence’s mental status. Both delay requests were denied.

"We are going to an Article 32 for a kid who is hearing voices," James Culp, PFC Lawrence's attorney, said. The Article 32 Investigation proceeded on Nov 29 and 30. As a result of his medication regiment, which includes the strongest does available of the drug prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia, PFC Lawrence regularly fell asleep during the legal hearing that would ultimately decide if he will be court-martialed for premeditated murder. The "minimum" sentence for premeditated murder in the U.S. military is confinement for life. The maximum sentence is the death by execution.

Mr. Culp also said he was concerned the Army might be rushing the case to court-martial to appease Karzai. On Dec. 3, President Barak Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan to calm the tensions between the U.S. and Afghanistan that had been exacerbated by the killing of Taliban Commander Mullah Muhibullah. On the same day it was reported by Reuters that President Karzai and his brother have received large payments from the Taliban for the release of key Taliban prisoners. Coincidentally, on July 7, 2007, the Pajhwok Afghan News Agency reported that Muhibullah, Mullah Omar’s secretary, had already been captured. Neither U.S. nor Afghanistan officials have released any information about the process by which Muhibullah re-entered the stream of insurgency to kill and maim U.S. forces fighting in Afghanistan.

Less than a week before the shooting, PFC Lawrence was examined by psychiatrists and given drugs for depression and sleeplessness. Days later, he was put on guard duty at a detention center in the Arghandab district of Kandahar province, despite having no training for it.

Even before David requested to be taken for treatment to a combat stress clinic in Kandahar, David was reporting to his mother and father that he was hearing voices that were “freaking him out.” David subsequently reported to his family that his reoccurring hallucinations include seeing soldiers who had died in Afghanistan, including Capt. Dale Goetz. He told his father "... he could see the chaplain with only half a head remaining," Capt. Dale Goetz was a chaplain in the 4th Infantry Division for the 66th Armor Regiment’s 1st Battalion based out of Ft. Carson, Colorado. Capt. Goetz is the first Army chaplain killed in combat in 40 years. Capt. Goetz was David's friend. It was a known fact that David was closer to the chaplain than anyone else in the platoon.

This young man comes from a wonderful family and has very loving, caring parents who are undoubtedly afraid of what lies ahead. This is going to be a lengthy battle. Costs for specialists, travels to and from Colorado and all the costs involved with repeated weeklong stays there, medical evaluations and doctors are adding up.

This family needs help. Please show your support of PFC David Lawrence by making a contribution to his defense fund:

United Community Bank
19710 Stateline Road
Lawrenceburg, IN 47025

Please make checks payable to "FOB PFC David W. Lawrence" Contributions can also be sent via paypal using the e-mail address: pfcdavidlawrence@yahoo.com

Any contribution, no matter how small is huge to the Lawrence family. Please keep PFC Lawrence and family in your prayers.

pel

A federal judge dismissed part of the U.S. Justice Department's challenge to Arizona's new immigration law.

Another victory for the survival of America as we know it!

Arizona regained its footing in court Friday when a federal judge dismissed parts of the U.S. Justice Department's challenge to the state's new immigration law and rejected several claims made by Hispanic activists and Phoenix police officers.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton's ruling on Friday struck down the federal government's challenge to the portion of the law that prohibits the transport of illegal immigrants.

It also rejected a challenge from Phoenix police officers and an advocacy group called Chicanos Por La Causa who argued that the cops could be sued for racial profiling if they enforced the law or lose their jobs if they didn't.

It is great to help people, but we just can't afford to take care of people coming here illegally (which demonstrates total disregard for our laws), taking jobs from our own citizens, sending most of their money out of the country, not paying taxes and receiving all kinds of benefits from the taxpayers.

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Federal judge in Virginia ruled that part of the new health care reform law is unconstitutional.

A federal judge in Virginia just ruled that a major component of the new health care reform law is unconstitutional. This is a major victory for the survival of our economy and for common sense. Judge Henry E. Hudson ruled for the state's claim that the requirement for people to purchase health care exceeds the power of Congress under the Constitution's Commerce Clause or under the General Welfare Clause. It is so wonderful to see a judge with courage, brains and values.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/13/federal-judge-rules-favor-virginia-challenge-health-care-law/

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