Lynsie Murley, an attractive young Amarillo woman, is another brave individual standing up for the civil rights and dignity of innocent travelers. Murley sued the Transportation Security Administration for an incident in which the TSA pulled down her blouse and publicly exposed her breasts during a pat-down at Texas' Corpus Christi airport in March of 2008.
After the humiliating incident, TSA workers joked with her about it. One TSA worker, who had missed the incident, told Murley he was sorry he had missed the event and would have to watch it later on security camera footage.
Rather than face the lawsuit, the TSA paid off the woman in a settlement. Apparently, the amount was nominal. According to the lawyer, the settlement was "way less" than $100,000.
Regardless of the cash amount, Lynsie Murley got a little justice out of the TSA. Most importantly, Lynsie Murley did not passively take the abuse TSA is routinely dishing out to innocent citizens. If more people stood up to the TSA, this out-of-control agency would not be tormenting innocent people so flagrantly.
If the TSA abuses you, consider suing. You might get a little money. You might get a little justice. You might even help preserve the civil rights of other people.
What does the TSA care? They get to feel you up, and when you sue, they will pay you off with taxpayer dollars. Think of it as a groping lottery you get to play every time you try to get on a plane.
Showing posts with label rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rights. Show all posts
January 13, 2011
November 22, 2010
Fly with Dignity
Photo by Max Trombly
Fly with Dignity is an activist group helping to protect the rights of innocent people wishing to travel without being photographed virtually naked or being groped by the TSA. Visit flywithdignity.org for more information.
June 22, 2009
Federal Trade Commission Plans More Control over Blogs
The Federal Trade Commission is currently making plans to exercise more control over blogs. At issue is bloggers who endorse products and services. If a blogger endorses a product or service, the FTC wants to place the blogger under scrutiny to make sure the blogger is not receiving undisclosed compensation. For example, if a mother likes a toy she bought for her kids and writes a positive article about the toy, the FTC would want to make certain she did not receive any sort of compensation for the article from the manufacturer or retailers.
On the surface, this FTC initiative sounds like a commonsense measure to protect the consumer from false testimonials and deceptive marketing practices. The reality, however, is much worse. This move is probably just a way for the Federal government to expand its jurisdiction over blogs.
The blogosphere is one of the few places left where people can report and/or read unvarnished truth. Bloggers freely report what they see and know. Sometimes the bloggers are absolutely right, and sometimes they are dead wrong. Regardless, the blogger exercises his or her freedom of speech, and the Web community has the choice to accept or reject the blogger's facts and views. In an age of diminishing mainstream media, numerous press scandals, and outright bias in the major news outlets, the blogs have become an important tool for delivering news and commentary. Sometimes, the only place to find the truth is on a blog.
The Federal government currently has significant influence over major media outlets, so politicians and officials know they can somewhat manage their message in the mainstream press if need be. The politicians and officials have far less control over the blogs. They have to know that, when the rest of the media fails to report the truth to the population, the bloggers can still disseminate the important facts and write the tough things that need to be written. This freedom of expression has got to make a lot of powerful people nervous. Certainly, they are looking for a way to control the voices of the bloggers.
This FTC initiative is just the first intrusion into the Web-based free press. The Federal government will use this expanded jurisdiction as a launch pad for deeper intrusions. This year, the government wants to go after product endorsements. Next year they may want to go after political endorsements. Where does it stop? Perhaps, in a few years, any blogger who writes about politics or current events will have to register with the Federal Communications Commission and be subject to their scrutiny. What is we ever have a corrupt President who chooses to abuse this sort of authority.
The FTC's move to investigate blogs should deeply concern us all. When the Federal government begins exercising control over private citizens' freedom of speech, it jeopardizes the ability of private individuals to freely express opinions and report information. If you ever think you may want to express yourself on a blog or want to have the option of seeking the truth from independent citizen journalists, this affects you. Be concerned, because the First Amendment is in danger.
On the surface, this FTC initiative sounds like a commonsense measure to protect the consumer from false testimonials and deceptive marketing practices. The reality, however, is much worse. This move is probably just a way for the Federal government to expand its jurisdiction over blogs.
The blogosphere is one of the few places left where people can report and/or read unvarnished truth. Bloggers freely report what they see and know. Sometimes the bloggers are absolutely right, and sometimes they are dead wrong. Regardless, the blogger exercises his or her freedom of speech, and the Web community has the choice to accept or reject the blogger's facts and views. In an age of diminishing mainstream media, numerous press scandals, and outright bias in the major news outlets, the blogs have become an important tool for delivering news and commentary. Sometimes, the only place to find the truth is on a blog.
The Federal government currently has significant influence over major media outlets, so politicians and officials know they can somewhat manage their message in the mainstream press if need be. The politicians and officials have far less control over the blogs. They have to know that, when the rest of the media fails to report the truth to the population, the bloggers can still disseminate the important facts and write the tough things that need to be written. This freedom of expression has got to make a lot of powerful people nervous. Certainly, they are looking for a way to control the voices of the bloggers.
This FTC initiative is just the first intrusion into the Web-based free press. The Federal government will use this expanded jurisdiction as a launch pad for deeper intrusions. This year, the government wants to go after product endorsements. Next year they may want to go after political endorsements. Where does it stop? Perhaps, in a few years, any blogger who writes about politics or current events will have to register with the Federal Communications Commission and be subject to their scrutiny. What is we ever have a corrupt President who chooses to abuse this sort of authority.
The FTC's move to investigate blogs should deeply concern us all. When the Federal government begins exercising control over private citizens' freedom of speech, it jeopardizes the ability of private individuals to freely express opinions and report information. If you ever think you may want to express yourself on a blog or want to have the option of seeking the truth from independent citizen journalists, this affects you. Be concerned, because the First Amendment is in danger.
January 5, 2006
The Health Care Solution for America
If you have had numerous interactions with the medical industry over the last twenty years, you have certainly noticed that things have changed. In the last couple decades, technology and knowledge have fostered incredible advances in medical treatment, but the cost of health care has grown to mind-boggling levels.
As the prices continue to climb and health care becomes unaffordable for a growing number of people, many are warming up to the idea of socialized health care. The employer-funded health insurance system with low-deductibles has created a culture of people who feel entitled to medical care as if it is a right. Many people feel they should be able to walk into a doctor’s office or hospital, receive whatever treatment they need, and pay little or nothing for the service.
It is horrifying that American society has come to this, but it has. People now feel they have a right to health care just as they have a right to air. It would be wonderful if we could somehow reverse this entitlement trend and make people understand that health care is a privilege that should be self-financed, but it is highly unlikely that the current attitude will ever change. We should just accept reality and deal with it accordingly.
The sad truth is that we are already on the path to socialized health care. We already have Medicare and Medicaid. These are tax-funded programs allowing people to get health care for little to no cost. Many states have supplemental programs similar to Medicaid. Sick Americans and illegal aliens can receive spectacular emergency care in hospital emergency rooms without paying. The under-insured who do not receive health care in these ways, simply get the care, go bankrupt under the pressure of insurmountable medical bills, and then saddle the hospital with the expenses.
People getting health care from the government are a burden on society because taxpayers are funding their health care. Those getting medical care at the expense of the hospitals are a burden on society, because hospitals charge paying customers more to offset losses from non-paying customers. Regardless of the methods, many Americans end up getting health care at the expense of others even if they have to go through financial devastation to get it. The reality is that if you pay for your own health care, your employer pays for it as part of your compensation, or you pay taxes, you are currently funding a rudimentary social health care system whether you want to or not.
Given that America already has a de facto social health care system funded by the insured and taxpayers, we have very little to lose by moving to a taxpayer-funded health care system. The horrifying possibility here would be that the government could take over the medical industry to provide true socialized health care. If this happens, it will be the biggest disaster in the history of American social welfare. Imagine the staggering fraud and incompetence displayed by Medicare and Medicaid expanded to a bureaucracy serving 300 million patients. Medical costs would be up, waits for appointments would be long, service would decline, etc. The federal government has a proven track record of inefficiency and waste. How could we possibly turn over our health to the same institution that is responsible for bungling the tax code, Social Security, and immigration?
The solution to America’s inevitable future of a taxpayer-funded health care system is to take preemptive action to keep the government out of the medical industry. The only way is to provide a reasonable alternative before the system grows so desperate that people will be happy to hand it all over to the government.
Given the realities, the solution to America’s health care problems is taxpayer-funded health care insurance vouchers. Under the health care voucher system, the Federal government would create specifications for a basic health care plan that would provide sufficient general health care to anyone who wants it. The deductibles would have to be high enough to discourage abuse, fraud penalties would be extreme, lawsuits would be regulated, and the benefits would be limited. Even with these limitations, the plan would be enough to provide people with essential health care.
Health insurance companies would be able to voluntarily offer health care plans that meet the Federal specifications. Health care vouchers sufficient to pay for these basic plans would be available to all Americans. With the health care vouchers, Americans would be able to purchase basic health insurance or use the vouchers plus personal funds to upgrade to better plans. The result is that everyone who wants health insurance can have it. Those who want more can pay for it.
Since medical care would remain in the private sector under this system, the crucial element of free-market competition would still exist. The health care vouchers would create an enormous source of potential revenue, and insurance companies would aggressively compete for customers. This competition would demand efficiency, innovation, and service. The health insurance companies that would strive to provide the best care for the voucher amount would get the most customers. Those companies failing to provide good value would perish. This is capitalism and how America functions best.
Under the health care voucher system, companies would no longer be burdened by the paperwork and expenses of employer-provided health care. This would free up funds that could be used to raise salaries for employees. The employees could take charge of their own health insurance needs by shopping around for the plan that best suits them. This system would greatly benefit small businesses, which struggle most with the challenges of the current health care system.
Medicare and Medicaid would be obsolete under the voucher system. The emergency room loophole would be nearly eliminated. Honest, hard-working people would no longer be bankrupted by medical bills.
The only people that lose in the health care voucher system are the taxpayers. Unfortunately, most of us are taxpayers, and we would have to have to fund the health care vouchers for those who are not pulling their weight. The truth, however, is that we are already paying for their health care. Because of those burdening the current health care system, we are paying too much for our health care, our employers are paying us less to pay for our overpriced insurance plans, or we are paying taxes to support existing social health care programs. We are already paying for what practically amounts to socialized health care anyway, so we just don’t have that much to lose.
Surprisingly, no prominent politician has proposed a plan like this. Perhaps no politician has figured out that the health care voucher system is the solution to America’s health care troubles. If some politician is bold enough to develop a plan like this, that man or woman is going to be a national hero.
If you agree that this is a practical solution to America’s approaching health care crisis, use the email link below to send this to your Senators, Congressman, friends, etc.
As the prices continue to climb and health care becomes unaffordable for a growing number of people, many are warming up to the idea of socialized health care. The employer-funded health insurance system with low-deductibles has created a culture of people who feel entitled to medical care as if it is a right. Many people feel they should be able to walk into a doctor’s office or hospital, receive whatever treatment they need, and pay little or nothing for the service.
It is horrifying that American society has come to this, but it has. People now feel they have a right to health care just as they have a right to air. It would be wonderful if we could somehow reverse this entitlement trend and make people understand that health care is a privilege that should be self-financed, but it is highly unlikely that the current attitude will ever change. We should just accept reality and deal with it accordingly.
The sad truth is that we are already on the path to socialized health care. We already have Medicare and Medicaid. These are tax-funded programs allowing people to get health care for little to no cost. Many states have supplemental programs similar to Medicaid. Sick Americans and illegal aliens can receive spectacular emergency care in hospital emergency rooms without paying. The under-insured who do not receive health care in these ways, simply get the care, go bankrupt under the pressure of insurmountable medical bills, and then saddle the hospital with the expenses.
People getting health care from the government are a burden on society because taxpayers are funding their health care. Those getting medical care at the expense of the hospitals are a burden on society, because hospitals charge paying customers more to offset losses from non-paying customers. Regardless of the methods, many Americans end up getting health care at the expense of others even if they have to go through financial devastation to get it. The reality is that if you pay for your own health care, your employer pays for it as part of your compensation, or you pay taxes, you are currently funding a rudimentary social health care system whether you want to or not.
Given that America already has a de facto social health care system funded by the insured and taxpayers, we have very little to lose by moving to a taxpayer-funded health care system. The horrifying possibility here would be that the government could take over the medical industry to provide true socialized health care. If this happens, it will be the biggest disaster in the history of American social welfare. Imagine the staggering fraud and incompetence displayed by Medicare and Medicaid expanded to a bureaucracy serving 300 million patients. Medical costs would be up, waits for appointments would be long, service would decline, etc. The federal government has a proven track record of inefficiency and waste. How could we possibly turn over our health to the same institution that is responsible for bungling the tax code, Social Security, and immigration?
The solution to America’s inevitable future of a taxpayer-funded health care system is to take preemptive action to keep the government out of the medical industry. The only way is to provide a reasonable alternative before the system grows so desperate that people will be happy to hand it all over to the government.
Given the realities, the solution to America’s health care problems is taxpayer-funded health care insurance vouchers. Under the health care voucher system, the Federal government would create specifications for a basic health care plan that would provide sufficient general health care to anyone who wants it. The deductibles would have to be high enough to discourage abuse, fraud penalties would be extreme, lawsuits would be regulated, and the benefits would be limited. Even with these limitations, the plan would be enough to provide people with essential health care.
Health insurance companies would be able to voluntarily offer health care plans that meet the Federal specifications. Health care vouchers sufficient to pay for these basic plans would be available to all Americans. With the health care vouchers, Americans would be able to purchase basic health insurance or use the vouchers plus personal funds to upgrade to better plans. The result is that everyone who wants health insurance can have it. Those who want more can pay for it.
Since medical care would remain in the private sector under this system, the crucial element of free-market competition would still exist. The health care vouchers would create an enormous source of potential revenue, and insurance companies would aggressively compete for customers. This competition would demand efficiency, innovation, and service. The health insurance companies that would strive to provide the best care for the voucher amount would get the most customers. Those companies failing to provide good value would perish. This is capitalism and how America functions best.
Under the health care voucher system, companies would no longer be burdened by the paperwork and expenses of employer-provided health care. This would free up funds that could be used to raise salaries for employees. The employees could take charge of their own health insurance needs by shopping around for the plan that best suits them. This system would greatly benefit small businesses, which struggle most with the challenges of the current health care system.
Medicare and Medicaid would be obsolete under the voucher system. The emergency room loophole would be nearly eliminated. Honest, hard-working people would no longer be bankrupted by medical bills.
The only people that lose in the health care voucher system are the taxpayers. Unfortunately, most of us are taxpayers, and we would have to have to fund the health care vouchers for those who are not pulling their weight. The truth, however, is that we are already paying for their health care. Because of those burdening the current health care system, we are paying too much for our health care, our employers are paying us less to pay for our overpriced insurance plans, or we are paying taxes to support existing social health care programs. We are already paying for what practically amounts to socialized health care anyway, so we just don’t have that much to lose.
Surprisingly, no prominent politician has proposed a plan like this. Perhaps no politician has figured out that the health care voucher system is the solution to America’s health care troubles. If some politician is bold enough to develop a plan like this, that man or woman is going to be a national hero.
If you agree that this is a practical solution to America’s approaching health care crisis, use the email link below to send this to your Senators, Congressman, friends, etc.
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