Whistleblowers, Then and Now

Whistleblowers, Then and Now

Today, airline pilot Chris Liu is deemed a threat, saw his home raided by the TSA and sheriffs, and had his badge, credentials and permit to carry a firearm revoked, all for revealing in YouTube videos “sensitive information” on the fraud that San Francisco International Airport calls its security system. Liu is still under investigation.

That system involves patdowns, metal detectors. naked body screening of airline passengers and airport employees but requires members of ground crews to simply smile and wave to TSA officials. That’s a tad oversimplified: They must also swipe their badges to access the tarmac and aircraft landing and taking off. Whether they carry weapons, bombs, or box cutters will never be known, unless they use one of those weapons, bombs, or box cutters to perpetrate a catastrophe.

Ground crews must have better unions than air travellers and other airport workers and must inherently pose less of a security risk than toddlers, old ladies or even pilots since Liu blowing that whistle was considered totally reprehensible, not to mention deeply embarrassing to SFO, to the Transportation Security Agency, and to the commander in chief, all of whom pride themselves on the superlative safety they have brought to air travel in America.

What a crock! As one observer re-phrased the new TSA motto: “If you see something, say something–unless it embarrasses the White House!” . . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=3236)