The Libertarian Arrested for Not Having Identity Card — It’s about time this sort of thing began, although I see no evidence that it will stem the trend of universal fascism.
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — A Keene Libertarian who tried to board a flight carrying nothing but a Bible and a copy of the Declaration of Independence was arrested Saturday at Manchester Airport.
Russell Kanning, 35, was arrested after refusing to comply with security screening procedures and refusing to leave the screening area, according to the Rockingham County sheriff’s department. He was charged with criminal trespassing and was being held at the Rockingham County jail.
UGH!
That Libertarian tried to board a flight but refused to be patted down. No wonder he was arrested! The text says he was arrested for refusing to leave the screening area. Why is that a story? It’s nothing. It’s very rare. Instead, imagine being arrested for trespassing on church property and doing nothing wrong. Now that’s something that happens all the time. 🙂
http://www.everythingimportant.org/seventhdayAdventists/dupery.htm
The article could be interpreted as he was arrested for indecent exposure. There’s another guy that has a lawsuit ongoing about having to show ID at airports. Apparently the law itself is secret, and the Justice Department wants their legal argument to be classified.
Could they come over and arrest my boss? He also does nothing all day…
The gentleman’s intention is noble and I support his ideals. In a follow-up though, he pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for criminal trespass.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NH_LIBERTARIANS_PROTEST_NHOL-?SITE=NHMAL&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
If he felt so sure that he was right, why plead guilty? If he pled guilty to avoid the expense of a trial, then why protest as strenuously as he did.
If you are going to pick a fight, then pick the ones you can win.
Just think. If he’d exercised his right to bear arms we could have had a full scale terrorist incident at the airport…
Or possibly another similarly armed libertarian might have shot him?
…I see no evidence that it will stem the trend of universal fascism.
I always thought you were a cynic, not a pessimist!
You gotta admit, long-term, it’s getting better — it’s getting better all the time!
They ought to post a new sign on the roads as you enter an airport:
“AIRPORT — CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TEMP END”
Followed by:
“Please show our security personnel some courtesy — wear clean underwear.”
Wait a minute!
Is showing an ID and letting yourself be searched unreasonable?
Believe me… I am very much against the direction our country has taken in the name of “homeland security” but I am not against reasonable security measures at airports.
This raises something I’ve always wondered. Is travel a constitutional right?
It _seems_ like it should be but I suppose it is not in many cases.
Welcome to W’s vision of the future.
By the way… what colour is it today?
It wasn’t the greatest idea …… but I thought it was about time to start saying “NO”
“Is showing an ID and letting yourself be searched unreasonable?”
Yes, it is unreasonable.
Yes, you do have an inalienable right to travel.
Yes, the ONLY way to prevent terrorist attacks on mass transit vehicles like planes and busses is to allow the passengers to handle any situations that may occur.
An ID does nothing to stop terrorists. The 9-11 hijackers had ID, most of them legitimately. I’ll bet DB Cooper had valid ID as well 🙂
For an interesting take on ID, check out
ID After the Revolution
Having suffered the results [and even a few scars] from occasional impulsive resistance to legal thuggery, you have my sympathies, Russell.
Probably, the most useful thing I ever learned about fighting City Hall was — Don’t try it, alone! If you showed up at the same airport with a couple hundred friends who duplicated your behavior, you might have more of an effect on the dogma of fear as practiced and promulgated by the thug in the White House.
You’d also have a better chance of reduced fines, more support from the [typically] chickenshit body politic — and if you shut down that airport in the process — and if a few more courageous souls decided maybe it’s time to stop this insanity — who knows? We might return to being a somewhat democratic republic instead of the fear-riddled gavotte we get to dance through if we dare to dissent.
I salute you, Bro’!
Have you people gone mad? Air travel is not a right it is a priviledge. The airlines nor governments are obligated to allow you travel by aircraft. The local government, state government, federal government and even the airlines themselves can revoke your airport priviledges if they wish. If you don’t like, use other means to travel. Unlike air travel, that is a right.
Furthermore, it should be clear that claiming “he did nothing” is nonsense. He was told to leave the premises by a law enforcement officer and he refused. This would be true whether he was in an airport, City Hall, on the street or anywhere else where the officer is trying to maintain security.
Kanning’s stunt, while sounding very noble, will end up being a hassle for him and his family and will gain nothing. This is not the way to go about effecting change. The way to go about effecting change to convince or replace the representatives that voted for legislation requiring cavity checks to board airplanes.
All I remember is that when I was a kid in grammar school we were told by the teachers how horrible it was to be in South Africa where you couldn’t do anything without showing an identity card. Everyone had to have them! How awful. Now we have the same situation. And, yes, it is no big deal. Which means it is no big deal in this day and age where actual freedom has gone from a right to a privilege and nobody really cares either way. The worst part about the incredible apathy in this country is the fact that there are more apologists for the apathetic than for anyone who actually cares. Apathy and Apology — good book title to summarize the period.
This guy in the story has little support and will get nowhere. I just ran it as some sort of ironic tale — like many of the posts on this blog (if you haven’t noticed).
“Air travel is not a right it is a priviledge.”
Driving and flying are just as much rights as walking. It is true that if you wish to hire a private company to transport you then you will probably have to abide by their rules, but the ID requirements are not the rules of the airlines. They are the rules of the federal government, which has insinuated itself between two private, free entities that want to trade goods and services. They have no legitimate place there.
The nature of freedom does not change simply because you are afraid of its effects.
“If he felt so sure that he was right, why plead guilty?”
It’s somewhat of a tradition in civil disobedience. This man was following Ghandi’s example, and Ghandi always plead guilty to things that he actually did, even if it thought they should be legal. I don’t actually like it either, but I respect the method. “No contest” would have been a better plea in my opinion.
> They are the rules of the federal government, which has
> insinuated itself between two private, free entities that
> want to trade goods and services. They have no legitimate
> place there.
The federal government has jurisdiction over air travel because of safety. They have “interfered” since the advent of commercial aviation. Your rights to fly go out the window when a disaster can take the rights of other people to live.
>Driving and flying are just as much rights as walking.
This is a silly extremist argument. Driving and walking are very different from flying in some very important ways. In the case of driving, it is reasonable for each state to regulate highway travel. However, this is not feasible in the case of air travel. The possibility of a collision is too high. In the case of airport security, prior to 9/11 it WAS handled by private entities (airport, airlines and local law enforcement). What was clear after 9/11 is that almost all airports had wholly inadequate security. Thus, the federal government took on the role of airport security to hopefully improve security at *all* airports (that’s the idea at least).
Secondly, if a driver plows into another driver, the potential cost in life in the worst case scenario is tiny compared the level of loss in an airline crash. Beyond the people on board, the aircraft itself (as we all saw) is essentially a missile that can kill far more people than just the passengers.
Walking is entirely different situation. You need not show any identification whatsoever to walk around in US (same with bicycles) nor are you generally subject to search.
> The nature of freedom does not change simply because you
> are afraid of its effects.
This is another ridiculous statement. Pure freedom is anarchy. Liberty implies some restraints. You have the freedom to own a firearm however that does not give you the freedom to go shooting people. Further, you waive that right once you commit a felony. You do not have the freedom to drive 120 MPH in a school zone. You do not have the freedom to walk into any office at the FBI headquarters in Langley. You do not have the freedom to walk into the Oval office any time you please.
Legislation by its very nature is designed to curb freedom by changing behavior in (hopefully) the best interest of society.
> “No contest” would have been a better plea in my opinion.
Wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference. The only real difference between “Guilty” and “No Contest” is if there is a civil case for the same crime. In that scenario, by pleading “No Contest” the prosecution cannot use your plea as evidence against you. Since he has a better chance of winning the lottery than someone bringing a civil case against him for this, it won’t make any difference.
It’ll be interesting to see how apathetic everyone is when we find it necessary to institute a military draft…all it would take is just 1 more politically unresolvable situation.
Thomas,
Your post is very sensible and I agree up to a point.
The rules of the road are in place for the safe and orderly conduct of all vehicles. The construction of vehicles are regulated in the issue of safety and fuel economy. Operating a vehicle is, as it should be, regulated for the DRIVER. The driver is expected to possess certain skills and abilities to operate any vehicle. Passengers should have no need to demonstrate or possess anything in regards to being a passenger as they do not control the vehicle and are passive participants.
Air transport has been regulated as well almost since the incepting of flight. As with vehicles, the industry is regulated for the sake of efficiency and safety. Passengers are passive participants as well and showing identification can have no good come out of it.
The whole issue of Airport Security has developed because the tragedy of 9/11 involved airplanes. The government had to show they were doing something. It doesn’t matter how inane or useless the protection is, any serious terrorist will easily circumvent it.
Shortly after 9/11, I flew from Chicago Midway to Phoenix. At Midway I witnessed a National Guard soldier with his M-16 resting butt on the ground, loosely holding the tip of the barrel in conversation with a Policeman. In Phoenix there was another armed National Guard soldier in the washroom standing in front of the mirror straightening his uniform from the time I entered, did my business, washed, and left. Great security. Either soldier could have been taken out quite easily and then the terrorist would have a gun.
The Federal Government has developed a “No Fly List”. This list has stopped 70 yr old grandmothers, Senators Ted Kennedy and Dick Durban, and Cat Stevens among others. The list is secret and there is no appeal to being on the list as it is secret and therefore cannot be confirmed.
I think Ed’s comment about a mass refusal to show identification would be far more effective then a single person. As Ed points out, Mr. Kanning’s action is a novelty, but a mass demonstration becomes noticeable and much harder to counter by the police.
Thomas, one of the recommendations of the 9/11 commission includes interior checks. This means showing ID cards to get on a train or a bus as well. Perhaps even car transponders on roads. It also means maintaining a database of every citizen, and requiring fingerprinting to get a driver’s license(already happening in Georgia). All for safety. Don’t forget the backscatter X-ray that shows a person naked prior to getting on a plane. The TSA guy told Congress, he doesn’t want to get sidetracked by arguments over privacy. Given the measures such as air marshals, locking cockpits, etc. why does safety require knowing every person who boards a plane if it’s just a means of transportation.
I applaud this man’s actions; naturally, the gossip-only American News Media will not make anything of what this man was trying to say and do – nope, the American media will be too busy airing crap about the latest Tom Cruise story. / I fly an insane amount for professional reasons, and have witnessed/experienced amazing lack of “real” security at countless airports across the country. Recently, (longstory), I had left my wallet at a office 90minutes away in someone’s office. It was a same day business trip, and my entire luggage consisted of my briefcase with laptop. My business friend was going to just fed-ex me my wallet (sitting in his office). When I arrive at airport, they refused to let me board the plane – I said “Search me all you want – search my briefcase all you want – etc etc…. but because I had no photo ID – I was not able to board a plane. NOT the airlines rule, the Feds rule. This was a domestic flight, so international customs Photo ID requriements were moot. I made a sanely small “scene” with Security, demanded that a management TSA talk to me – and got that airport-typical cocky attitude from them we have all seen : where people have vast power just because they earned it, but because of their job title). So there I stand, in my business suit, with my business briefcase, forced to miss my flight NOT because I was not willing to be 100% searched, but because I lacked Photo ID> ……. I recently re-read the novel “1984” – I had read it years ago, but when I read it now – I do NOT want that type society here in America – and anyone who thinks it isn’t coming is (imo) not a wise person. National ID cards are just the first step – then biometrics – then retinal scans when the technology exists – is THAT the type society you want to live in? NO! but we ALL have to do and say something or that’s what we will have in 10 years. Sane Security-YES / UnNeeded invasion of privacy-NO.
Sam, you should have been able to board your flight. The guy suing the secret law that I mentioned in a previous post had been able to board without showing ID.
come on! Nobody in America does “nothing wrong”. We have so many laws on the books that, at any given moment, you’re probably breaking at least SOME laws.
Sheesh.