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Fifth Column
House Bill Would Criminalize Satire of TSA
2011-10-14
Dunno if this was posted in September, but it is worth posting again for the shear boneheaded, big brother bullshit this is.
On September 22, 2011, H.R. 3011 was introduced in the House. It is entitled the "Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act of 2011" and it contains some curious language.

Two thirds of the way through the ponderous bill, in Sec. 295, we find the following:

Whoever, except with the written permission of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Security (or the Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service for issues involving the Federal Air Marshal Service), knowingly uses the words 'Transportation Security Administration', 'United States Transportation Security Administration', 'Federal Air Marshal Service', 'United States Federal Air Marshal Service', 'Federal Air Marshals', the initials 'T.S.A.', 'F.A.M.S.', 'F.A.M.', or any colorable imitation of such words or initials, or the likeness of a Transportation Security Administration or Federal Air Marshal Service badge, logo, or insignia on any item of apparel, in connection with any advertisement, circular, book, pamphlet, software, or other publication, or with any play, motion picture, broadcast, telecast, or other production, in a matter that is reasonably calculated to convey the impression that the wearer of the item of apparel is acting pursuant to the legal authority of the Transportation Security Administration or Federal Air Marshal Service, or to convey the impression that such advertisement, circular, book, pamphlet, software, or other publication, or such play, motion picture, broadcast, telecast, or other production, is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Transportation Security Administration or Federal Air Marshal Service .(Emphasis added.)

In other words, if you print a t-shirt or produce a publication with a TSA logo, the government may soon be able to arrest and prosecute you.
Posted by:DarthVader

#4  Wouldn't it have been easier just to plagarize the MLB disclaimer and swap any baseball reference for TSA?
So if I were to list TSA as a previous employer on a resume, is that breaking this law? (that assumes i would want to list the TSA and not my whorehouse piano-playing gig)
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2011-10-14 22:50  

#3  It should be a crime to *not* mock the TSA.
Posted by: Iblis   2011-10-14 21:48  

#2  This won't survive the trip to the Supreme Court. Anyone who wrote this should be seriously mocked for their lack of understanding of free-speech.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2011-10-14 15:14  

#1  Combine the explosive growth of this government agency, with the endless "enhancements", extra conditions, that they put on travel, at the same time their utter rejection of profiling, which works, and the complete disregard for either constitutional rights or focused enforcement, and the only conclusion that can be reached is that this agency must end.

1) It does not stop terrorists, as already has been noted.

2) Its authority was abused from the start against non-terrorist American citizens for petty offenses, or for no offenses, other than resistance to intrusive search of their persons.

3) It violates provision after provision of the US constitution in so many ways that it is irredeemable.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2011-10-14 14:45  

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