A TSA  Agent  recently told Pittsburgh News KDKA that “TSA officers don’t like the new aggressive pat-down of passengers either.”

He adds, “I truly feel that it is morally and ethically wrong to do it.”

Here’s  why some of us also think it’s wrong.

1. Could possibly be in violation of the 4th Amendment. 

We are not a police state.  According to the Constitution you can not take a person off the street and strip search him without  probable cause.  Why are seniors who have had hip replacements and knee replacements being targeted?  That is also happening according to the agent.  Since when is an elderly grandmother visiting her grandchildren a threat to national security?

2. Could the aggressive touching of passengers in areas where they do not want to be touched  possibly be considered a form of  sexual assault?

 The agent  states  “If you do it properly, you’re not touching the genitalia. But there is so much room for error, that’s where the problem comes because you’re in such close proximity of the areas that you are checking, it could happen.” 

It should not happen.  Period.

3. Exactly how are the x-ray machines being calibrated, or are we not supposed to ask? 

Do we know for certain that all the machines are calibrated correctly?  What happens if a mistake is made and a pregnant woman receives too much radiation?

What then?

4. What about the public revelation of a person’s private medical condition? 

We all know the horror story of 61-year old Thomas Sawyer, a bladder cancer survivor.  Could this be in violation of  HIPPA?  Why is it doctor’s offices have to tread so carefully with HIPPA and airport personal do not? In case you haven’t read about the public display of  Mr. Sawyer’s condition, here is the link to his story. 

5. Lastly, if these machines and pat-downs are so important for national security, why were the machines mysteriously turned off in many airports last week, during the Thanksgiving rush season?

Could that have been in response to the public’s complaints?  Or did the TSA suddenly receive the all clear signal?

There are lots of problems and questions about the new security measures.  Please note those of us who are questioning the wisdom and practicality of it all are not advocating passengers not be searched.  We are simply asking why other means  can not be explored.

The 22-year old motorist grew angry and blocked the older man’s car.  Then he opened the door, cursed the senior and spat upon him.

This is very disturbing.  It shows the vulnerability of our seniors.  It also demonstrated disrespect some young people have toward the elderly.  We don’t know what happened to cause the younger driver to lose his temper, but matters grew worse with the verbal/ spitting attack.

We need to protect our aging parents from experiencing this kind of behavior.  One way to do that is to keep them off the road as much as possible.  If they must drive, don’t drive during peak traffic hours such as school openings and closings. 

Elderly Road Rage Incident 

This case is disturbing from several angles.  The first, of course, is that someone can be fired over a decade before retirement because they are considered too old for the position.  54 is not ancient, when people are now  living well beyond their eighties.

“Not being a good cultural fit” is also a concern because that is a broad statement by Google and could, frankly, mean almost anything. 

Google is a young firm run by young people.  It is a strange place that has been phenomenally successful.  This blog has spent a lot of time planning to please the giant search engine.  If you play the game right, you get the traffic.  If you don’t, you’ll languish without an audience.  That’s life on the Internet in 2010.  Okay, we accept that.

However, if another 54 year-old could give some advice to these youngsters, here is what I would tell them.

You’ll be in your fifties before you can turn around.  It will hit you fast.  You’ll be in shock the first time a grocery clerk tells you to “come back Wednesday for Senior Day.” Gray is  coming.  Get ready.

Next, who says a 54 year-old is all washed up?  Many people in their fifties, who have been snubbed and thrown out of their jobs, are now on the Internet making more money than they did before in their old jobs.  That’s also consolation for anyone finding themselves out of a corporate world livelihood.  There are other solutions for earning money and the best revenge is success.

Finally, have we become a nation that can throw people away because of their age?  This is particularly scary as we face the rationing of health care.  This issue goes much farther than a Google spat at the office.  A nation will be partially  judged morally  on how it views its elderly.  People are not dispensable. 

When you read the article about the firing, pay attention to the readers’ comments.  That’s where the real golden nuggets of information are because it shows how people really think.   

Read Age Biased Lawsuit Against Google 

Many of us have the privilege of taking care of what has been named “The Greatest Generation.”  June 6th is always a day of remembrance for many of us because it is the D-day anniversary.  It was 66 years ago today that the invasion began early in the morning as many brave men landed on the beaches of Normandy.

My Uncle Charlie was one of them and he arrived on Utah Beach in one of the first troop waves.

It is hard to imagine what it was like because many of the survivors rarely talked about it.  What small snippets of information we got were short and not very detailed.  The men often did not want to re-live those horrible moments.

My uncle, who was a sergeant, did tell the story of a young boy in his outfit.  He described the boy as being so young he had never shaved.

“I ordered him to dig a hole and stay in it,” Uncle Charley said.  “He complied, and I was glad to see him alive and well after the battle.  I was afraid he would have been killed otherwise.”

Now it’s our turn to take care of them.  Many of them are now passing on, but we still have a few of our parents left who served in World War II.  Not only did they provide for us and take care of us but they also preserved freedom.  That’s a powerful legacy.

While I’m reminiscing about D-Day I’m also reminded of a story told of a woman in labor somewhere in England.  It was the night of June 5, 1944, and the first planes secretly heading toward Normandy were still hours away from the battle which would begin at dawn.

She kept telling the doctor she could hear planes.  The doctor later said he thought it was her imagination, because no one else heard them.  Later, after the baby’s birth and the invasion was revealed it was learned she had indeed heard planes.

These stories are so important to record. Get all the information you can now before it is too late.  Write down the memories and preserve them.  Your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be grateful.

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