Submitted Comments
160 From Robert M, Centreville, VA, 21 October 2004, 12:10:04 PM PST
The right of Americans to travel freely is one that is granted within the Constitution. Should the executive branch feel that they need to further expand the powers of their office, perhaps they should sit down and re-read Article. II. Section 1-4 inclusive, and then perhaps the 9th Amendment.
158 From Chad C, Lawrenceville, GA, 21 October 2004, 12:09:24 PM PST
I give you some famous quotes that illustrate your mistakes:
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
-- Abraham Lincoln
"Perhaps it is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad."
-- James Madison, writing to Thomas Jefferson, May 13, 1798
"Will people ever be wise enough to refuse to follow bad leaders or to take away the freedom of other people?"
-- Eleanor Roosevelt, Oct. 16,1939
"Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law breaker, it breeds contempt for the law."
-- former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."
-- Thomas Paine
"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
-- James Madison, while a U.S. Congressman
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, 1759
157 From Kenan D, Amarillo, TX, 21 October 2004, 12:08:42 PM PST
I fervently oppose any children or step-children of the TSA, of which the "Secure Flight" is one. The US Government has no right to set up internal border controls on its citizens. This totally flies in the face of our Constitution which gives the American citizen inalienable rights, of which freedom of movement within our own country is one. The Bill of Rights does NOT exclude rights and is NOT an all inclusive list of rights and certainly does not give the Government of the United States the right to limit or remove our native freedoms.
Also, this so-called "Secure Flight" system will not deter or catch any of the actual terrorists that it proposes to deter or catch. Those travelling by illegal means will still travel by illegal means. All this system will do is track regular Americans like myself. America does not need to become the Soviet Empire of the 21st century, but if this Administration (including the Legislative Branch) keep going, they will re-create the "Evil Empire" of the Soviets. The Cold War has been rejuvenated, but now it's between the American citizens and its own government.
156 From Brian H, Colorado Springs, CO, 21 October 2004, 12:08:35 PM PST
I am vehemently opposed to "Secure Flight" or any similar program. Due to security "progroms" like this, I have not flown since 9/11 and will never spend dollar one on an airline until this nonsense stops. None of the proposed or implemented measures will stop or long deter a determined terrorist, and trample unnecessarily on the rights of ordinary Americans.
152 From Ian W, Frederick, MD, 21 October 2004, 12:06:59 PM PST
Thus far I have no reason to believe that my personal information will either be kept secure or even used properly. We have no information on how the "terrorist watch list" functions so when people are mistakenly put on it (if it happened to Ted Kennedy then it can happen to any American citizen) we have no idea how to get off of it. The government won't even have an open and transparent discussion about it so how are we supposed to know that our personal information won't be leaked or abused?
I have not consented to turning over this information and certainly have no desire to do so.
151 From Bruce T, Carlsbad, CA, 21 October 2004, 12:06:37 PM PST
Efforts at terrorist screening like CAPPS and Secure Flight are a huge waste of taxpayer dollars, not to mention an unacceptable intrusion on individual traveler's right to privacy. We need to keep terrorists out of the US first, by doing a better job securing our borders, and hunting down terrorists in their own countries before they even get here. For domestic travel, improved baggage screening and matching, as well as expansion of the Air Marshal program, are much more likely to prevent terrorist activities. I strongly oppose the farce of Secure Travel.
150 From Nicholas D, Grove City, PA, 21 October 2004, 12:05:45 PM PST
My Christian school's music teacher, Dave Nelson, was held up at the airport because someone who shares his name is on the watch list. Now whether this is unfair to Mr. Nelson or not, it's obviously a time-waster that's covering someone's ass for making bad plans. These lists are unfit for a security plan. So Secure Flight, using lousy foundations like the terrorist watch list, is unfit. Please don't let Secure Flight go through. Give America something real, something that actually reduces the chance of terrorist use of airlines.
149 From Francisco D, 21 October 2004, 12:04:44 PM PST
Hi,
I do not appreciate TSA using me as a guinea pig.I did not give permission to have my info given to the government.This action by the TSA does not guarantee that we will be more secure.
I adamantly oppose this action.
148 From Nathaniel L, Minneapolis, MN, 21 October 2004, 12:04:27 PM PST
I do not understand why we need this sort of monitoring. Besides the fact that I don't believe that the government has any right to monitor my travels, I also don't believe there is a need to screen individuals who board a plane anymore than to check their bags and person for dangerous items. Not only that, what happens when the system makes an error? You don't get to travel inside your own country because a computer made a mistake? I never gave my permission for my private information to be handed out, yet that is exactly what the TSA did, and no one was even reprimanded over it, why would I wnat to trust them with all of my travel history? I could go on about how Orwellian this is, but really a better comparison would be to any number of communist states monitoring their citizens. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS SHOULD HAPPEN IN THE FREE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
144 From James B, Kearney, NE, 21 October 2004, 12:02:16 PM PST
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