Federal judge rules that TSA, FBI can detain and arrest you for carrying Arabic flashcards

[n2doc]

By Scott Kaufman


A former college student detained at Philadelphia International Airport after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials discovered he was carrying Arabic language flashcards lost his bid to sue the federal agents who detained him.

Nicholas George alleged that the TSA agents violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights when they arrested him as he tried to board a flight from his Philadelphia home to Pomona College in 2009.

According to Chief Judge Theodore McKee’s ruling, despite the fact that George clearly had the right to carry the flashcards, the TSA agents were “at the outer boundary” of justifiability in detaining him. In addition to everyday words and phrases like “day before yesterday,” “fat,” “cheap,” and “pink,” the deck of flashcards also contained and phrases like “bomb,” “terrorist,” “explosion,” and “to target.”

Judge McKee believes that those words and phrases warranted further investigation, even though George told the officers that he was using the flashcards in order to learn Arabic for a study abroad program in which he would be traveling to Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.

“I want to serve my country using my Arabic language,” George told CNN. “And it just seems crazy to me that for that I was arrested and treated like a criminal.”


more

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/25/federal-judge-rules-that-tsa-fbi-can-detain-and-arrest-you-for-carrying-arabic-flashcards/

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Well,son, now that your illusions are shattered

you might to re-think what "my country" is really up to.

[Vattel]

2. Not allowing him to board the plane would have been one thing,

Last edited Wed Dec 25, 2013, 10:25 PM - Edit history (1)

but detaining him was a violation of his fourth amendment and due process rights. It seems that only our second amendment rights get taken seriously.

[RC]

3. And only the second half of that.

Apparently the first half of the Second Amendment was written in invisible ink.

[center][/center]

[KoKo]

5. But...just remember...America: "Beacon to those seeking Freedom from Persecution and

we have Branded: "The Land of the FREE and the Home of the BRAVE..

Although we have learned that "The Land of the Free.....is only FREE because it's the HOME OF THE BRAVE who will SUPPORT our FREEDOM...

Just saying. For the 2Cents.

[former9thward]

4. I have seen a lot of language flashcards.

Never have I seen any with words like “bomb,” “terrorist,” “explosion,” and “to target.” I think the TSA was correct to detain and investigate.

[alp227]

6. Maybe they were handwritten.

And how does TSA meet the burden of proof to be suspicious?

[former9thward]

7. The TSA does not have the same standard burden of proof like a regular police officer.

Courts have long held that airports and border agents don't have to meet the same standards. Why would he be hand writing "bomb" and "terrorist", etc. I have been to most of the Arab countries, some several times, and never have I had to use the word "bomb" or "terrorist."

[CreekDog]

10. TSA actually aren't cops, so they have a higher burden of proof and can't arrest people

of course your lack of understanding makes you believe the opposite.

but that's pretty normal.

[former9thward]

12. Go to the airport and assert your 4th amendment rights.

Go ahead do it. Report back to us about "standards".

[tblue37]

8. Suppose you said, "bomb," "terrorist," "explosion," or "to target," *in English,*

or even carried written cards with those words while in the security line at an airport?

I think the security Kabuki theater is absurd, but I also think the kid was an idiot.

I would never say those words, whisper those words, or have them written on cards in English while going through security.
By the way, do most airports actually have TSA people who actually can read those words in Arabic? If not, how did they know what the cards said?

[tammywammy]

9. Flashcards would have Arabic on one side and English on the other. n/t

[tblue37]

11. Ah--yes. Of course. Should've thought of that. nt