more on BETTER MAKE SURE YOU SMILE TSA plans higher fines for passengers with "bad attitudes"

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

From: Daniel Golding <dgolding () gmu edu>

For IP, if you like....

While walking through the airport in Dayton, Ohio recently, going through
the standard, ineffective TSA drill, I heard a security announcement over
the PA that was new to me. It said something to the effect of:
"Inappropriate or humorous comments concerning explosives or airport
security are prohibited and are punishable by..."

My problem with this is that I don't think its true. Bona fide threats are
certainly illegal, and are a long standing exception to free speech, as is
"yelling fire in a crowded theatre". If you are dumb enough to joke around
about bombs to a screener, you deserve to get a pretty hard time, just
because they will have to make sure it WAS a joke.

The question is, when did JOKING about anything become a crime? As opposed
to bad taste or foolishness, which this very well may be. Inappropriate
humor is just that - inappropriate. However, when people can get arrested
and convicted for making these sorts of comments, its a problem. Its the
right-wing equivalent of the (bad) left-wing idea of punishing people for
saying bigoted or offensive things (speech codes).

- Daniel Golding 

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