Butch

photo Paul J. Richards, AFP

Let no man think we can deny civil liberty
to others and retain it for ourselves.
When zealous agents of the Government
arrest suspected “radicals” without warrant,
hold them without prompt trial,
deny them access to counsel and admission of bail....
we have shorn the Bill of Rights of its sanctity...
--Robert M. Lafollette, Sr.

I never would have agreed to the formulation of the
Central Intelligence Agency back in forty-seven
if I had known it would become the American Gestapo
--Harry S. Truman
__________________

The new uniforms -- replete with gold badges -- of the Transportation Security Officers were featured on 60 Minutes this weekend. From the TSA website:

"As part of TSA's continued efforts to transition the workforce to a cadre of well-trained, professional transportation security officers, uniforms more reflective of the critical nature of their work [were] introduced in Fall 2007."

The problem is, badges tend to make citizens more compliant and the badge wielders more authoritarian, and TSA personnel do not have arrest authority nor are they police officers.

Or are they? Why give them the uniform of the blue brotherhood if they are not members?