Texas anti-grope bill fails

By William R. Toler

Texas legislators failed to pass a bill Wednesday that would criminalize invasive pat downs by the Transportation Security Adminstration.

The bill would have held TSA screeners responsible if “if they touched the buttocks, genitalia or breasts of Texans during pat-down searches, …without ‘reasonable suspicion’ that a weapon might be present,” according to the Austin American-Statesman. There’s that word combo “reasonable suspicion” again. Last time I read the Fourth Amendment it said something about no searches without a warrant based on probable cause.

This is the second time this year the Lonestar State has attempted to make such a measure. The first time, Texas was threatened with a blockade of its airports by the U.S. Justice Department if it became law. Although the bill was quashed, the state house passed a resoloution Tuesday that would pass the buck to Congress to take a look at the issue.

Earlier this week, Americans were appalled to learn that TSA agents had made a 95-year-old, wheelchair-bound, cancer patient remove her adult diaper before boarding. She wasn’t upset, but her daughter was. “It’s something I couldn’t imagine happening on American soil,” said Jean Weber. “Here is my mother, 95 years old, 105 pounds, barely able to stand, and then this.”

Abortion and bike helmets: A debate of personal responsibilty

By William R. Toler

I’ve often heard from conservatives that you can’t reason with liberals. Even when you use their own logic to try and make them see your point it seems…well…pointless.

The social networking site Facebook has become known for heated discussions of political topics, and I’ve had quite a few of my own. Monday night produced one such debate that could seem to prove, or at least give creedence to, the aforementioned gerneralization.

A former “Commie” cohort–who was a fierce defender of liberty during the sex column debacle at Craven Community College–had posted a video of a guy who had been ticketed for not riding in the provided bicycle lane. After being given the ticket, he shows video clips of himself staying in the bike lane crashing into obstacles…including a police cruiser. After reading a certain comment, my libertarian mind went to work with the personal responsiblity agrument.

Commenter: …but I would have given him a ticket for wreckless riding AND failure to wear a bike helmet.

Me: shouldn’t it be his choice as to whether or not he wants to wear a helmet. If he wants to take the personal responsibilty for his own actions that will not harm anyone…

More photog false arrests

By William R. Toler

The last time I checked, photography was not a crime. But a rash of arrests this year would seem to suggest otherwise.

Courtesy stockphotopro.com

We’ve already introduced you to the work of Carlos Miller who has documented an alarming number of incidents where people have been arrested, usually for videotaping or photographing the police or federal buildings.

The most recent case involved two reporters, including Reason.tv’s Jim Epstein. Their crime: having cameras at a public meeting of the DC Taxicab Commission. Contrary to most open meeting laws, the Commission bans videotaping because it has “found television cameras to be disruptive to meetings.”

It started when Pete Tucker from thefightback.org was approached by an officer and asked to turn off his camera. “I’m a reporter,” he pleaded with the officer. After refusing and repeating multiple times that he was a reporter and it was an open meeting, Tucker was arrested. Epstein followed toward the door, camera in hand. One lady asked him not to record her. “I don’t give you permission,” she said. Epstein was then arrested himself.

Hotel occupants left high and dry

By William R. Toler

A central Florida long-stay hotel left its dwellers drowning in sorrow.

According to Craven County native Jessica Toler, she returned home Tuesday to find a notice on her door, as well as all the other doors, that the water would be turned off at noon Thursday.

The next day, she was shocked to find the owners had skipped town.

“The motel owners ran off with all the money so now all the motel patrons are PISSED and shouting, standing in the parking lot. Helicopters are flying around trying to get everyone back in their rooms,” she wrote on her Facebook wall. “I don’t know where we’re going to go.”

Toler recently moved to Florida with her husband and gave birth to their first child five weeks ago.

Despite being interviewed by a local television station, the story is invisble on the internet. “They’re just pretending it didn’t happen I guess,” she told the I.R.

New Hampshire Debate: Results skewed; candidate screwed

By William R. Toler

The winner of Monday night’s GOP debate hosted by CNN is, well, debatable.

CNN proclaimed former Mass. governor Mit Romney the victor. Most “experts” agree or say it was won by Minn. Congresswoman Michele Bachman. Audience applause and online polls suggest otherwise.

Although the Atlanta-based network is promoting Romney, its own online poll shows Rep. Ron Paul leading with 81 percent. Romney, Bachman and businessman Herman Cain are in a 3-way tie with five percent.

Another online poll was shut down after Paul supporters responded overwhelmingly. A poll at the Patriot Action Network website was taken down and the site blamed supporters for their blitz. That page has also been removed.

One columnist also commented that Paul won based on the applause. “I realize Paul’s supporters tend to be louder and more enthusiastic than other candidates’ and the amount of applause is hardly a scientific way to judge a debate. But to not even consider as a potential debate winner the person who was applauded more than twice as much as any other candidate strikes me as strange.”

Jefferson and nose rings

By William R. Toler

What does Thomas Jefferson have in common with nose rings?

They’re both the subject of tonight’s updates.

Monday, Johnston County Schools announced that it would drop it’s appeal for a dress code “violator” after a settlement was reached, according to the Associated Press.

Last October, Joanna Carter wrote about a teen in Johnston County who was suspended for wearing a small stud in her pierced nose. School officials said her nasal no-no violated a dress code policy that restricts visable piercings to ears.

Ariana Iacono, a 15-year-old student at Clayton High School was repeatedly suspended for her violation. Iacono refused to take it out and fought her suspension on religous reasons because she and her family belong to the Church of Body Modification. The small sect believes: “Practicing body modification and engaging in body manipulation rituals strengthen the bond between mind, body, and soul.”

‘Dance Party @ TJ’s’

By William R. Toler

Wanna dance?

If you’re going to be in the nation’s capital this weekend, then the Jefferson Memorial is the place to be.

Following a court decision that upheld a ban on dancing at the memorial, five people including Adam Kokesh (host of Adam VS The Man), were arrested last Saturday for silently dancing. During the somewhat violent arrest, Kokesh was picked up and slammed to the ground. The officer then put his hand’s around Kokesh’s throat. Judge Andrew Napalitano described the scene as “‘Footloose’ meets the Gestapo.”

“We were phyiscally assaulted by some men in some blue costumes and put in a cage for a couple of hours,” Kokesh said appearing on Freedom Watch.

Kokesh and the other four protesters were charged with demonstrating without a permit.

“We are not going to stand for this. I’m very excited to see a lot of people have taken up this cause who were equally upset,” said Kokesh. “The real enemies of the constitution are here at home in the United States.”

Not to be deterred, hundreds are expected this Saturday for “Dance Party@ TJ’s.” The event is expected to be a mass display of civil disobedience. “We’re bringing some back up dancers this time,” he said.

You can dance if you want to

By Eric Voliva

Dance: Movement of the body, usually rhythmic, used as a form of expression.

This definition of one of the most natural forms of self expression covers everything from a formal ballroom waltz to a simple nodding of the head in harmony with a rhythm to tapping your toes.

There are times when I find myself dancing throughout the course of the day—tapping my toes along with a catchy tune stuck playing through my mind in a never-ending loop, bobbing my head along with a song playing on the car radio, even sometimes combining the two while I hum in the shower—and have always thought of it as being a form of spontaneous self-expression. And what’s wrong with that, you might ask? Nothing, I’d say. They are as much a part of human expression as a smile or a laugh.

Yet the U.S. government believes you do not have the right to bob your head or tap your toe in rhythmic manner of expression while inside the very memorial to the founding father who championed the notion of a government that would protect the right of free expression. In a U.S. District Court ruling, Judge John Bates dismissed a lawsuit filed in 2008 against the National Park Service for the unlawful arrest of a D.C. woman for silently dancing in Jefferson’s memorial in celebration of his 265th birthday, violating the memorial rule of “Quiet Respect”.

The ‘Nanny State’ of North Carolina

By William R. Toler

My home state was recently the recipient of an award that’s not so honor-worthy. North Carolina was named Reason.tv’s “Nanny State of the Month” for May 2011.

The reason for Reason’s choice: a 1993 ban on rare hamburgers. According to AOL Weird News, the state has prohibited rare and medium rare burgers served in restaurants across the state “thanks to a state restriction that requires restaurants to cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit.” However, steaks aren’t included in the ban.

“I don’t believe in a nanny state when it comes to food,” said Steven Elliot, a rare burger lover. “I don’t like the government telling us what we can and cannot eat.” Elliot is the founder of RareBurger.com, a website that currently lists two restaurants in the Triangle area where you can order a juicy, red hamburger.