TSA in the Land of Oz
By Mary Theroux • Wednesday April 25, 2012 7:21 AM PDT • 36 Comments
TSA agents in Wichita, KS, reached a new low in their terror campaign against the flying public: subjecting a 4-year girl and her family to a brutal confrontation, including threats to shut down the entire airport and cancel all flights due to the little girl’s being—in their words—a “high security threat.”
The Daily Mail reports that while traveling home from a family wedding, four year-old Isabella Brademeyer’s grandmother set off the security alarm at the Wichita airport. Apparently seeking to reassure her grandmother, Isabella, who had already cleared security with her parents, ran over to her grandmother to give her a hug.
TSA agents, as is their wont, couldn’t handle normal human behavior and instead interpreted the contact as sinister, declaring that the grandmother had passed a gun to the little girl during the exchange. One officer repeatedly said she had “seen a gun in a teddy bear” in the past.
That’s their story and they are sticking to it:
When asked about the overbearing treatment the girl received, a TSA spokesman did not apologise and insisted that correct procedures had been followed.
Not surprisingly, the agents’ antics drove the little girl to hysterics, which the agents dealt with, again brilliantly, by ordering her to stop crying. Yes, TSA, ordering a 4-year old to stop crying works every time: great training there! Unable to execute a full-body assault on the terrorized little girl, two big strong agents called for backup saying, “The suspect is not cooperating.” The “suspect,” of course, being a 4-year old girl who likes to dress up as a princess.
A native of Wichita, I travel there regularly, and some PR maven has decided that the “Wizard of Oz” is a clever tie-in, with the airport gift shop chock-a-block with Oz kitsch.
But they’ve gone too far in modeling TSA agents after the scarecrow, tinman, and lion: No brains, no heart, no courage.
Yes, TSA is a humbug—and it’s well past time to just abolish it.
Tags: Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Constitution, Corruption, Defense, Family, Personal Liberty, Property Rights, Terrorism, The State, Totalitarianism, Women 
What has become of the American character where this is allowed to happen? I guess all the psy-ops conditioning via TV and the government schools have worked to render most Americans timid and compliant.
Paul | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
I’m sorry but I don’t feel the child was under “REAL” danger..we are at a very high security risk now! And in war times children do carry weapons,messages, and even bombs..so I say this countrys security where it effects billions is worth this family scare. For that is all it was and the Media..wanting us to soften our security so infidels and terriosts and illegals can enter unscaved is just out of the question!..Thank you Kansas Air Port for doing your job!And thinking of us the citizens of this USA FIRST!
carol lundy | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
Carol Lundy, I admire your ability to take yourself seriously.
DreadPirate Fred | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
If they hate us for our freedoms, shouldn’t they be cool with us now that we’ve taken them all away from ourselves?
Seriously, the purpose of government is to protect our rights, and stuff like this is the opposite of that mission.
Chris Langland | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
It is so sad that the political fear tactics have brought us to the point where anyone can see this behavior as something to praise. Yes, in a war zone, children can be as much a hazard as adults. And sadly, I suppose the US actually has become a war zone: war against drugs, war against terror....We reap the fruit of our fear when we praise our masters for terrorizing our children. Those who exchange liberty for false security probably deserve what they end up with, which is neither liberty nor security. Terrorists aren’t destroying our country: we are, by making excuses for domestic terrorists like this.
Melisa | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
The notion of “security at any cost” will enslave you.
joe sloan | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
I rarely use name calling ,to prove a point , so in your case ,i’ll just say , What the hell country are you from ? This is “America”,and terrifying kids is not excepted .TSA should be looking for threatening people ,You know (Someone waving a knife or bomb). Not to many of those in “Kansas”.TSA = WHI (We hire idiots)I guess that makes you an / while i’m on the subject of idiots,I’m betting you voted for “The downfall of America” by voting for Obama.Do you know what Jesus said ,about messing with children ? Do you even know what a Bible is ?
ray white | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
Honestly you miss the outrageous nature of this incident. High profile security or not they obviously have inadequate training, especially in the case of interacting with young children. Telling a four year old to stop crying compares demanding a gunshot victim to cease bleeding out. Clearly you have been brainwashed with fear. At any given moment our country could be threatened, but does that condone incorrigible organizations such as the TSA to take national safety to a convoluted level of bureaucratic anal retentiveness? For all in intensive purposes, the term dissected “terrorist” is someone who instigates terror. Would the TSA not fall under this category?
Sheri | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
Carol, Do you have children? You must not, or you would know that the 4 year old child will have a very hard time over this. Children are so vulnerable.
As to your concern over terrorists slipping in due to relaxed security, CHECK the Mexican border!
Your reply is rediculously liberal.
Sandra Parrott | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
Ditto!
Sandra Parrott | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
Carol Lundy......Your the kind of person who,during World War 2 in Europe,would turn in the Jews that were in hiding because the Nazi government told you that they(the Jews)were the enemy of the people.
libertarian jerry | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
This is a combination of stupidity by the TSA (they are short on brains) and bad government policy. Fear mongering about terrorism has replaced the “Soviet Union” and the threat of communism as the new scare tactic our government uses to control us. Sadly, the biggest threat to our safety and security is the malfeasance and corruption of our own government!
George Parigian Jr. | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
Is it obvious yet? That the purpose of the TSA is to train the public to accept this garbage in their every day lives....not that the moron pedophiles they hire are in on it, they just love to make people days s******r. The administration of this gang, though, fully know what they are doing. They are domestic enemies of the constitution, every solider, every cop, every official that took an oath to the constitution is commit treason every second they do nothing to stop this.
Docidu | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
So would you rather have the full body scan or the pat down. If I were in the TSA and you were a fine young women, or perhaps an attractive older women, I just might decide that you really should have a through pat down. By yourd truly. Just to make sure.
Joseph Kleinman | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
Let me sum up the intellect of TSA. The inspector takes my fingernail clippers. 20 feet into the jet way we stop at the gift store and buy a nail clipper which is sitting at the register.
Duh
Opinion | Apr 25, 2012 | Reply
“Why are our taxes paying for this agency again?” Because they (the leviathan state) have more guns and get paid to use them to enforce orders given to the sheeple.
Tom | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Doing your job? Are you SERIOUS ? Telling a four year old to stop crying? I am surprised they didn’t taser both of them.This is America AND where was the gun found?
john matthews | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Yes, sometimes children do carry bombs and such, and they are without exception Middle Eastern and the bombs were strapped on by their parents in the name of Allah. Give it a rest- the TSA is totally out of control and everyone knows it
Suzee | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
@ Carol Lundy- You must not have seen the news . The TSA has been taking bribes to allow drugs into our country through the airports. wonderful job. just beautiful. you really think they are doing a ” good job “? WAKE UP!! They are just a bunch of THUGS assualting our constitutional rights. you ever heard of the 4th Amendment ? (eh...nevermind...you are probrably one of those that are against The Constituion of The United States of America.)
ernest m. rodriguez | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Rubbish, we are giving up our rights to a fearmongering minority
S Hayes | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
There was nothing wrong with the searching of the child, there was a lot wrong with how they talked to the child. These people are simpletons an should be put in front of a firing squad they talk to a four year old like the kid even would have a clue on a conspiracy of that kind.
Shannon Slanina | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Sandra Parrott’s comments are so spot on nothing else really needs to be said. To expand a little, the TSA is watching the potential flow of issues at airports which equals lead thru a syringe. The administration and our federal government continue to allow borders like Mexico to remain open like water over Niagra! Think about the illegal materials that have already been brought across there. Wake up people (Carol).
Mike S. | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
The only “high risk” that’s going on in our country is the one of losing our country to this present administration’s unconstitutional actions and laws that are being passed!
Maybe we should all dress up as Muslim women...covered head to toe in cloth...because THEY aren’t subjected to this atrocious behavior of the TSA!
You DO remember the muslims, Carol Lundy: THEY’RE the ones who are doing the terrorist acts!
Wake up, for God’s sake, and stop being a “Useful Idiot”!!
Muriel Katz | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
so right Melisa.. sad story that allowing people to think for themselves destroyed America.. ***it will if you all do not wise up and realize that the bs you hear about the government [and "president"] is real and not speculation or rumor. And the reason there are “no credible sources” is because you believed the media when they called said sources such... smh ((Romney will not be any better either..)) <just throwing that out there.
christina | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
No, the purpose of out federal govenment is to ASSIST the state governments in helping it citizens. Not taking our rights aways with the premis of “protecting” us. Slavery is slavery not mater who is doing it!
Bruce | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
This where we are in the USA. We have a programmed mass of non-thinkers who are indeed likened to the proverbial frog who is slowly being boiled to death without so much as offering a whimper or “croak” to signify pain. The conditioning that has gone on is so effective that we indeed are being called more and more “we the sheeple.”
Dwayne | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
You damn betcha...compliant little slaves. I teach my kids to give them your respect, but don’t do anything they say just because they tell you to. If it’s wrong, illegal or you just don’t feel right about it tell them no thank you. If it goes beyond that call me.
Paul Douglass | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
If someone is going to do something that is going to be terroristic, they will just cross over our southern borders. A 4 yr old girl, give me a break. TSA are probably some of the worse educated and comon sensed people I have ever seen. I have even seen thm make our deploying military go through a patdown even when they are on orders and are going as a group. Now that’s stupid. Maybe if the TSA thinks they are so good maybe we should have them patrol our borders and we can divert money used for our border patrol to fund anti-terrorist activities before they can even get started
Dennis | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Someone commented that some TSA agents are allowing drugs in for a lot of money. (true). Bombs, chemicals and more dangerous substances can slide right in too. There are Middle eastern (Al Quida) in Central America who can just walk across our border...they look a lot like Hispanics. And since terrorists rarely use the same vehicle of terror twice, I think it is crazy to think TSA will keep us safe. Grandma carrying a gun? A 4 year old, too? This would never happen in Israel–the most targeted country by terrorists in the world. They profile by agents who look for behavior, where a person has been, how often they travel, and if they have luggage, whether they pay in cash for the tickets–and on and on. If they are suspicious they are detained for further evaluation. Common sense should go a long way.
Gail Lafrance | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Dress as Muslims with a prayer rug and/or full burka and no one will bother you. You certainly would not get a pat down, and good luck trying to pat down the woman or X-ray her. Political correctness, you know.
Gail Lafrance | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Well, guys...
One thing that crosses my mind when I hear these stories is something the traveling public doesn’t realize. There are FAA agents (and unfortunately, media people)literally crawling all over the airports trying to spot an airline employee or TSA agent slip up and go against the rules. In fact, they intentionally do things and hide things to trip up the agent. What you guys don’t know is mistake policy. One mistake and you’re fired. You’re out. Period. I used to work for the airlines and was there during and after 9/11. I remember a young lady had a stand up style leather brief case with her. It was stuffed tight with loose papers. She kept telling me, “Please don’t mix up those papers”. It was only a fluke chance I found the small metal nail file slipped in between the papers toward the bottom. When I found this very small flat device, she said, “Good job” and walked away. I had 25 years seniority with my airline. If I had not found that, I would have been fired and lost everything...my insurance, my retirement, and an excellent wage I was earning to help support my family.
The airline personnel and TSA are very concerned about being “tested” by an FAA person or of not following the rules and missing a planted device which could kill thousands of people.
I do believe that TSA agents should try to use compassion and understanding but it probably won’t be best for them as an employee of TSA.
reshar | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Hmmm...........didn’t I just read the day that the War on Terror was over!
Since the NumNuts Administration has declared it over............then the TSA is NO LONGER NEEDED!!!!!!!!
AZTom | Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
In war, yes children have been used in OTHER countries to blow things up. However, I do not know ANY mother or father in THIS country that would do such an evil thing unless they were muslim. It would be wise to take your head out of the sand, there is a war on terror only UNTIL the federal MAFIA takes everything we have away. But you cannot take away what GOD HAS GIVEN TO US....
FREE WILL, when you stop believing in God you end up a SLAVE.... BELIEVE IT OR NOT, free will....
velenda | Apr 27, 2012 | Reply
but...but....terrorists want to kill us!!! they killed all of 15 of us in 2011!
Terrorism Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens, 2010
http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2010/170267.htm
winston smith | Apr 28, 2012 | Reply
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who would trade freedom for security, deserve neither freedom nor security.”
He said it best!
Cassandra Moore | May 9, 2012 | Reply