TSA/ VIPR Pushing the Constitutional Boundries to the Moon

It won't be long until their policy is to inspect it all -

As part of the TSA's request for FY 2012 funding, TSA Administrator John Pistole told Congress last week that the TSA conducts 8,000 unannounced security screenings every year. These screenings, conducted with local law enforcement agencies as well as immigration, can be as simple as checking out cargo at a busy seaport. But more and more, they seem to involve giving airport-style pat-downs and screenings of unsuspecting passengers at bus terminals, ferries, and even subways.

These surprise visits are part of the TSA's VIPR program: Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response. The VIPR program first started doing searches in 2007, and has grown since then. Currently, the TSA only has 25 VIPR teams doing these impromptu searches: in 2012, it wants to get 12 more.

VIPR operations are now even targeting freight trucks on highways. In addition to the random checks on public transit systems, it makes you wonder: can private vehicles be far behind? Will there be any mode of transportation beyond the reach of the TSA?

UPDATE: According to at least one news report out of Brownsville, Texas, TSA/VIPR has already conducted unannounced inspections of private passenger cars and trucks. Thanks for the tip, reader @jwindz.

The Real Effect
This was first brought to the reader's attention here almost six years ago, the ethics were illustrated in July of 2005 (pay particular attention to the comments section and witness CINO Tea Party capitulation even back then), the natural consequences in July. The subject was revisited in detail in August, we covered child indoctrination in September (Coincidentally the 7 year old that played with this at the time is now only 5 years away from being an adult), and finally again in December of 2005, in an effort to warn readers about the gradual mission creep.

Doubtless, some well-meaning narrow-sighted person will ask, just how did we get here. The answer, we willingly and purposefully walked into the camps my dear.

(See this resource for the absolute nauseating list of TSA abuse that has so far infiltrated this country.)