ts1227;567037 wrote:Another thing to consider is whether we consider the ability to travel via plane a right or a privilege, and then gauge how the standards line up with that view... because if it's not a right, then is there really anything wrong happening?
You have to be careful with this right and privilege thing. Privileges are granted by the authorities and powers over the people. Whether that authority is the government, a corporation, or any entity that wields any power. A privilege by its very definition allows treatment of the individual as the authority sees fit. A right on the other hand is meant to guarantee a level of treatment equal amongst all individuals regardless of any authority that exists on earth.
If engaging in modern forms of transportation is a privilege, who grants this privilege? Since most means of transportation are through publicly owned or regulated routes, these privileges fall into the hands of some level of government authority (federal, state, or local).
This right and privilege thing is just a way to separate the individual from some of his individual rights that do not descend from government into some privilege that is granted by government.
The 9th amendment really spells this out quite well.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people
In other words they chose to highlight a few of them in the bill of rights. A right not listed in the constitution by no means limits the abundant rights retained by the people to engage in lawful activity in life and liberty to pursue happiness
So because you are choosing to transport yourself through publicly maintained routes, because of perceived threats it is ok for you to be stopped at random and observed for any signs of illegal activity. Impaired drivers kill more Americans than those that were killed on 9/11. Should the federal government set up checkpoints to randomly search vehicles and pat down the driver?
