What Hath 9/11 Wrought?
15 Pages Posted: 3 Nov 2011
Date Written: November 2, 2011
Abstract
In the article What Hath 9/11 Wrought? Professor Arnold Loewy provides a critique of the TSA and to some extent the FBI’s treatment of United States’ citizens, and suggests that much of it is inconsistent with the Fourth Amendment.
Focusing on the violations of the Fourth Amendment in airports, Professor Loewy recounts personal experiences with the TSA as examples of arbitrariness of the searches and decisions as to what is and is not considered safe. An American woman’s ordeal on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 is shared to illustrate the “government run amuck” and the TSA abusing its power for no apparent reason other than the race of the individual. Finally, Professor Loewy recounts the ordeal of apparently “ordinary” looking Americans who were detained for several hours after their plane landed because of a temporarily unclaimed arguably suspicious suitcase.
In conclusion Professor Loewy emphasizes the importance of government officials operating under law and not above it. And while concluding the Fourth Amendment should be relaxed at airports, it should not be irrelevant.
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