The stereotypical American scene probably dating at least as far back as the post-war school dance formal, is a skeptical Dad eying his daughter's grinning, nervous Prom date with mistrust, and issuing forth a stern warning to the kid to keep his hands off 'the goods'.  Up until recently, the only person Dad had to worry about was Junior taking liberties after the dance.

Now, the TSA, with the support of the Federal Courts, wants in on the action.  Before Junior gets his shot to cop of feel, the TSA wants in there first, and whether or not Princess agrees has no relevance, much less Dad.  How a Federal transportation security organ can have jurisdiction over a local school dance requires Olympic grade legal gymnastics.   It's absurd.

Sure there are the usual platitudes.....there has been security at these teen gatherings for years, in some places, and this is no big deal, just that big brother is taking over for little brother whenever, and whereever it can.

Not good enough. 

As our essential liberties continue to erode, case by case, illegal search by illegal search, while those we entrust as guardians of these formerly inalienable rights rationalize why We The People must endure humiliating personal invasions that have each and every founder of this nation rolling in their graves.

As I, and a multitude of others have oft quoted, no one has ever said it better than Benjamin Franklin:

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"

Drip by drip our freedoms are under assault.  Once lost, it usually takes a revolution to get them back, and revolutions often have unintended consequences.

So now all the Dads out there of all their beloved princess daughters have a new worry, one they cannot resist on pain of financial ruin, and perhaps imprisonment:  The Federal Government, it's internal security apparatus, the TSA, and their version of jus prime noctis.

Maybe it's time to bring these back to protect the virtue of our young ladies from the probing blue-gloved fingers of a TSA agent near you..


Drip....drip....drip....