Probably the reason why I am a libertarian, deep down, is that I hate bullies. I despise people who feel they must inflict their particular brand of crap on those who are minding their own business. I loathe arbitrary rules. I loathe those who revel in such arbitrary rules even more. If I am not messing with you, don’t mess with me. Why do so many people have a problem with this concept? Why must some people have other people bend to their will? What is this deep need by a large portion of the population?
I am convinced that the main reason for this is that there are some people who just cannot stand being out of control. They know that if they are not in control, some unforeseen incident might throw them back on their heels and diminish their day, the balance in their bank account, or their place in society. Some people would rather live in a box, where at least everything is controlled, where no sun shines, than be subject to the winds of insecurity.
Because those who prefer the comfort of the box are often the people who make the rules, the rest of us are compelled to live their way. This, even though some of us consider a life in a box a fate on par with death, when we will have plenty of time to become acquainted with the peace and quiet of a box.
This is why many people have no problem with the TSA looking at them naked or even feeling them up. They are so damn scared that the plane will explode that many people just say, “Screw it, I have little dignity left anyway, I’m already prostrate to the bank, so what if the government wants to touch my genitals or those of my child. At least I can rest assured that my plane to Columbus won’t blow up midair.”
Of course the plane has as good a chance of crashing as it ever did, which is a much greater chance than it ever had of being blown up by a terrorist. But people want to feel like they have control, or the government has control, or somebody has control, so they comply. We bend over for “peace of mind,” despite how absurdly irrational this perceived peace is.
I know I am in the minority on this, but I am willing to take the chance that a terrorist is going to blow up a plane if it means I get to board the plane without some government worker looking at my admittedly Adonis like body, or feeling my “area,” or frankly without having to take my shoes off.
What is the damn point of living in “The Home of the Free” if we are being accosted by our own government every time we want to get on a plane?
It is true that there is no “right to fly” in the Constitution. But there is a provision against unreasonable searches and seizures. The problem is what is “reasonable” has been defined for too long by those who sneer when they hear the words, “Live Free or Die.” It has been defined by the box people.
Nick Sorrentino is the Editor of the Liberty and Economics Review, and the CEO of Exelorix.com a social media management company.