Friday, January 17, 2020

TSA "humiliates" Tara Houska, Native American woman. "Giddy Up!"


The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has apologized to a Native American woman who was recently “humiliated” by an agent’s offensive treatment while passing through a security screening at Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport (MSP).

On Monday morning, attorney and Indigenous rights activist Tara Houska was traveling back to Bemidji through after attending the “Fire Drill Friday" climate change rally in Washington, D.C., over the weekend. While undergoing a routine security screening at MSP’s Terminal 1, Houska was shocked by the “dehumanizing” comments and behavior from a TSA agent, TravelPulse reported.

“The agent said she needed to pat down my braids. She pulled them behind my shoulders, laughed [and] said ‘giddy up!’ as she snapped my braids like reins,” Houska told her 32,000 Twitter followers. “My hair is part of my spirit. I am a Native woman. I am angry, humiliated. Your 'fun' hurt."

“When I informed the middle-aged blonde woman who had casually used her authority to dehumanize and disrespect me, she said, ‘Well it was just in fun, I’m sorry. Your hair is lovely,’” Houska continued in a separate tweet. “That is NOT an apology and it is NOT okay.”
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A post on hair from the TSA blog confirms that the agency indeed has the authority “to pat-down anyone’s hair when needed, no matter their race or gender.” Approved methods include visual inspection, swabbing for explosives or a physical pat-down.

You’d be surprised what can be hidden in hair. The most notable things we’re looking for in hair are explosives and improvised explosives device components,” the TSA reports. “Any explosive amount could cause injury.”
I don't recall Ms. Houska objecting to, or concerned over, TSA procedures a year and a half ago when a 96-year old grandmother was subjected to an invasive and truly humiliating pat-down experience.


I don't recall Ms. Houska objecting to, or concerned over, TSA procedures when the TSA groped a 9-year old boy who wore a pacemaker.

I don't recall Ms. Houska objecting to, or concerned over, TSA procedures when the TSA groped a 3-year old girl in a wheelchair.

I don't recall Ms. Houska objecting to, or concerned over, TSA procedures when patting down a woman who had a prosthetic breast and a man with a colostomy bag malfunction.

I don't recall Ms. Houska objecting to, or concerned over, TSA procedures on this invasive and perverted "pat-down" of a young boy.

REMEMBER: YOU ARE WITHIN YOUR RIGHTS AND PERMITTED TO FILM TSA "PAT-DOWNS":


I'm no fan of handsy TSA agents, too many who appear to enjoy groping, molesting and humiliating children of all ages, elderly people and people of all ages in wheelchairs, during the "pat-down" procedure.

But don't ask me to sympathize with a Native American attorney who felt "humiliated and dehumanized" because her braided hair was examined and was then told what is an admittedly stupid comment of, "Giddy Up" by a TSA agent.

Where was Houska's outrage over so many past incidents of passengers being treated so disrespectfully by the TSA? Apparently those incidents didn't matter to her. It only mattered, and she only became concerned, when it came to her spiritual braids. TFB.

I shed no tear for Ms. Houska.

"Iron Eyes Cody", fake Native American, an actor playing a role.

"Giddy Up!" It's not just for Kramer anymore.

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