NFL Wants Pat-downs from Ankles Up at All Stadiums Nationwide

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin, 1759

[More than] two hundred years ago the United States Constitution was written as a guide for America’s unique experiment in freedom. Today the free society that the Founders envisaged is barely identifiable. America is no longer a bastion of freedom. Prevailing ideology, grounded in economic ignorance and careless disregard for individual liberty, is nurtured by a multitude of self-serving, power-seeking politicians spouting platitudes of compassion for the poor who are created by their own philosophy. Reelection is paramount in the minds of most of those who represent us, while freedom and constitutional restraint of power are considered old-fashioned and unwise. The feeling of frustration prevalent in the country today is certainly understandable. Government is so big and the bureaucracy so cumbersome that the average person has little to say about his economic destiny unless he resorts to the underground economy. In a free society, of course, individual initiative and ability are the principle factors in determining one’s economic well-being. Something certainly has gone wrong. The role of government and the people’s attitude toward government have changed dramatically since 1787, with most of the changes occurring in the twentieth century. It appears that we are in the waning days of the American Republic.- Freedom Under Siege, Ron Paul, Copyright 1987

The threat of government today, all over the world, may well present a greater danger than anything that occurred in the 20th century. We are policed everywhere we go: work, shopping, home and church. Nothing is private anymore: not property, not family, not even our houses of worship. We are encouraged to spy on each other and to stand passively as government agents scan us, harass us, and put us in our place day after day. If you object, you are put on a hit list. If you fight to reveal the truth, as WikiLeaks or other websites have done, you are targeted. What is at stake is the American dream itself, which in turn is wrapped up with our standard of living. Too often we underestimate what the phrase "standard of living" really means. It deals directly with all issues that affect our material well-being, and therefore affects our outlook on life itself. The phrase "standard of living" comprises nearly all we expect out of life on this earth. It is, simply, how we are able to define our lives. - Liberty Defined, Ron Paul, April 19, 2011

Alex Jones Calls for NFL Boycott After Intrusive Pat-down Searches Announced

September 16, 2011

Infowars.com - Alex Jones has called for a boycott of the NFL following an announcement that the Gestapo zone concept will expand from airports to sports stadiums.

Jones argues the new intrusive pat-down procedure is part of an effort to acclimate the populace to the police state.

USA Today reports that the NFL has announced it will begin intrusive pat-downs of fans this football season. The organization wants all 32 clubs to search 16.6 million fans from the ankles up.

“The enhanced security procedures recommended by our office before the start of the season will further increase the safety of fans but will require some additional time,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the newspaper.

The new grope-down procedure is part of the NFL’s “Best Practices” policy and will begin this weekend at a Buffalo Bills game at the Ralph Wilson Stadium in New York. The Indianapolis Colts also said they will begin intrusive pat-downs of fans during a game between the Colts and the Browns on Sunday.

In 2007, a federal appeals case gave a green light to pat-down searches of fans after a man brought a lawsuit, claiming the procedure violated his constitutional protection against unreasonable searches. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the man, high school teacher Gordon Johnston, had forfeited his right to challenge the constitutionality of the pat-downs when he consented to them. The court also said Johnston doesn’t have a constitutional right to watch a football game.

At the time, the NFL argued that the searches “provide an essential layer of security in an age of constant terrorism threats,” according to the Associated Press. The NFL did not cite terrorism concerns when it announced the new, more intrusive pat-downs today. USA Today mentioned the arrest of a man for using a stun gun on fans at a New York Jets-Dallas Cowboys game Sunday night.

The Department of Homeland Security partnered with the NFL earlier this year.

“Our partnership with the NFL and local law enforcement to bring the ‘If You See Something, Say Something’ campaign to Super Bowl XLV is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the safety of every player, employee and fan in the area for the game,” Napolitano said on January 31, 2011.

In November of 2010, Homeland Security boss Janet Napolitano said body scanners would eventually find their way into U.S. public transportation, trains and boats.

“I think the tighter we get on aviation, we have to also be thinking now about going on to mass transit or to trains or maritime. So, what do we need to be doing to strengthen our protections there?” she said.

Napolitano suggested Americans undergo behavioral interrogation before they are allowed to enter sports events, rock concerts and shopping malls.

“We look at so-called soft targets — the hotels, shopping malls, for example — all of which we have reached out to in the past year and have done a fair amount of training for their own employees,” Napolitano said the following month.

NFL Wants Pat-downs from Ankles Up at All Stadiums

September 16, 2011

USA TODAY - The NFL wants all fans patted down from the ankles up this season to improve fan safety.

Under the new “enhanced” pat-down procedures, the NFL wants all 32 clubs to search fans from the ankles to the knees as well as the waist up. Previously, security guards only patted down fans from the waist up while looking for booze, weapons or other banned items.

The stricter physical screening policy impacts the 16.6 million fans expected to attend live regular season NFL games this season.

The NFL recommended the new guidelines before Week 1 of the season, says spokesman Brian McCarthy. The league hopes fans will be “patient” — and arrive earlier to games to avoid long, punishing lines.