So I heard on NPR today that the TSA is going to be expanding their "See something, say something" message to Walmart stores, Mall of America, sporting events, etc. I guess in Walmart, there will be videos where Janet Napoliano will be saying how if you see anything suspicious in the parking lot, report something to the Walmart management.
I really wish I was joking about this, or heard this from The Onion, but alas, I am not joking. At first I was angry, but not surprised. I've been thinking about this a lot though. It actually seems fitting. I'd put Walmart employees and TSA employees on about the same level, as far as reporting suspicious things to them. *Excluding our local Walmart employee of course.* Some of the comments of the people in the parking lot were interesting. Others were.....well, I don't know what to say about them.
The comments ranged from stuff like,
"I just can't imagine any people like that shopping at Walmart!"
"People at Walmart are on a mission to buy things, not blow the place up!"
"It's so sad that we have to be on alert even while we're at Walmart." Really? I can't think of many places I'm more on alert than at a Walmart.
to stuff like,
"I don't really think I'd trust anyone at Walmart to care about anything reported to them.
"Is this really necessary?"
Usually, NPR makes me angry because they lean way left and their reporters ask stupid questions that play right into liberal hands and completely miss the point. This time however, I was surprised and felt like the reporter asked some well thought out, pointed questions to Ole Janet, and it felt like the reporter was holding back on ripping into that turd.
I personally find it ironic that the TSA is basically asking the public to do their jobs for them. On one hand they tell everyone how they can't be safe unless the TSA is there to violate people's rights with their brain dead policies and employees that are incompetent in every way possible. On the other hand, they are expanding themselves WAY beyond the sphere of "Travel" and asking the public to basically do their job for them. I'm in utter shock that a government program that was born from a knee jerk reaction to a tragedy has developed in this way. Okay, we all know I'm not surprised.
Lastly, Janet, the head of TSA, cited the example of the "alert New York citizen, who alerted police" to the parked car with smoke coming out of it as her example of how the public can help keep an eye out for terrorism. When the reporter asked for a specific example of what kinds of things the public should keep an eye out for, Janet responded with, Well, smoke coming out of a car for one thing, or something along those lines.
Great. Does that mean that every morning when I go warm up the car before my family gets into it, I'm going to be accosted by some irate, blue-shirted manager from the local 24 Hour Walmart? I sure hope not.
At least there was a decent amount of "the other side" displayed in the news piece. I'm happy about that.
