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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created as a response to the September 11 attacks to improve airport security procedures and consolidate air travel security under a dedicated federal administrative law enforcement agency.

The TSA develops broad policies to protect the U.S. transportation system, including highways, railroads, buses, mass transit systems, ports, pipelines, and intermodal freight facilities. It fulfills this mission in conjunction with other federal agencies and state partners. However, the TSA's primary focus is on airport security and the prevention of aircraft hijacking. It is responsible for screening passengers and baggage at more than 450 U.S. airports, employing screening officers in airports, armed Federal Air Marshals on planes, mobile teams of dog handlers, and explosives specialists.

Previously part of the Department of Transportation, the TSA became part of DHS in March 2003. It is currently led by Administrator David Pekoske and is headquartered in Springfield, Virginia. As of the fiscal year 2020, the TSA operated on a budget of approximately $7.68 billion and employed over 47,000 Transportation Security Officers, Behavior Detection Officers, Transportation Security Specialists, Federal Air Marshals, and other security personnel.

The TSA has screening processes and regulations related to passengers and carry-on luggage, including identification requirements, pat-downs, full-body scanners, electronic device restrictions, and explosives screening. The agency has faced criticism and controversy throughout its history for the effectiveness of said procedures, as well as baggage theft, data security, and allegations of prejudicial treatment towards certain ethnic groups.

History and mission

The TSA was created largely in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which revealed weaknesses in existing airport security procedures. At the time, a myriad of private security companies managed air travel security under contract to individual airlines or groups of airlines that used a given airport or terminal facility. Proponents of placing the government in charge of airport security, including Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, argued that only a single federal agency could best protect passenger aviation.

Congress agreed, and authorized the creation of the TSA in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 19, 2001. Bush nominated John Magaw on December 10, and he was confirmed by the Senate the following January. The agency was initially placed under the United States Department of Transportation but was moved to the Department of Homeland Security when that department was formed on March 9, 2003.

The new agency's effort to hire screeners to begin operating security checkpoints at airports represents a case of a large-scale staffing project completed over a short period. The only effort in U.S. history that came close to it was the testing of recruits for the armed forces in World War II. During the period from February to December 2002, 1.7 million applicants were assessed for 55,000 screening jobs.

Administration and organization

Leadership
When TSA was part of the Department of Transportation, the head of the agency was referred to as the under secretary of transportation for security. Following the move to the Department of Homeland Security in March 2003, the position was reclassified as the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.

There have been seven administrators and six acting administrators in the TSA's 19-year history. Several have come to the job after previously serving as Coast Guard flag officers, including Loy, Neffenger, and Pekoske.

Following the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which included a provision known as the TSA Modernization Act, the administrator's term was set as a five-year term retroactive to the start of current Administrator David Pekoske's term. It also made the deputy administrator a politically appointed position.

Organizational structure
All offices are headed by an Assistant Administrator, except for the offices of Enterprise Support, Law Enforcement/ Federal Air Marshal Service, Operations Support, and Security Operations, which are headed by an Executive Assistant Administrator; the office of Chief Counsel uses the title of Chief Counsel. The Strategy, Policy Coordination, and Innovation office is headed by an Executive Director. The Executive Assistant Administrator for Law Enforcement is also the Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service.

 Administrator
Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Officer
 Deputy Administrator
 Chief Financial Officer
 Chief Counsel
 Civil Rights and Liberties, Ombudsman and Traveler Engagement
 Inspection
 Investigations
 Chief of Staff
 Legislative Affairs
 Strategic Communications and Public Affairs
 Strategy, Policy Coordination and Innovation
 Enterprise Support
 Acquisition Program Management
 Contracting and Procurement
 Human Capital
 Information Technology
 Operations Management
 Security and Administrative Services
 Training and Development
 Law Enforcement / Federal Air Marshal Service
 Flight Operations
 Field Operations
 Operations Management
 Operations Support
 Enrollment Services and Vetting Programs
 Intelligence and Analysis
 Policy, Plans, and Engagement
 Requirements and Capabilities Analysis
 Security Operations
 Domestic Aviation Operations
 International Operations
 Operations Management
 Surface Operations
 Compliance

New headquarters
In August 2017, the General Services Administration announced a new headquarters for the TSA would be built in Springfield, Virginia. The new, 625,000-square-foot headquarters will be a short distance from the Franconia-Springfield Metro station and is projected to cost $316 million for a 15-year lease. The facility is expected to open in mid-2020.

Insignia
On September 11, 2018, TSA adopted a new flag representing its core values and founding principles. The design features a white, graphically stylized American eagle sitting centrally located inside rings of red and white against a field of blue, with its dynamically feathered wings outstretched in a pose signifying protection, vigilance, and commitment. The eagle's wings, which break through the red and white containment rings, indicate freedom of movement. There are nine stars and 11 rays emanating out from the top of the eagle to reference September 11. There is also a representation of land (roads) and sea which is representative of the modes of transportation.

Operations

Finances
For fiscal year 2020, the TSA had a budget of roughly $7.68 billion.

Part of the TSA budget comes from a $5.60 per-passenger fee, also known as the September 11 Security Fee, for each one-way air-travel trip originating in the United States, not to exceed $11.20 per round-trip. In 2020, this passenger fee totaled $2.4 billion or roughly 32% of the budget allocated by Congress that year.

Additionally, a small portion of TSA's budget comes from the loose change and cash left behind by travelers at airport security checkpoints, which TSA has been allowed to retain since 2005 under Section 44945 of title 49, United States Code. From FY 2008 through FY 2018, a total of $6,904,035.98 has been left behind, including a record $960,105.49 in FY 2018. In fiscal year 2019, $926,030.44 was unclaimed.

Airport screening
Private screening did not disappear entirely under the TSA, which allows airports to opt-out of the federal screening and hire firms to do the job instead. Such firms must still get TSA approval under its Screening Partnership Program (SPP) and follow TSA procedures. Among the U.S. airports with privately operated checkpoints are San Francisco International Airport; Kansas City International Airport; Greater Rochester International Airport; Tupelo Regional Airport; Key West International Airport; Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport; and Jackson Hole Airport.
However, the bulk of airport screening in the U.S. is done by the TSA's 46,661 (as of FY 2018) Transportation Security Officers (TSOs).
 They examine passengers and their baggage, and perform other security duties within airports, including controlling entry and exit points, and monitoring the areas near their checkpoints.

Employees

Among the types of TSA employees are:

Uniforms
In 2008, TSA officers began wearing new uniforms that have a royal blue duty shirt, dark blue (almost black) pants, and black belt. The first airport to introduce the new uniforms was Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Starting on September 11, 2008, all TSOs began wearing the new uniform. One stripe on the outer edge of each shoulder board denotes a TSO, two stripes a Lead TSO, and three a Supervisory TSO.

Officers are issued badges and shoulder boards after completing a trainee period including 3-week academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia.

Incidents

2013 Los Angeles airport shooting

On Friday, November 1, 2013, TSA officer Gerardo I. Hernandez, age 39, was shot and killed by a lone gunman at the Los Angeles International Airport. Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia, who was shot and wounded by law enforcement officers before being taken into custody. Ciancia was wearing fatigues and carrying a bag containing a hand-written note that said he "wanted to kill TSA and pigs". Hernandez was the first TSA officer to be killed in the line of duty.

2015 New Orleans airport attack
On March 21, 2015, 63-year-old Richard White entered the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport armed with six Molotov cocktails, a gasoline lighter, and a machete. White began assaulting passengers and Transportation Security Administration officers by spraying them with a can of wasp killer, then started swinging his machete. A TSA agent blocked the machete with a piece of luggage, as White ran through a metal detector. A Jefferson Parish deputy sheriff shot and killed White as he was chasing a TSA officer with his machete.

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
TSA continued working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. As of December 31, 2020, TSA had 759 employees with active COVID-19 infections and who were staying home. TSA cumulatively had 4,978 federal employees test positive for COVID-19: 4,219 of those employees recovered, and 12 died as a result of the virus. TSA maintains a chart of the number of TSA employees who were confirmed to have COVID-19 at each airport, and their last day of work at that airport. Numbers of air travelers passing through TSA checkpoints throughout 2020 are also posted, with passenger numbers being roughly one-fifth of their number from June 2019 to June 2020, and one-half from December 2019 to December 2020. In March 2022, TSA was set to extend the federal public transportation mask mandate for a further 30 days, pointing to guidance from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Screening processes and regulations

Passenger and carry-on screening

Identification requirements

The TSA requires that passengers show a valid ID at the security checkpoint before boarding their flight. Valid forms of identification include passports from the U.S. or a foreign government, state-issued photo identification, or military ID. Passengers that do not have ID may still be allowed to fly if their identity can be verified through an alternate way.

REAL ID requirements
Passed by Congress in 2005, the Real ID Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards and prohibits federal agencies, like TSA, from accepting licenses and identification cards for official purposes from states that do not meet these standards.

Enforcement dates
Beginning January 22, 2018, driver's licenses or state IDs issued by states that are not in compliance with the REAL ID Act and have not been granted an extension by DHS may not be used to fly within the U.S.

Beginning May 7, 2025, every traveler will need a REAL ID-compliant license or state ID or another acceptable form of identification to fly within the U.S.

Current list of acceptable IDs

 Driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) per REAL ID enforcement
U.S. passport
United States Passport Card
 DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Military ID (active duty, retired military or 100% Service-connected disabled veterans and their dependents, and DoD civilians)
Permanent resident card
Border Crossing Card
 DHS-designated enhanced driver's license
 Airline- or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
 Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
 HSPD-12 PIV card
 Foreign government-issued passport
 Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
 Immigration and Naturalization Service Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
 Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

Passenger names are compared against the No Fly List, a list of about 21,000 names () of suspected terrorists who are not allowed to board. Passenger names are also compared against a longer list of "selectees"; passengers whose names match names from this list receive a more thorough screening before being potentially allowed to board. The effectiveness of the lists has been widely criticized on the basis of errors in how those lists are maintained, for concerns that the lists are unconstitutional, and for its ineffectiveness at stopping Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempted to detonate plastic explosives in his underwear, from boarding an aircraft.
At the airport security checkpoint, passengers are screened to ensure they are not carrying prohibited items. These include most sorts of sharp objects, many sporting goods such as baseball bats and hockey sticks, guns or other weapons, many sorts of tools, flammable liquids (except for conventional lighters), many forms of chemicals and paint. In addition, passengers are limited to  of almost any liquid or gel, which must be presented at the checkpoint in a clear, one-quart zip-top bag. These restrictions on liquids were a reaction to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot.

The number of passengers who have been detected bringing firearms onto airplanes in their carry-on bags has increased in recent years, from 976 in 2009 to 4,239 in 2018, according to the TSA. Indeed, a new record high for firearms found in carry-on bags has been set every year since 2008. In 2010 an anonymous source told ABC News that undercover agents managed to bring weapons through security nearly 70 percent of the time at some major airports. Firearms can be legally checked in checked luggage on domestic flights.

In some cases, government leaders, members of the US military and law-enforcement officials are allowed to bypass security screening.

TSA PreCheck

In a program that began in October 2011, the TSA's PreCheck Program allows selected members of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin America, Southwest Airlines, Air Canada, JetBlue, and Sun Country Airlines frequent flyer programs, members of Global Entry, Free and Secure Trade (FAST), NEXUS, SENTRI and members of the US military, along with cadets and midshipmen of the United States service academies to receive expedited screening for domestic and select international itineraries. As of March 2019, this program was available at more than 200 airports. After completing a background check, being fingerprinted, and paying an $85 fee, travelers will get a Known Traveler Number. The program has led to complaints of unfairness and longer wait lines. Aeromexico, Etihad Airways, Cape Air, and Seaborne Airlines joined the program bringing the total number of member carriers to 16. On December 15, 2015, the program expanded to include Allegiant Air. On June 21, 2016, it was announced that Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines will also join the program starting in the fall of 2016. On August 31, 2016, the program expanded to include Lufthansa, and on September 29, 2016, Frontier Airlines was added. In 2017, 11 more airlines were added on January 26, and another seven were added on May 25. As of March 2019, a total to 65 carriers were participating in the program.

In October 2013, the TSA announced that it had begun searching a wide variety of government and private databases for information about passengers before they arrive at the airport. They did not say which databases were involved, but TSA has access to past travel itineraries, property records, physical characteristics, law enforcement, and intelligence information, among others.

Large printer cartridges ban
After the October 2010 cargo planes bomb plot, in which cargo containing laser printers with toner cartridges filled with explosives were discovered on separate cargo planes, the U.S. prohibited passengers from carrying certain printer cartridges on flights. The TSA said it would ban toner and ink cartridges weighing over 16 ounces (453 grams) from all passenger flights. The ban applies to both carry-on bags and checked bags, and does not affect average travelers, whose toner cartridges are generally lighter.

November 2010 enhanced screening procedures
Beginning in November 2010, TSA added new enhanced screening procedures. Passengers are required to choose between an enhanced patdown, allowing TSOs to more thoroughly check areas on the body such as waistbands, groin, and inner thigh. or instead to be imaged by the use of a full body scanner (that is, either backscatter X-ray or millimeter wave detection machines) in order to fly. These changes were made in reaction to the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab bombing attempt.

Pat-downs

The new pat-down procedures, which were originally not made public, "routinely involve the touching of buttocks and genitals" as well as breasts. These procedures were controversial, and in a November 2010 poll, 50% of those polled felt that the new pat-down procedures were too extreme, with 48% feeling them justified. A number of publicized incidents created a public outcry against the invasiveness of the pat-down techniques, in which women's breasts and the genital areas of all passengers are patted. Pat-downs are carried out by agents of the same gender as the passenger.

Concerns were raised as to the constitutionality of the new screening methods by organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union. As of April 2011, at least six lawsuits were filed for violation of the Fourth Amendment. George Washington University law professor Jeffrey Rosen has supported this view, saying "there's a strong argument that the TSA's measures violate the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures." Concerns were also raised about the effects of these pat-downs on survivors of sexual assault. In January 2014, Denver police launched an investigation against a screener at Denver International Airport over what the passenger stated was an intrusive patdown.

Full body scanners

TSA has used two kinds of full body imaging technology since first deploying them in airports in 2010. Previously backscatter X-ray scanners were used which produced ionizing radiation. After criticism the agency now uses only millimeter wave scanners which use non-ionizing radiation. The TSA refers to both systems as Advanced Imaging Technologies or AIT. Critics sometimes refer to them as "naked scanners," though operators no longer see images of the actual passenger, which has been replaced by a stick figure with boxes indicating areas of concern identified by the machine. In 2022, TSA announced it will allow passengers to select the gender marker of their choice and alter algorithms used by the machines to be inclusive of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals. Previously the agency required screeners to select a male or female button based on a brief glance at the passenger as they entered the machine.Passengers are directed to hold their hands above their heads for a few seconds while front and back images are created. If the machine indicates an anomaly to the operator, or if other problems occur, the passenger is required to receive a pat-down of that area.Full-body scanners have also proven controversial due to privacy and health concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union has called the scanners a "virtual strip search." Female passengers have complained that they are often singled out for scanning, and a review of TSA records by a local CBS affiliate in Dallas found "a pattern of women who believe that there was nothing random about the way they were selected for extra screening."

The TSA, on their website, states that they have "implemented strict measures to protect passenger privacy which is ensured through the anonymity of the image," and additionally states that these technologies "cannot store, print, transmit or save the image, and the image is automatically deleted from the system after it is cleared by the remotely located security officer." This claim, however, was proven false after multiple incidents involving leaked images. The machines do in fact have the ability to "save" the images and while this function is purported to be "turned off" by the TSA in screenings, TSA training facilities have the save function turned on.

As early as 2010, the TSA began to test scanners that would produce less intrusive "stick figures". In February 2011, the TSA began testing new software on the millimeter-wave machines already used at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport that automatically detects potential threats on a passenger without the need for having an officer review actual images. Instead, one generic figure is used for all passengers and small yellow boxes are placed on areas of the body requiring additional screening. The TSA announced in 2013 that the Rapiscan's backscatter scanners would no longer be used since the manufacturer of the machines could not produce "privacy software" to abstract the near-nude images that agents view and turn them into stick-like figures. The TSA continues to use other full-body scanners.

Health concerns have been raised about both scanning technologies.

With regards to exposure to radiation emitted by backscatter X-rays, and there are fears that people will be exposed to a "dangerous level of radiation if they get backscattered too often". A petition by both scientists and pilots argue that the screening machines are safe. Ionizing radiation is considered a non-threshold carcinogen, but it is difficult to quantify the risk of low radiation exposures. Active millimeter wave scanners emit radiation which is non-ionizing, does not have enough energy to directly damage DNA, and is not known to be genotoxic.

Reverse screenings
In April 2016, TSA Administrator, Peter V. Neffenger told a Senate committee that small airports had the option to use "reverse screening" – a system where passengers are not screened before boarding the aircraft at departure, but instead are screened upon arrival at the destination. The procedure is intended to save costs at airports with a limited number of flights.

Reactions
After the November 2010 initiation of enhanced screening procedures of all airline passengers and flight crews, the US Airline Pilots Association issued a press release stating that pilots should not submit to full-body scanners because of unknown radiation risks and calling for strict guidelines for pat-downs of pilots, including evaluation of their fitness for duty after the pat-down, given the stressful nature of pat-downs. Two airline pilots filed suit against the procedures.

In March 2011, two New Hampshire state representatives introduced proposed legislation that would criminalize as sexual assault invasive TSA pat-downs made without probable cause. In May 2011, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill that would make it illegal for Transportation Security Administration officials to touch a person's genitals when carrying out a patdown. The bill failed in the Senate after the Department of Justice threatened to make Texas a no-fly zone if the legislation passed. In the United States House of Representatives, Ron Paul introduced the American Traveler Dignity Act (H.R.6416), but it stalled in committee.

On July 2, 2010, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a lawsuit in federal court asking to halt the use of full-body scanners by the TSA on Fourth amendment grounds, and arguing that the TSA had failed to allow a public notice and rulemaking period. In July 2011, the D.C. Circuit court of appeals ruled that the TSA did violate the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to allow a public notice and comment rule-making period. The Court ordered the agency to "promptly" undertake a public notice and comment rulemaking. In July 2012, EPIC returned to court and asked the court to force enforcement; in August, the court granted the request to compel the TSA to explain its actions by the end of the month. The agency responded on August 30, saying that there was "no basis whatsoever for (The DC Circuit Court's) assertion that TSA has delayed implementing this court's mandate," and said it was awaiting approval from the Department of Homeland Security before the hearings take place. The TSA also said that it was having "staffing issues" regarding the issue, but expects to begin hearings in February 2013. The comment period began on March 25, 2013 and closed on June 25, 2013, with over 90% of the comments against the scanners. As of October 2015, no report has been issued.

Two separate Internet campaigns promoted a "National Opt-Out Day," the day before Thanksgiving, urging travelers to "opt out" of the scanner and insist on a pat-down. The enhanced pat-down procedures were also the genesis of the "Don't touch my junk" meme.

March 2017 electronic device restrictions
On March 21, 2017, the TSA banned electronic devices larger than smartphones from being carried on flights to the U.S. from 10 specific airports located in Muslim-majority countries. The order cited intelligence that "indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation and are aggressively pursuing innovative methods to undertake their attacks, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items". The restrictions were ended in July following changes in screening procedures at the specified airports.

Checked baggage

In order to be able to search passenger baggage for security screening, the TSA will cut or otherwise disable locks they cannot open themselves. The agency authorized two companies to create padlocks, lockable straps, and luggage with built-in locks that can be opened and relocked by tools and information supplied by the lock manufacturers to the TSA. These are Travel Sentry and Safe Skies Locks. TSA agents sometimes cut these locks off instead of opening them, and TSA received over 3,500 complaints in 2011 about locks being tampered with. Travel journalist and National Geographic Traveler editor Christopher Elliott describes these locks as "useless" at protecting the goods within, whereas SmarterTravel wrote in early 2010 that the "jury is out on their effectiveness", while noting how easy they are to open.

In November 2014, The Washington Post inadvertently published a photograph of all seven of the TSA master keys in an article about TSA baggage handling. The photograph was later removed from the original article, but it still appears in some syndicated copies. In August 2015, this gained the attention of news sites. Using the photograph, security researchers and members of the public have been able to reproduce working copies of the master keys using 3D printing techniques. The incident has prompted discussion about the security implications of using master keys.

Non-Airport Regulation
While most known for their role in Airports, the TSA is also responsible for other transportation related regulations, including those without passengers. For example, the TSA was responsible for setting up cybersecurity regulations after the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in May of 2021. As of August of 2022, they issued revised cybersecurity directives for oil and gas providers more focused on performance-based measures, following extensive input from federal regulators and private industry stakeholders.

Criticism and controversy

Effectiveness of screening procedures

Undercover operations to test the effectiveness of airport screening processes are routinely carried out by the TSA's Office of Investigations, TSA's red team, and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's office.

A 2004 report by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General found that TSA officials had collaborated with Covenant Aviation Security (CAS) at San Francisco International Airport to alert screeners to undercover tests. From August 2003 until May 2004, precise descriptions of the undercover personnel were provided to the screeners. The handing out of descriptions was then stopped, but until January 2005 screeners were still alerted whenever undercover operations were being undertaken. When no wrongdoing on the part of CAS was found, the contract was extended for four years. Some CAS and TSA workers received disciplinary action, but none were fired.

A report on undercover operations conducted in October 2006 at Newark Liberty International Airport was leaked to the press. The screeners had failed 20 of 22 undercover security tests, missing numerous guns and bombs. The Government Accountability Office had previously pointed to repeated covert test failures by TSA personnel. Revealing the results of covert tests is against TSA policy, and the agency responded by initiating an internal probe to discover the source of the leak.

In July 2007, the Times Union of Albany, New York reported that TSA screeners at Albany International Airport failed multiple covert security tests conducted by the TSA. Among them was a failure to detect a fake bomb.

In December 2010, ABC News Houston reported in an article about a man who accidentally took a forgotten gun through airport security, that "the failure rate approaches 70 percent at some major airports".

In June 2011, TSA fired 36 screeners at the Honolulu airport for regularly allowing bags through without being inspected.

In 2011, an artist, Geoff McGann, was detained by the TSA, arrested, and charged for wearing a watch which contained visible wiring and fuse-like elements, despite containing no explosive ingredients.

In March 2012, American attorney Jonathan Corbett published video demonstrating a vulnerability in TSA's body scanners that would allow metallic objects to pass undetected.  TSA downplayed, though did not deny, the vulnerability, and researchers later confirmed its existence.

In May 2012, a report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General stated that the TSA "does not have a complete understanding" of breaches at the nation's airports, with some hubs doing very little to fix or report security breaches. These findings will be presented to Congress. Rep. Darrell Issa, then-chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Rep. John Mica, then-chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, were reported in 2012 to have had several joint hearings concerning the cost and benefits of the various safety programs including full-body scanners, the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), and the behavior detection program, among others.

A 2015 investigation by the Homeland Security Inspector General revealed that undercover investigators were able to smuggle banned items through checkpoints in 95% of their attempts.

Some measures employed by the TSA have been accused of being ineffective and fostering a false sense of safety. This led security expert Bruce Schneier to coin the term security theater to describe those measures.

Unintended consequences of screening enhancements
Two studies by a group of Cornell University researchers asserted that increased airport security may have increased road fatalities, as would-be air travelers decide to drive and are exposed to the far greater risk of dying in a car accident. In 2005, the researchers looked at the immediate aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001, and found that the change in passenger travel modes led to 242 added driving deaths per month. In all, they estimated that about 1,200 driving deaths could be attributed to the short-term effects of the attacks. The study attributes the change in traveler behavior to two factors: fear of terrorist attacks and the wish to avoid the inconvenience of strict security measures; no attempt is made to estimate separately the influence of each of these two factors.

In 2007, the researchers studied the specific effects of a change to security practices instituted by the TSA in late 2002. They concluded that this change reduced the number of air travelers by 6%, and estimated that consequently, 129 more people died in car accidents in the fourth quarter of 2002. Extrapolating this rate of fatalities, New York Times contributor Nate Silver remarked that this is equivalent to "four fully loaded Boeing 737s crashing each year." The 2007 study also noted that strict airport security hurts the airline industry; it was estimated that the 6% reduction in the number of passengers in the fourth quarter of 2002 cost the industry $1.1 billion in lost business.

Smuggling drugs and weapons
In 2012, a number of people including TSA employees were arrested in Los Angeles Airport after they were found to be a part of a drug smuggling gang.

In 2021, a TSA employee was arrested at JFK Airport after she tried to smuggle guns through a metal detector.

Baggage theft

The TSA has been criticized for an increase in baggage theft after its inception. Reported thefts include both valuable and dangerous goods, such as laptops, jewelry guns, and knives. Such thefts have raised concerns that the same access might allow bombs to be placed aboard aircraft.

In 2004, over 17,000 claims of baggage theft were reported. As of 2004, 60 screeners had been arrested for baggage theft, a number which had grown to 200 screeners by 2008. 11,700 theft and damage claims were reported to the TSA in 2009, a drop from 26,500 in 2004, which was attributed to the installation of cameras and conveyor belts in airports. A total of 25,016 thefts were reported over the five-year period from 2010 to 2014.

, the TSA employed about 60,000 screeners in total (counting both baggage and passenger screening) and approximately 500 TSA agents had been fired or suspended for stealing from passenger luggage since the agency's creation in November 2001. The airports with the most reported thefts from 2010 to 2014 were John F. Kennedy International Airport, followed by Los Angeles International Airport and Orlando International Airport.

In 2008, an investigative report by WTAE in Pittsburgh discovered that despite over 400 reports of baggage theft, about half of which the TSA reimbursed passengers for, not a single arrest had been made. The TSA does not, as a matter of policy, share baggage theft reports with local police departments.

In September 2012, ABC News interviewed former TSA agent Pythias Brown, who admitted to stealing more than $800,000 worth of items during his employment with the agency. Brown stated that it was "very convenient to steal", and that poor morale within the agency led agents to steal from passengers.

The TSA has also been criticized for not responding properly to theft and failing to reimburse passengers for stolen goods. For example, between 2011 and 2012, passengers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported $300,000 in property lost or damaged by the TSA. The agency only reimbursed $35,000 of those claims. Similar statistics were found at Jacksonville International Airport – passengers reported $22,000 worth of goods missing or damaged over the course of 15 months. The TSA only reimbursed $800 total of this amount.

Data security incidents

Employee records lost or stolen
In 2007, an unencrypted computer hard drive containing Social Security numbers, bank data, and payroll information for about 100,000 employees was lost or stolen from TSA headquarters. Kip Hawley alerted TSA employees to the loss, and apologized for it. The agency asked the FBI to investigate. There were no reports that the data was later misused.

Unsecured website

In 2007, Christopher Soghoian, a blogger and security researcher, said that a TSA website was collecting private passenger information in an unsecured manner, exposing passengers to identity theft. The website allowed passengers to dispute their inclusion on the No Fly List. The TSA fixed the website several days after the press picked up the story. The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform investigated the matter, and said the website had operated insecurely for more than four months, during which more than 247 people had submitted personal information. The report said the TSA manager who awarded the contract for creating the website was a high-school friend and former employee of the owner of the firm that received the contract. It noted: Neither Desyne nor the Technical Lead on the traveler redress website have been sanctioned by TSA for their roles in the deployment of an insecure website. TSA continues to pay Desyne to host and maintain two major web-based information systems. TSA has taken no steps to discipline the Technical Lead, who still holds a senior program management position at TSA.

In December 2009, someone within the TSA posted a sensitive manual titled "Screening Management SOP" on secret airport screening guidelines to an obscure URL on the FedBizOpps website. The manual was taken down quickly, but the breach raised questions about whether security practices had been compromised. Five TSA employees were placed on administrative leave over the manual's publication, which, while redacted, had its redaction easily removed.

Other criticisms

Other common criticisms of the agency have also included assertions that TSA employees have slept on the job, bypassed security checks, and failed to use good judgment and common sense.

TSA agents are also accused of having mistreated passengers, and having sexually harassed passengers, having used invasive screening procedures, including touching the genitals, along with those of children, misusing body scanners to ogle female passengers, having searched passengers or their belongings for items other than weapons or explosives, and having stolen from passengers.
The TSA fired 28 agents and suspended 15 others after an investigation determined they failed to scan checked baggage for explosives.

The TSA was also accused of having spent lavishly on events unrelated to airport security, having wasted money in hiring, and having had conflicts of interest.

The TSA was accused of having performed poorly at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration viewing areas, which left thousands of ticket holders excluded from the event in overcrowded conditions, while those who had arrived before the checkpoints were in place avoided screening altogether.

In 2013, dozens of TSA workers were fired or suspended for illegal gambling at Pittsburgh International Airport, and eight TSA workers were arrested in connection with stolen parking passes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

A 2013, GAO report showed a 26% increase in misconduct among TSA employees between 2010 and 2012, from 2,691 cases to 3,408. Another GAO report said that there is no evidence that the Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) behavioral detection program, with an annual budget of hundreds of millions of dollars, is effective.

A 2013 report by the Homeland Security Department Inspector General's Office charged that TSA was using criminal investigators to do the job of lower-paid employees, wasting millions of dollars a year.

On December 3, 2013, the United States House of Representatives passed the Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act (H.R. 2719; 113th Congress) in response to criticism of the TSA's acquisition process as wasteful, costly, and ineffective. If the bill became law, it would require the TSA to develop a comprehensive technology acquisition plan and present regular reports to Congress about its successes and failures to adhere to this plan. An April 2013 report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General indicated that the TSA had 17,000 items with an estimated cost of $185.7 million stored in its warehouses on May 31, 2012. The auditors found that "TSA stored unusable or obsolete equipment, maintained inappropriate safety stock levels, and did not develop an inventory management process that systematically deploys equipment."

In January 2014, Jason Edward Harrington, a former TSA screener at O'Hare International Airport, said that fellow staff members assigned to review body scan images of airline passengers routinely joked about fliers' weight, attractiveness, and penis and breast sizes. According to Harrington, screeners would alert each other to attractive female passengers with the code phrase "Hotel Papa" so that staff would have an opportunity to view the passengers' nude form in body scanner monitors and retaliated against rude flyers by delaying them at the checkpoint. TSA Administrator John Pistole responded by saying that all the scanners had been replaced and the screening rooms were disabled. He did not deny that the behaviors described by Harrington took place.

In May 2016, actress Susan Sarandon claimed that during the entire time of the Bush administration she was "harassed every time I came into the country". She said that she hired two lawyers to contact the TSA to determine why she had been targeted but that she assumed it was because she was critical of the Bush administration. She said the harassment stopped after her attorneys followed up a second time with the TSA.

In July 2018, a case heard in the Third Circuit Appeals Court ruled that TSA agents are not "investigative or law enforcement officers" and thus are not liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). The case extended from a woman who had been detained and arrested by TSA in 2006 but later the criminal charges were acquitted in court; she had sought damages under the FTCA for damages related to the false arrest and related matters.

An ACLU study found that the TSA disproportionately targets Arabs, Muslims and Latinos, despite DHS claims to the contrary.

Public opinion
A CBS telephone poll of 1137 people published on November 15, 2010, found that 81% percent of those polled approved TSA's use of full-body scans. An ABC/Washington Post poll conducted by Langer Associates and released November 22, 2010, found that 64% of Americans favored the full-body X-ray scanners, but that 50% think the "enhanced" pat-downs go too far; 37% felt so strongly. Besides, the poll states opposition is lowest among those who fly less than once a year. A later poll by Zogby International found 61% of likely voters oppose the new measures by TSA. In 2012, a poll conducted by the Frequent Business Traveler organization found that 56% of frequent fliers were "not satisfied" with the job the TSA was doing. 57% rated the TSA as doing a "poor job," and 34% rated it "fair." Only 1% of those surveyed rated the agency's work as excellent. On the contrary, a 2018 Rasmussen Reports telephone poll of 1,000 Adult Americans found that 45% of respondents had an opinion of the TSA ranging from somewhat favorable to very favorable, while 39% had an unfavorable opinion.

Investigations of the TSA
In 2013, The Office of Inspector General published a report titled "TSA's Actions Insufficient to Address Inspector General Recommendations to Improve its Office of Inspection". The report touched upon several topics of misconduct but the main focus of the report was of the TSA criminal investigators who received a premium on their pay despite not meeting the minimum qualification to be eligible for this pay.

The TSA Office of Accountability Inspection Act of 2015 published by the Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation, was based on a report of an investigation that found issues with the TSA. The act also followed up the Office of Inspector General's 2013 report, mandating that the TSA should comply with Federal Regulation and correct the wage of the TSA's Criminal Investigators. Had no action been taken this misuse of funds was estimated to cost taxpayers, in a span of five years, $17 million.

In response, the TSA contracted a consulting firm to assist the TSA with the Office of Inspector General recommendations. However, the Office of Inspector Generals has found the TSA's response lacking as they have yet to fix a majority of the issues brought up in the report.

Calls for abolition
Numerous groups and figures have called for the abolition of the TSA in its current form by persons and groups which include Sen. Rand Paul, (R-KY), Rep. John Mica, (R-FL), The Cato Institute, Downsize DC Foundation, FreedomWorks, and opinion columnists from Forbes, Fox News, National Review, USA Today, Vox, The Washington Examiner, and The Washington Post.

The TSA's critics frequently cite the agency as "ineffective, invasive, incompetent, inexcusably costly, or all four" as their reasons for seeking its abolition. Those seeking to abolish the TSA have cited the improved efficacy and cost of screening provided by qualified private companies in compliance with federal guidelines.

See also

 Airline complaints
 Border Force (one of the two successor agencies to the United Kingdom Border Agency; the other being UK Visas and Immigration)
 Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
 International Civil Aviation Organization
Lost luggage
Okoban

References

External links

 Transportation Security Administration in the Federal Register
 Screening Management Standard Operating Procedures

Transportation in the United States
United States Department of Homeland Security agencies
Government agencies established in 2001
2001 establishments in the United States
Aftermath of the September 11 attacks
Transport safety organizations


Manufacturing Methods : 4-Ethoxybenzenamine and 3-Hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid condensation.
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Victor Kazan and I were thrilled with the industry readings of the show held on September 25 at Pearl Studios in midtown here in New York. Our cast were exemplary (see images and details below) as were the 7-piece band so ably directed from the piano by our Musical Director, Matt Castle.
Ultimately any theatrical production relies on the talent and expertise of the stage director. In this case, we were delighted that Martin Platt agreed to take on this responsbility, with additional support from David Elliott from Perry Street Theatricals as our general managers.
These industry reading presentations would not really have been possible at this time of the year for us unless we had prior been invited to take part in the 2nd Annual Florida Festival of New Musicals in Orlando (FL) which immediately preceded the New York presentations. To Roy and Heather at the Winter Park Playhouse, we will be eternally indebted.
So who comprised this incredbile AEA cast put together by the wonderful team at Stephanie Klapper Casting?
Check them out. Their Broadway/Off Broadway and LORT theatre credits give you just an inkling of their extraordinary individual and combined talents on-stage.
It is with much pleasure we announce that the staged reading of The Stranger from Seville will take place on 25 September in mid-town, New York City, directed by Martin Platt with musical direction from Matt Castle.


It's that time of year again: Pumpkin Season. And since I adore anything with pumpkin in it, here's a savory, comforting recipe for Pumpkin Curry to warm your soul.
To be honest, I'm a hot weather girl to the core. I could live with warm, balmy weather all year round. But one thing that I appreciate about cooler weather is that it mean Pumpkin Season is here. Pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin chia pudding, pumpkin hummus, pumpkin desserts. You name it, I love it!
This recipe was inspired by the cute little sugar pie pumpkins growing in my garden. I was thinking of making pie, but then the weather went from 100 degrees and sunny to cool, misty and cloudy. Time for some comfort food!
Pumpkin curry has always been a favorite of mine at both Thai and Indian restaurants. I tend to favor Indian food as it is less sweet. This curry is more of an Indian curry. I like to mix my own spices, but feel free to use a pre-mixed curry powder if that's what you have.
The warm and cozy flavors of this dish will make this a cold weather favorite. Full of protein and hearty, nutritious pumpkin, you will feel nourished and full for hours. The lemon and cilantro added at the end give it a fresh and zesty flavor, really balancing out the spices. I usually eat it by itself but feel free to serve it over cauliflower rice or white basmati – if you belong to team white rice!
Cut pumpkin/squash in half using a very sharp knife and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts.
Place pumpkin/squash cut side down on a cutting boards and brace with one hand while you use a vegetable peeler or very sharp knife to remove the peel.
Then chop into bite-sized pieces.
Enjoy! Look for more tasty pumpkin recipes coming soon!
Combine turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala, 1 tsp salt, and grated ginger in a small bowl. Set aside.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the chopped chicken pieces and toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or ghee in a large pot over medium high heat and saute chicken until no longer pink on the inside- about 6-8 minutes. Then sprinkle on half of the spice mixture and cook another minute, until fragrant. Remove chicken from pot and set aside.
In the same pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil or ghee over medium heat. Saute chopped onion until translucent. Add the remaining spices and cook another minute until spices are fragrant. Throw in pumpkin and carrots and toss to coat. Then pour in broth and coconut milk. Bring to boil, then turn down heat and allow to simmer until pumpkin is fork tender but not mushy – about 18-20 minutes.
Add chopped greens and cooked chicken and cook another 2-3 minutes- until greens are wilted. Add additional broth if you want it to be more soupy. Turn off heat and add lemon juice. Adjust for salt, pepper, and lemon to taste.
Even though this is a pumpkin curry recipe, feel free to use any winter squash that you have.
You can substitute the dry spices in this recipe for 1 tablespoon of curry powder. Be sure to still add the salt and grated fresh ginger.
Hi there! So excited about this website and all the recipes you have posted. I have been considering going more paleo/gluten free in my diet but didn't think I could until I saw all these delicious easy recipes here! Wondering if you think I could throw all these ingredients for the pumpkin curry into a slow cooker and have it turn out ok? Thanks!
Hi, Andrea! Yes, you can definitely make this in a slow cooker. YUM! Thanks for the kind words.
Hi, Margie! Yes, sorry about that. You add the chicken back in with the greens. I fixed the recipe. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Hi Katja!! this was absolutely amazing!!! We made it last night and now I'm going to have some for breakfast, it was so good!!! thanks for the wonderful recipes!!


This entry was written by rahen , posted on 日曜日 3月 30 2014at 09:25 pm , filed under #香川, 写真 and tagged CAPTURE ONE PRO, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO, OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1, 海 . Bookmark the permalink. Share on Tumblr. @rahen on Twitter.


I am pleased that it has been decided to keep the street name Wasps Nest (for a new housing estate in Mirfield).
In the early 1920s my mother and father moved there from Cleckheaton.
In 1926 my brother was born there, they then moved to The Knowle where in 1930 I was born.
Mother and dad used to tell us about the time they lived there. It was just a small cottage. But when I arrived they needed a bigger house.
My brother and I are still around to tell the tale!


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Entertainment Gist Simi apologizes to her fans for disorganization at her "Live in Lagos" concert yesterday
Simi apologizes to her fans for disorganization at her "Live in Lagos" concert yesterday
by Naijabazegist on December 10, 2018 in Entertainment Gist
Nigerian singer, Simi had her highly anticipated "Live in Lagos" concert yesterday but some of her fans who were present at the venue were faced with a bit of disappointment at the start of the event and to this effect, the singer has come out to apologize.
The Live in Lagos concert was held at The Balmoral Convention Center in Lagos and was slated for 06:00pm but according to reports, she wasn't present, not until about five hours later – this coupled with disorganization at the event, left her audience disappointed.
Couple Spotted Having Sex Inside The Car, Shamed By Residents (Photos)
As she apologized, the singer Simi revealed that the mishap wasn't intentional as there was an event that took place the previous night and so it was not so possible for her team to organize and set up the venue in so short a time.
Taking to Twitter to tender her apology, the singer wrote,
"I'm sorrry I'm probably more upset than everyone, but I accept responsibility.
There was a show here the night before and it took forever to clear out and set up. I didn't have time to soundcheck. I apologize.
That said, I'm so thankful to every1 that came and stayed"
Tags Entertainment Gist

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Madame Marissa trains mistresses on how to humiliate and punish slaves and she does it for a fee. She had another client today and she wanted to show her how to punish a slave using sneakers. She wore hers and asked her to wear hers. She then showed the mistress how to trample the slave and make him feel as much pain as she wanted the slave to feel. It was fun for the mistresses but not for the slave.


Aloha and Welcome to Tiny Bubbles Scuba on Maui, Hawaii, USA located in North Ka'anapali, Honokowai at the Ka'anapali Beach Club, Diamond Resorts. Our staff of experienced and friendly scuba dive instructors look forward to showing you the amazing beautiful underwater world of MAUI. We offer personalized Scuba dive and Snorkel lessons and tours for certified and non-certified scuba divers. Our diving locations include sites in Ka'anapali, Kapalua, and Lahaina… "West Maui".
Tiny Bubbles Scuba offers a variety of scuba diving classes, scuba diving certifications, and of course, fantastic guided shore dives. Tiny Bubbles Scuba is a premier scuba diving school on Maui, Hawaii specializing in private custom scuba diving classes for all levels of experience : beginner scuba divers (with little or no scuba diving experience), intermediate scuba divers (with a few more scuba dives under their belt), and experienced scuba divers (with many scuba dives or scuba diving certifications).
TBS also offers a Guided Beach Snorkel Tour for all levels of experience : future scuba divers (children under the age of 10), first time snorkelers, experienced snorkelers who want to learn more about Maui underwater, and/or individuals who are not quite ready for scuba diving.
All programs held by Tiny Bubbles Scuba are always conducted where ocean conditions are the most favorable on the west side of Maui, Hawaii. We can do this because Tiny Bubbles Scuba is a "mobile" company… meaning that if the water conditions are not ideal in front the KBC resort, we can dive at a different site.
Tiny Bubbles Scuba instructor Rob takes a couple on their first dive.
It's always an adventure under Maui, you never know what we'll encounter.
This dad & daughter team did awesome for this 11 year old's very first scuba diving experience.
Come Scuba Dive on Maui with Tiny Bubbles Scuba at Honokowai, North Ka'anapali, Maui, Hawaii.


text:
IAKZ PRD BLOG
IAMKINGZIION
Photo by Juvenile Maze
Indie recording artist 'IAMKINGZIION' is a rapper, music producer & sound engineer from London the melting pot of the U.K. who began his musical journey as a street dancer in his early teens, then developed into a Grime MC just so he could get into parties in the early 2000s at the rise of the movement.
After a bad experience working with local music producers, he became more focused on learning how to produce music himself allowing for a higher level of quality control, artistic freedom & the deciding factor on what happens with the music. Trained to produce by legendary reggae artist Nerious Joseph & Adrian McKenzie (aka. Chancellor) heightened his passion for music making as it allowed him to further express himself artistically.
Moving away from Grime to tell more diverse and in-depth stories, he looked to rap which was his first love, it gave him a larger canvas to paint on. Being influenced by artists such as Rakim, Slick Rick, Tupac, Biggy Smalls, Nas, DMX, 50 Cent, Wu-tang Clan, Shaba Ranks, Busta Rhymes, Wiley's' crew Pay as you go, Heartless Crew and So Solid to name a few. He became profoundly focused on producing great songs fundamentally using hip-hop fused with any genre that will best relays the message or emotion that he is trying to convey with the ultimate desire to the catalogue of phenomenal music he enjoyed listening too over the years. Devoted to creating high-quality timeless music that is entertaining but also has substance, although this can sometimes take longer to produce, he learned to embrace the process, and states "the 16th chapel wasn't painted over night, quality takes time."
Growing up in London influenced him musically & caused him to develop an eclectic taste for music due to the different cultures and sounds that dominated his environment, this included a range of different genres such as Pop, Grime, Dancehall, Reggae, Dance, Pop, Salsa, Afro-beats, Soul & Reggaeton among many others, not to mention Hip-Hop and R&B.
He dedicated himself to developing and polishing his craft for fifteen plus years in song-writing, vocal performance, music production & composition aspiring to deliver the highest level of quality possible to add value, colour & depth to people's life experience, enhancing our moments, telling our stories, entertaining and inspiring multitude through his music whilst helping fellow musicians and artist do the same through his production and music mentoring.
"Enjoy life, sometimes be a cartoon."
"Humility, precedes glory"
Solidier
"Never surrender to defeat, that is the standing order!"
"Never give everything away!"
"Always show strength, even in your weakest moment!"
The Power Look
"They say a suit makes the man, but I make the suit!"
The Kings Chair
"So many aspire to sit in the kings chair, yet most do not know the cost of getting to this
place nor the burden of sitting on it!"
"Remain cool even when you loose it!"
#TTG,
"I'm Trained To Go!"
IAMKINGZIION PRODUCTIONS (2020)
© 2020 IAMKINGZIIONPRODUCTIONS


text:
Charles Horton Cooley: The Looking-Glass Self
From Charles Horton Cooley, Human Nature and the Social Order. New York: Scribner's, 1902, pp. 179-185.
The social self is simply any idea, or system of ideas, drawn from the communicative life, that the mind cherishes as its own. Self-feeling has its chief scope within the general life, not outside of it; the special endeavor or tendency of which it is the emotional aspect finds its principal field of exercise in a world of personal forces, reflected in the mind by a world of personal impressions.
As connected with the thought of other persons the self idea is always a consciousness of the peculiar or differentiated aspect of one's life, because that is the aspect that has to be sustained by purpose and endeavor, and its more aggressive forms tend to attach themselves to whatever one finds to be at once congenial to one's own tendencies and at variance with those of others with whom one is in mental contact. It is here that they are most needed to serve their function of stimulating characteristic activity, of fostering those personal variations which the general plan of life seems to require.Heaven, says Shakespeare, doth divide
"The state of man in divers functions, betting endeavor in continual motion,"
and self-feeling is one of the means by which this diversity is achieved.
Agreeably to this view we find that the aggressive self manifests itself most conspicuously in an appropriativeness of objects of common desire, corresponding to the individuals need of power over such objects to secure his own peculiar development, and to the danger of opposition from others who also need them. And this extends from material objects to lay hold, in the same spirit, of the attentions and affections of other people, of all sorts of plans and ambitions, including the noblest special purposes the mind can entertain, and indeed of any conceivable idea which may come to seem a part of one's life and in need of assertion against some one else.The attempt to limit the word self and its derivatives to the lower aims of personality is quite arbitrary; at variance with common sense as expressed by the emphatic use of "I" in connection with the sense of duty and other high motives, and unphilosophical as ignoring the function of the self as the organ of specialized endeavor of higher as well as lower kinds.
That the "I" of common speech has a meaning which includes some sort of reference to other persons is involved in the very fact that the word and the ideas it stands for are phenomena of language and the communicative life. It is doubtful whether it is possible to use language at all without thinking more or less distinctly of some one else, and certainly the things to which we give names and which have a large place in reflective thought are almost always those which are impressed upon us by our contact with other people. Where there is no communication there can be no nomenclature and no developed thought.What we call "me," "mine," or "myself" is, then, not something separate from the general life, but the most interesting part of it,a part whose interest arises from the very fact that it is both general and individual. That is, we care for it just because it is that phase of the mind that is living and striving in the common life, trying to impress itself upon the minds of others. "I" is a militant social tendency, working to hold and enlarge its place in the general current of tendencies. So far as it can it waxes, as all life does. To think of it as apart from society is a palpable absurdity of which no one could be guilty who really saw it as a fact of life.
''"Der Mensch erkennt sich nur im Menschen, nur
Das Leben lehret jedem was er sei." *''
If a thing has no relation to others of which one is conscious he is unlikely to think of it at all, and if he does think of it he cannot, it seems to me, regard it as emphatically his. The appropriative sense is always the shadow, as it were, of the common life, and when we have it we have a sense of the latter in connection with it. Thus, if we think of a secluded part of the woods as "ours,"it is because we think, also, that others do not go there. As regards the body I doubt if we have a vivid my-feeling about any part of it which is not thought of, however vaguely, as having some actual or possible reference to some one else. Intense self-consciousness regarding it arises along with instincts or experiences which connect it with the thought of others. Internal organs, like the liver, are not thought of as peculiarly ours unless we are trying to communicate something regarding them, as, for instance, when they are giving us trouble and we are trying to get sympathy.
"I," then, is not all of the mind, but a peculiarly central,vigorous, and well-knit portion of it, not separate from the rest but gradually merging into it, and yet having a certain practical distinctness, so that a man generally shows clearly enough by his language and behavior what his "I" is as distinguished from thought she does not appropriate. It may be thought of, as already suggested,under the analogy of a central colored area on a lighted wall. It might also, and perhaps more justly, be compared to the nucleus of a living cell, not altogether separate from the surrounding matter, out of which indeed it is formed, but more active and definitely organized.
The reference to other persons involved in the sense of self maybe distinct and particular, as when a boy is ashamed to have his mother catch him at something she has forbidden, or it may be vague and general, as when one is ashamed to do something which only his conscience, expressing his sense of social responsibility, detects and disapproves; but it is always there. There is no sense of "I," as in pride or shame, without its correlative sense of you, or he, or they. Even the miser gloating over his hidden gold can feel the"mine" only as he is aware of the world of men over whom he has secret power; and the case is very similar with all kinds of hid treasure. Many painters, sculptors, and writers have loved to withhold their work from the world, fondling it in seclusion until they were quite done with it; but the delight in this, as in all secrets, depends upon a sense of the value of what is concealed.
I remarked above that we think of the body as "I" when it comes to have social function or significance, as when we say "I am looking well to-day," or "I am taller than you are." We bring it into the social world, for the time being, and for that reason put our self-consciousness into it. Now it is curious, though natural, that in precisely the same way we may call any inanimate object "I" with which we are identifying our will and purpose. This is notable in games, like golf or croquet, where the ball is the embodiment of the player's fortunes. You will hear a man say, "I am in the long grass down by the third tee," or "I am in position for the middle arch." So a boy flying a kite will say "I am higher than you," or one shooting at a mark will declare that he is just below the bullseye.
In a very large and interesting class of cases the social reference takes the form of a somewhat definite imagination of howone's selfthat is any idea he appropriatesappears in a particular mind, and the kind of self-feeling one has is determined by the attitude toward this attributed to that other mind. A social self of this sort might be called the reflected or looking glass self:
"Each to each a looking-glass
Reflects the other that doth pass."
As we see our face, figure, and dress in the glass, and are interested in them because they are ours, and pleased or otherwise with them according as they do or do not answer to what we should like them to be; so in imagination we perceive in another's mind some thought of our appearance, manners, aims, deeds, character, friends,and so on, and are variously affected by it.
A self-idea of this sort seems to have three principal element:the imagination of our appearance to the other person; the imagination of his judgment of that appearance, and some sort of self-feeling, such as pride or mortification. The comparison with a looking-glass hardly suggests the second element, the imagined judgment, which is quite essential. The thing that moves us to pride or shame is not the mere mechanical reflection of ourselves, but an imputed sentiment, the imagined effect of this reflection upon another's mind. This is evident from the fact that the character and freight of that other, in whose mind we see ourselves, makes all the difference with our feeling. We are ashamed to seem evasive in the presence of a straightforward man, cowardly in the presence of a brave one, gross in the eyes of a refined one, and so on. We always imagine, and in imagining share, the judgments of the other mind. A man will boast to one person of an actionsay some sharp transaction in tradewhich he would be ashamed to own to another.
It should be evident that the ideas that are associated with self-feeling and form the intellectual content of the self cannot be covered by any simple description, as by saying that the body has such a part in it, friends such a part, plans so much, etc., but will vary indefinitely with particular temperaments and environments. The tendency of the self, like every aspect of personality, is expressive of far-reaching hereditary and social factors, and is not to be understood or predicted except in connection with the general life.Although special, it is in no way separate—speciality and separateness are not only different but contradictory, since the former implies connection with a whole. The object of self-feeling is affected by the general course of history, by the particular development of nations, classes, and professions, and other conditions of this sort.


text:
Malverde: The Patron Saint Season 1 Episode 14
Episode Title: Episode 14
The extraordinary rise of Livia Drusilla, who overcame adversity to become the most powerful woman in the world. Follow Livia's journey from a naïve young girl whose world crumbles in…
An origins story, beginning in 1947, which follows Ratched's journey and evolution from nurse to full-fledged monster tracking her murderous progression through the mental health care system. Spread the love
When an insidious supernatural force edges its way into a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a young boy, it leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator…
An accidental killing leads a man down a dark hole of intrigue and murder. Just as he finds love and freedom, one phone call brings back the nightmare. Spread the…
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
A group of East High students countdown to the opening night of their school's first-ever production of "High School Musical." Showmances blossom; friendships are tested while new ones are made;…
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
When they were boys, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father raised them to be soldiers. He taught them about…
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
UEach episode of Hoarders is a fascinating look inside the lives of two different people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are…
A father recounts to his children – through a series of flashbacks – the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother. Spread…
A year after a subglacial volcano erupts, mysterious elements from prehistoric times emerge from the melting ice, bringing unforeseen consequences. Spread the love


Snakebite kills preacher: Should snake handlers be subject to prosecution?
JONESVILLE, VA - A preacher who refused medical treatment after a rattlesnake bit him during the serpent-handling part of an Easter service has died, authorities said.
The Rev. Dwayne Long, 45, of Rose Hill was holding a rattlesnake when it bit him on the back of a finger, Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons said. Parsons said the congregation prayed for Long, but no one sought medical treatment.
Long died Monday at his home. "We don't anticipate any charges at this time," Parsons said. "That's their belief." Long was pastor of a Pentecostal church where members interpret serpent-handling as a form of obedience to God.
Snake-handlers believe that when people die of a snakebite they receive during a church service, it was simply their time to go. Long leaves a wife, five children and two grandchildren.
Copyright April 15, 2004 Kingsport Publishing Corporation.
Should snake handlers be subject to prosecution?
Americans are justly proud of this nation's tradition of religious freedom and religious toleration. But are there circumstances where it would be permissible for the government to limit religious expression?
That question is sparked by an incident involving a local preacher who died as the result of an Easter church service that included snake handling. The Rev. Dwayne Long, 45, was holding a rattlesnake when it bit him on the back of a finger, said Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons.
Parsons said the congregation prayed for the Rev. Long, but he refused medical treatment. Long was pastor of a Pentecostal church where members interpret Mark 16:17-18 literally, viewing serpent handling as a form of obedience to God.
The overwhelming majority of Christians view the passage in Mark symbolically. Indeed, Ecclesiastes 10:11 warns: "Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better" - an Old Testament pronouncement that would seem to discourage not only snake handling, but speaking in tongues.
Serpent handling may seem scripturally extreme, even unsound, but should its inherent danger make it unlawful?
Many state legislatures have long maintained that religious freedom does not extend to picking up venomous snakes.
In the decade between 1940 and 1950 six Southern states - Kentucky in 1940, Georgia in 1941, Tennessee in 1947, Virginia in 1947, North Carolina in 1949, and Alabama in 1950 - banned the practice of snake handling.
In each instance, state lawmakers based their legislation on the premise that the First Amendment right to the free practice of religion was superseded by the potential danger to non-participants.
In Alabama and Georgia the practice was ruled to be a felony while the other four states deemed it a misdemeanor. The logic for a felony charge was that if someone violated the law and a death occurred, capital punishment was a reasonable sentence. However, Alabama and Georgia later repealed their laws.
But there is ample reason to believe that these state laws are on a collision course with the Constitution and common sense.
While the law against snake handling may seem straightforward at first glance, enforcement is problematic.
In serpent handling churches, no one is required to handle the snakes and in most, no one younger than 18 is allowed to do so. Since minors are not compelled to handle the snakes, no case of endangerment can be made there.
As for adults engaged in an entirely voluntary activity, law enforcement officials and prosecutors would have to admit as a point of logic that if a person felt there was danger, he or she would simply leave the premises.
Thus, a law mandating that bystanders have to be in danger for an arrest to be made is effectively rendered useless.
Absent an aggrieved party, there is seldom, if ever, enough evidence to prosecute a snake handler. By definition, the handler is scarcely likely to report himself, nor would others be disposed to file a charge since they are in voluntary attendance at such observances.
There is, in short, little practical way to outlaw the practice of snake handling. In addition, it seems equally clear that any adult so charged could ultimately appeal to the First Amendment promise of freedom of religion as a protection from legal sanction.
In the final analysis, it seems doubtful that any law would ultimately deter those committed to the religious practice of handling snakes.
Indeed, its practitioners may well cite Acts 5:29 as an answer to such legal challenges. That passage reads: "We ought to obey God rather than men."
Many Christian churches reject one or more of the specific doctrines of other denominations.
But, even in rejecting them, church members can understand why others cherish such beliefs and practices.


(Gillette, Wyo.) County 17 photographer Jeffery Miller beautifully captured the cold, painted sky around Wyodak mine yesterday evening.
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