The violent removal of Doctor David Dao from a United Airlines flight in early April drew ire from the media and put a focus on the misuse of authority in the nation’s airports. The message is being taken a step further by “4th Amendment Wear,” a line of undergarments that display the Fourth Amendment when a person is scanned before a flight.
The amendment is printed on the garment using a special metallic ink. A “pervert” alert shows up on the children’s version as a warning message to TSA agents who go too far with pre-board patdowns.
The Fourth Amendment is a protection for all Americans against illegal searches and seizures conducted by the government. It is often cited by those protesting the body scans as unnecessary because they are uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing. The scanning and patdown procedures are intended to keep travelers safe but sometimes fail to detect weapons and other threats.
The website for 4th Amendment Wear has photos of the products along with the tagline “assert your rights without saying a word.”
While clever and humorous, the silent protest will unlikely change the tactics of the TSA. If anything, pre-board checks may become more strict under President Trump.