A women gets arrested at the Austin airport because she refused the government-mandated sexual assault enhanced patdown.

Claire Hirschkind, 56, who says she is a rape victim and who has a pacemaker-type device implanted in her chest, says her constitutional rights were violated.

[…]

Hirschkind said because of the device in her body, she was led to a female TSA employee and three Austin police officers.  She says she was told she was going to be patted down.

“I turned to the police officer and said, ‘I have given no due cause to give up my constitutional rights.  You can wand me,'” and they said, ‘No, you have to do this,'” she said.

Hirschkind agreed to the pat down, but on one condition.

“I told them, ‘No, I’m not going to have my breasts felt,’ and she said, ‘Yes, you are,'” said Hirschkind.

When Hirschkind refused, she says that “the police actually pushed me to the floor, (and) handcuffed me.  I was crying by then.  They drug me 25 yards across the floor in front of the whole security.”

Wow. The humanity of all of this.

This is what keeps us safe?

The thing is, we haven’t had a single terrorist attack since implementing “security through pornography.” But yet we have reports almost daily of indignity, suffering, pain, and torment being caused to the citizenry. Why is this acceptable? Is guaranteed inhumane treatment of all citizens on a constant and daily basis a rational justification? Is it a legitimate cost?

The TSA did release a statement Wednesday that said in part, “Our officers are trained to treat all passengers with dignity and respect. Security is not optional.”

But apparently dignity and respect are optional.

Real security may not be optional, but this sort of “farcical security” behavior is intolerable, unacceptable, and inexcusable.

Why are you putting up with it?