For once, I agree with Jesse Ventura

Former wrestler and Governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura, is furious, according to a report from Minnesota Public Radio.

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura held a news conference today to criticize the dismissal of his lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration for the agency’s pat downs and full body scanners at the airport. Ventura said he was outraged that the court dismissed his case. He called the judge who dismissed the case and the federal courts in general as “cowards.”

“They said they don’t have jurisdiction,” Ventura told reporters outside of the federal courthouse in St. Paul. “Well my question is if the federal courts don’t have jurisdiction over a constitutional question then who the hell does?“

Ventura said he hasn’t talked with his attorney about whether he would appeal his lawsuit but he suggested it wasn’t worth it.

“Why would I appeal it, I want a trial by jury,” Ventura said. “If I appeal it, they’ll get federally paid judges to squash it.”

. . .

“I will not be treated like a criminal,” Ventura said. “In our airports today, we citizens are treated like criminals. We’re guilty until we’re proven innocent.“

There’s more at the link. Bold print is my emphasis.

I fully agree with Mr. Ventura on the points in bold print. I don’t agree with others he made, but those resonate profoundly with me. It’s one reason I try to avoid commercial air travel whenever possible, choosing to drive up to ten hours each way rather than fly.

Another report notes that Mr. Ventura’s lawsuit was dismissed “because Congress set up the law so that all such challenges must be brought directly in Circuit Courts of Appeals“. That, too, makes no sense to me. If this is a Constitutional matter – which it appears to be – why is it not within the jurisdiction of regular Federal courts? Something is very wrong here.

Peter