In June we learned about a gay New Zealand customs officer who enjoyed strip searching travelers a little too much, at least according to co-workers Glenn Rankin and John Smith, who lost their jobs after being accused of speaking to the press about the matter. Well, they’re back at work now.
After saying their colleague “sought more than his share of strip-search assignments, made lewd comments about male passengers… and used recreational drugs,” and then leaking the information to reporters, Rankin and Smith are being reinstated but only because customs officials improperly conducted their investigation, concludes the Employment Relations Authority.
So back screening passengers are two men who believe people subject to strip searches are entitled to know the sexual orientation of the officials asking them to disrobe. In case they want to ask for the non-rapist-prone homosexuals.
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Hilarious
Part of me wants to be outraged. Another part of me knows there are gay men out there who will make asses of us if we speak out against this.
Not sure this is a battle worth getting into.
Rape obviously won’t take place, but groping, and lewd comments aren’t rape. Not everyone has a moral compass gay or straight.
I would just try to remember that before getting upset about this because you could win the fight and then someone who happens to be gay could show his ass which could have an even harsher negative impact than this(like more jobs being able to fire or refuse to hire due to sexual orientation).
Steve
There probably is not a perfect solution to this issue.
In an ideal world, it might be appropriate for strip searches to be conducted by sexually incompatible officers — straight men should be searched by straight men, straight women by straight women, gay men by lesbian women, and lesbian women by gay men.
But, of course, in order to do so it would be necessary to inquire as to the sexual orientation of both the searcher and the subject. And, because the officers are in a position of authority over the subject, there will always be a temptation for an officer to take advantage of that authority.
This is not just a problem of customs officers. Similar abuse by police officers and jail guards has been documented over a period of many years. The base problem seems to be that the grant of police power to a human being, virtually guarantees that the power will be abused. The well known ‘jail guard’ psychology experiments of a half-century ago, have been replicated hundreds of times since then, and always with the same result.
It might be better to conduct those searches with some mechanism that records any impropriety that occurs so that it can be noted and punished. That would seem to require cameras arrayed around the search room, so that every word and action of the officer can be recorded and reviewed. And, the subject should be given notice of the purpose of the cameras, and assurance that the record will not be reviewed unless the subject complains of impropriety by the officer. Even then, we can be sure that inappropriate conduct will occur, and the videos will be viewed when not required. So some administrative procedures to minimize those secondary abuses will also be needed.
Top
Where’s the pic from? Hot scene.
ron
Gay men are the most shameless predators. You know it’s true. A gay man wouldn’t hesitate to strip and fondle a heterosexual male if he wouldn’t get the shit beat out of him otherwise. Gay men deserve every bit of sanctions and discrimination directed towards them. Gay men are vile.
patrick
@ron: You seem to be obsessed with gay men. Take your ignorance and hatred someplace else. You are a closet case, honey.
Cassandra
“Gay men are the most shameless predators. ”
And yet the majority of all sexual predators are heterosexual males. After all, for centuries, rape was the traditional way of starting a heterosexual marriage in much of Europe, and until relatively recently, heterosexuals males gave themselves the privilege of legally raping their own wives.
Sexual predators are also more likely to hold conservative beliefs and support “traditional gender roles”.
so, Ron, someone who believes as you apparently do is more likely to be a sexual predator than the average gay man.
L.
I’m not sure I get this. Two people (who lost their jobs whistle-blowing on someone who used his position to ogle/fondle/whatever passengers) getting their jobs back is a *bad* thing?
$1 that opinions would be slightly modified if it had been a straight man doing this to women.
(And yes, I know men don’t strip-search women. I’m talking hypothetically.)
FYI
READ the full article at:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/3825567/Gay-claims-in-Customs-strip-search-court-case
According to the news article…
“Both men deny leaking material and say they were unjustifiably dismissed. They want their jobs back.
Customs manager, central and southern airports, Stuart Lumsden told the hearing the gay officer’s search statistics could look bad, but he worked the busiest shifts and was often the only male available to search male passengers. Invasive searches were made only with the approval of a senior officer.
The service did not want Mr Rankin and Mr Smith back even if the authority decided they were unjustifiably dismissed, Mr Lumsden said.”
================================
Please note the part about how the gay officer (quote): “…worked the busiest shifts and was often the only male available to search male passengers. Invasive searches were made only with the approval of a senior officer.”
Hmmmmm…how quickly we judge our own. Where are the complaints from male passengers? How do we not know that the two other airport employees weren’t just a couple of vile homophobes making crap up to “stick it to the queer”? There are still a lot more questions than answers.
ewe
@ron: Ron? Whatever makes you think straight guys can fight well?
rudy
FYI – thanks for the link and clarification.
No one would have a clue as to what was going on from Queerty’s glib reduction.
MrsPatrickCampbell
This story is meaningless without a nude photo of Mary Customs.