A. They are touching parts of our bodies that are reserved for our most intimate activities. They’re treating us as criminals. If we try to prevent every act of criminality, we won’t have freedom anymore. We’re doing more than the terrorists could ever have done and we’re doing it to ourselves — and then we say we’re doing it for our own good. Someone had wanted to introduce legislation that would have just covered children. That would be a step forward, but I think we’re giving up too much. Think about this: We are allowing someone to touch your daughter or granddaughter’s private parts as a condition of travel. What have we come to?

Q. What about the apparent conflict with federal law?

A. The first thing the feds will say is it violates the Constitution and the supremacy clause. But we’re not contravening any federal statute. It’s not a nullification. We’re saying the feds are acting outside the Constitution. In the new bill we’ve added an allowance for consent — if a T.S.A. agent says, ‘There is something that seems to be on your buttock and I would like to use the back of my hand to make sure it’s not something explosive,’ you could agree to that search. We think that could have been done anyway. But what we’re basically saying is, ‘Show me the law that says you can touch my private parts in order to travel and I’ll let you do it.’ ”

Q. When did you decide that the searches were a problem?

A. About a year ago, on my 25th anniversary, I first ran into the naked body scanner. I went through it because I didn’t want to make trouble. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known what I know now. When we let our 16-year-old daughter fly commercial for the very first time alone we booked a flight and we made sure we got to the airport early so she could use the metal detector. I don’t want someone touching my 16-year-old daughter’s breasts, lifting them up, touching her genitals.

Q. Have you any travel plans?

A. I haven’t been on a commercial airliner since all this started, and I’m a little worried about what’s going to happen to me. (He laughs.) But I am going on vacation this summer to see my daughter in Montana. I’m driving. It’s a long way. But I won’t have to be groped or ogled by anyone but my wife. (Laughs again.)