Groping the gropers

It's probably a stretch to call Boulder, Colo., resident Yukari Miyamae a revolutionary. But every revolution starts with someone who's had enough. And the 61-year-old woman, who dared treat a Transportation Security Administration agent as the agent was prepared to treat her, has quickly become the face of the country's millions of humiliated, aggravated air travelers.

Ms. Miyamae made national news last week when she refused to submit to the TSA's stepped-up screening at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport. The translator frequently flies between Colorado and Arizona, and Ms. Miyamae was not about to be subjected to federal intrusion on a routine flight home when agents had no probable cause to suspect she was a terrorist. So she grabbed a female agent's breast to see if she might inspire a bit of empathy. Instead, Ms. Miyamae was promptly arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse, a felony.

As her story spread through the media, multiple Facebook pages were set up support her, including at least one establishing a legal defense fund.

On Tuesday, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced it would not prosecute Ms. Miyamae, saying her action did not rise to a felony offense. The city attorney could choose to go forward with a misdemeanor prosecution.

Ms. Miyamae's protest resonates because the TSA's screening methods are at once misdirected and ineffective. Elderly women and children are routinely groped and embarrassed when none fit any terrorist profile, yet last week a House subcommittee reported U.S. airports have suffered more than 25,000 security breaches under the TSA's watch since 9/11.

We don't recommend that travelers assault TSA agents, especially if they want to reach their destinations on time. But we'd love to see Ms. Miyamae fight any prosecution, especially if it were brought before a jury. Think any panel of citizens would convict Ms. Miyamae of even a misdemeanor? Neither do we.