One of the ways that the government is able to violate our free speech rights is to engage in censorship through the regulation process. The latest incident happened when a small plane towed a banner making fun of Tiger Woods and his sex scandal while flying over Augusta National during play at the Masters.

Our fearless regulators at the FAA made sure that it stopped by grounding the plane, ostensibly for “safety” purposes:

An airplane that towed banners taunting Tiger Woods about his sex scandal during the Masters has been ordered to stop until it undergoes minor repairs.

Kathleen Bergen, an Atlanta-based spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said Friday that FAA flight safety inspectors issued the order after meeting with the plane’s pilot.

Was there a defect in the engine? Was it ready to crash right on the golf course? No, it turns out that a seat belt allegedly failed an FAA inspection, and the pilot cannot fly the plane until the government approves. No doubt, the FAA will take its time in carrying out its “inspection.”

[Update I] A “friend” asks the following pertinent question: “Do you think the corporatist members (many who lead bailed out institutions) of Augusta National had some influence there? They have the clout and are known for quashing anything un-Augusta-like.” He gives a list of members, and you can see there are a lot of corporatists and banksters on it.

[Update II] : The actual pilot of the plane, who would only speak on the condition of remaining anonymous, tells SbB today that the reason for the plane being grounded was a, “worn out tag on one of the plane’s seat belts.”