After much recent controversy over heightened airport security measures, people across the country are calling for all airport travelers to "opt out" of the new full body scanning procedures and for the "pat down" method in its place. On the busiest weekend of the year for traveling, people are hoping to draw attention to this issue if enough people refuse to walk through full body scanners. Should this technology be further investigated before we put into place? What are the health ramifications of the radiation, privacy issues, etc.? Is this really necessary for safety against terrorism? How invasive is the alternative "pat down" method?
Explain your concerns or ideas on this issue.
Please read the following article and write a thoughtful response.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/24/national.opt.out.day/index.html?hpt=T1
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23 comments:
I feel that everyone is entitled to their personal privacy. People are very sensitive when it comes to their bodies, what's affecting it, and how it is being handled. However, I feel that in this day in age it is very important for us to not just give in with sympathy. It is still a dangerous world. You can never be sure of who is telling the truth and who is faking it. I feel that if scientists can prove that the full body scan is not harmful to people, there should be no problem with it. If it is dangerous than i think people should have the right to refuse to use it but something must be done as an alternative (such as the full pat down). Like I said, you can never be too careful so you have to go through something.
In the world today, it seems like each day that passes, we find another thing that causes cancer. I full body scan in my opinion sounds like it is pretty dangerous. I personally would not want to use the scanner because i feel that nothing good can come out of having your entire body exposed to radiation at on time. Think about it. When you simply get an x-ray for a bone, the technicians cover the rest of your body with a lead blanket to help keep you from being exposed to more radiation then you need to. In the same respect though, i dont know how i feel about "pat down" method either because i do feel like it is an invasion of privacy. I have never had one but it seems like something that would make me uncomfortable. I also dont think this is a good idea because what if there is a mother that doesnt want her 10 year old child to go through the radiation. Does that mean that the kid has to go through a full body pat down? I feel like that is not something a 10 year old kid should have to go through. I think that we have to continue to research new idea of checking people without filling them with radiation and discomfort.
While I find the body scanner to be a bit intrusive, as a passenger on a flight I would feel more comfortable getting on a plane knowing that all security measures were taken to ensure a safe flight. I feel as though the safety of the people on the airplane is more important than the privacy that is violated when people go through a body scanner. Since 9/11 and all of the terrorist threats since, many people feel apprehensive getting on a plane. The full body scanner will give everyone on the flight an extra sense of security. If special case travelers such as pilots want to opt out, they should at least receive the pat down without a fight.
People have a right to go through their necessary and proper business without undue burden as a result of government action. Flying, however, is not a right. It is a luxury, and traveling through the American airspace is consent to follow the rules of the TSA. I'm not an expert in anti-terrorism tactics, and I'm betting you aren't either. Therefore, we should probably let the federal agency whose only job is airport security to take care of this. Americans demand security in the air, so complaining about extensive screening is pretty hypocritical. If you're worried about the radiation here, you probably should never take an x-ray or use a cell phone, but you still have the right to an invasive pat down. If you don't like either of these options, I hear Amtrak's pretty nice nowadays.
I don't really understand the huge issue with this whole thing. In some cases, yes, I do agree the pat down can be a bit intrusive, but otherwise I think it's quite necessary. With all of the terrorist threats that have been occurring over the past years, I feel like this is the only way to keep our country safe. In specific cases, like that of Thomas Sawyer, there should be a special private pat down requested to save him from the humiliation he went through. The point of airport security is to make the travelers feel safe. If this is the only way to do so, then people need to realize this and get over all the commotion.
Obviously there have been many issues regaurding airport security in the past and i think we should and need to do anything we can to keep everyone safe. I feel that if they can prove the body scan is safe enough to use then we should be able to use it. You are only under it for a few seconds and it really assures full safety to all the passengers. I dont think the pat down is necessary.It embaresses some people and others are very private about their bodies. I dont believe they need a stranger patting them down in public. Hopefully they ok the body scan so no one else is humiliated and we can continue to feel safe at airports and on the actual flight itself.
With cancer and other horrible sicknesses on the rise I believe that this technology should deffiantly be further investigated before put into place. Think of the pilots or frequent flyers who go through this body scan all the time, what harm is it doing to their bodies. Radiation is no joke, it is highly destructive in the body and I myself would not want to be forced to go through this machine. After all the terrorism attacks i do believe we need to step up airport safety but putting our health at risk isnt the answer. The pat down method may be a tad invasive at times but its better then getting exposed to radiation and we all feel better sitting on a plane when we no everyone was checked. I think this weekend was a perfect time to start this protest , it should bring alot of attention to the issue and hopefully bring about change.
I'm honestly not sure what the right thing to do is in this situaiton. Although I do agree that in some situations the full body pat down is a little invasive, I would much rather have to go through one of those than get hurt if someone gets through security who is trying to hurt others. I definitely think that this weekend, as well as the holidays in December, are going to continue to bring up alot of controversy over this topic because the airports are so conjested to begin with, now add if more delays at security. Hopefully before this gets too far, advancements can be made in airport security and a different method can be used to scan people that does not cause any radiation, leading to less poeple being against walking through the scanner.
I do feel we need better security in airports, but before they put out this full body scan, I think they should have tested it more. For those who either travel a lot or are pilots, they may have to go through this body scan every day, causing a lot of radiation to go into their bodies, which in the further may cause cancer. If they feel the pat down is invading their privacy, they will go through the body scan, so it's not like they really have a choice. I feel that many people are nervous about this scan because now they are finding all new things that cause cancer and this is just something else to worry about. I also believe that this will cause a lot of issues because if they have to pat down many people, it's going to take longer then the usual, put your bags down and walk through method. I am not sure if I am a fan of the body scan or not.
Pretaining to this, the issue I feel is most important is the health ramifications it may have. Does anyone know they effect this can have on the body? I personally need to know because I recently have gone through one of these scanners and before going into it, there was no health disclaimor. Nothing said, "If your pregnant.." "If you have heart disease.." "If you have any implanted materials.." They just hearded us through like a bunch of cattle. I remember being shoved in there, being manhandled into the pose they desired, and the machine taking a blurry picture of what looked like only the silhouette of my body. Does this really help them see if people have anything dangerous on them?
I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If they would prefer a pat-down that's fine. If they want to walk through the metal detectors, thats fine too. Prostestors are trying to persuade travelers to request a pat-down over the walk through to see if this will send a message about the method of security in the airports. the metal detectors we walk through in airports have radiation which people feel are too harmful, especially to frequent flyers. This issue I find very interesting because I never really thought about the radiation of the walk-through whenever I was in an airport. It makes me think that I really would prefer a pat-down. The protestors can be as persuasive as they would like, but it all depends on the people who decide too follow them.
-Danielle Johnson
I think the whole controversy over the pat-downs and the enhanced imaging is rediculous. The enhanced imaging can be harmful to the body and the pat-down may make people feel uncomfortable, but it is something that is necessary. Many people try to cause harm to the country and the way to stop that is to have a thorough search of each person going on a plane. Things would be much better if the TSA could come up with a search that will make everybody happy, but that isn't possible. For now people will have to deal with the current methods. Kenny Anello
I think that the most disturbing thing about this entire issue is the fact that we need to address it in the first place. If there weren't terrorists in our world we wouldnt have an issue at all. Unfortunately that will never happen so we are forced to have absurd means of airport security. I think that although it may seem to be an invasion of privacy the scans and pat downs are in fact necessary. Even if it doesnt work 100% effectively at detecting objects not allowed on planes, it will strongly discourage people from trying to sneak them on. I think that for the holidays everyone must simply cope with the small invasion of privacy in order to guarentee the safety of the millions of people flying on planes. I also believe that we must look into discovering a better more effective and less privacy invasive means of airport security. As much as you may feel violated, if the tests werent performed your life would be at risk.
To begin, safety comes first. Yes, I understand that everyone will be in a rush to see family and friends this holiday season, but the planes can wait for us to get on before they take off. I’d much rather be late to a family dinner than see another terrorist attack occur in America. So time should not be an issue… The fact that people want to “opt out” of the full body scanning procedures and replace is with the “pat down” is completely understandable. Most people do not know anything about the machine and the radiation that comes from it. So why not do tests? Test the scanners to see how and if it is even harmful at all! It’s really not all that complicated. Now as far as “pat downs” go, it may make some people feel uncomfortable, but it’s worth it to not have an attack on America. I don’t think the pat down should be mandatory for everyone. Simply, test and make sure that the scanning machine is safe, and use it on people. If there’s a complication where the scanner feels that something suspicious is on the person, then do a pat down. Don’t go straight to the pat down because it does make people feel uncomfortable. It all seems pretty logical to me. I think that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in order to make everything safe and everyone feel comfortable…
Following the 9/11 attacks, airport security has been continuously searching for productive ways to detect danger and ensure the safety of travelers. Although the full body scanner is believed to expose one’s entire body to radiation, and the full body pat down is said to be too personal and a violation of privacy, the federal government needs to take every precaution possible to ensure safety on planes. If one makes the decision to fly, I believe they are obligated to undergo either a full body scan or full body pat down. People are upset with the radiation emitted by the scanners, but these same people are exposed to radiation through the use of cell phones and x-rays. If someone chooses to avoid radiation and go for the pat down, I don’t think they should complain about their privacy being violated because they chose to go for the alternative. I also think the body scanner technology should be researched further to limit emission of radiation and increase the productiveness of the machine.
I understand that the national airports are trying to keep us safe. But this added safety procedures are just added stress to everybodies day. These processes are extremely invasive and invade your presonal space. And on top of feeling violated peopke are exposed to the radiation for the scanner. Even though it is a samll amount, it can still effect people, and nobody wants to endanger their health. I think they should do further testing and find a better way for security. And if you dont want the scanner you can get the "pat down", which isnt much better. You have people that you dont know feeling you up and down and in space that you dont want a complete stranger to touch. I can understand why people are so upset by these security measures.
Unfortunately, many people in this world have proven that not everyone can be trusted. Several terrorist attacks and many crimes make it essential to provide and means of security that will provide America and it's people with maximum safety. Although I certainly do believe that full body scans at the airport are relatively violating, I also believe that it is a necessary precaution, because many people have brought us to this point. As far as health is concerned, further reseach can prove to people that it is not harmful to the body. I think that at this point in history, after 911 and numerous other issues regarding air safety, people should be happy about the measures taking place to provide us safety. In my opinion, this is getting blown way out of proportion, and people should just deal with it. I think that people should not have the right to refuse the scans unless there are medical circumstances because, logically, why would anyone of any danger (with an item on them that shouldn't be) go through with the scan? Obviously, anyone of any harm would refuse the scan, so how is giving people that right doing any good? No one is going to go through with it for fun.
Airport Security is trying to stop acts of terrorism with these new scanners. To my understanding, the scanners do a good job of preventing individuals from bringing any illicit objects on airplanes. Also, there seems to be no serious health ramifications.
Some are criticizing this new method of airport security. I find this to be a little bit absurd. It is only being used to ensure the protection of all passengers.
If people have a problem with the scanners, they can easily opt out and use the alternate pat down method. For the most part, this method does not seem too invasive with the exception of a few instances.
I know that "pat downs" and full body scans are invasive and seem unnecessary to the common person but because of the world we live in, it must be done if you like it or not. People complain how they feel uncomfortable going through these procedures but, it’s for our safety. Due to the actions of others such as terrorists, there has been a huge increase in security here in the U.S. For the people who travel back and forth, it could be dangerous to go through the body scan often but, if that is dangerous then so are x-rays and other type of medical use of radiation.
You can complain all you want about how long and annoying airport security is, but it's completely necessary. We've seen what can happen to our country when security lacks, and our airports are doing their best to assure that something like that will never happen again. Harmful to you or not, it's not going to kill you tomorrow, or the next day, or in twenty years. A bomb or a gun that a terrorist may bring on the plane certaintly will though. If you're not going to get scanned, you should be completely pat down and it will take much longer. The alternative pat down method is good, but as we get smarter, so do they. They find new ways to disguise and hide these weapons from us. We must continue to increase security, especially at times of war like this.
Airport security has gotten a lot better over the years. With the new technology, we can see right through people and identify any possible threats. However, now experts are saying that the big x-ray machines give off too much radiation which is known to cause cancer. There is no doubt that this radiation can be harmful to your cells, but isn't everything these days? Everyday we find something else that causes cancer. Can't they just throw a lead blanket over you to block the radiation from your organs? I feel that the "pat down" method is not as efficient, because there are so many ways to get around it. There are so many places you can hide things...but I won't get into detail. Personally, I don't really feel like the pat down method is an invasion of privacy, but others may think so. I feel like one way or another the security has to figure out a way around this and make airplanes 100% safe because that is their job.
I know that the "pat down" and the full body scan seem a bit intrusive, but if that is what it takes to be safe, then so be it. I would personally do the full body scan, because i would really not like being "pat down" it would make me feel very uncomfortable. People say it will cause cancer but, in this world everything causes cancer. People have the choice to be pat down or a full body scan, if you don't like either options then don't fly at all.
Obviously the "opt out" day was a fail because there was little to no delay in any airports all across the country. I can understand that people would be concerned about their well being and wether or not the radiation from the full body scanners is safe. However at the end of the day all people really care about is getting to where they are headed as fast as possible. Also i think all the people who were urging others to "opt out" in order to purposely cause airport delays on one of the busiest travel days of the year were being completely inconsiderate and unrealistic. They purposely werte trying to cause delays that would keep people from getting to their families the day before thanksgiving, why would anybody want to do that to themselves and others let alone enough people to actually cause delays.
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