As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to roll out full-body scanners, the opposition to this much-embattled security measure seems to be getting fierce.
Alarmed by the Transportation Security Administration's announcement that it would add 11 more full-body scanners at U.S. airports last month, more than 30 privacy and civil liberties organizations filed a formal petition with DHS. This was the largest opposition since full-body scanners (FBS) were introduced in 2005, and also the most forceful. Instead of requesting the agency to look into privacy concerns, the petition this time round urged the federal agency to shut down FBS use altogether at all the nation's airports.And unlike earlier protests, its opposition this time has not come from just the civil liberties groups. A plethora of organizations like air travel, educational, civil liberties, human rights, religious and taxpayer-rights organizations from across the country have joined in as well in a bid to force DHS to stop its use.
Take a look at the petition and it becomes evident that concerns are indeed spreading broadly;
"In addition to the privacy and health concerns that have been raised, we are becoming increasingly aware of growing doubts about the effectiveness and safety of the devices as well as the very real offense to deeply held religious views.
Many religious leaders have spoken recently in opposition to body scanners.We join them in urging you to suspend this program.We further believe that the full body scanners are contributing to a negative perception of the United States and reducing the number of foreign visitors who will travel to the US.If the program is suspended, there is the very real possibility of saving taxpayers over $400 million this year and much more in the years ahead.We support a proposal to undertake a comprehensive study to evaluate the effectiveness, health risks, and privacy impacts of the devices.We also ask you to consider the importance of sincerely held religious opposition to the digital undressing of air travelers by TSA officials, as well as the economic impact on the US tourism industry."
According to Lillie Coney, associate director, Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC), the organization that is spearheading this "movement," ever since the DHS decided to be aggressive with rolling out of full body scanners -- thanks to $1 billion in Recovery Act funds -- this issue has emerged as a political hot potato.
"We are entirely opposed to full-body scanners," she said. "While we appreciate the concerns of agency, we want the agency to pursue technologies that address the real threat; are least privacy invasive; as well as be one that is most effective."
For instance, says Coney, the body scanners are not effective and are not designed to detect the type of powdered explosive that was involved in the Dec. 25, 2009 "underwear bomber" incident.
The issue of introducing FBS dates back to the time of the Bush administration. In 2005, DHS ordered the government's first batch of the scanners -- five from California-based Rapiscan Systems.
Today, 40 body scanners are in use at 19 U.S. airports. The number is expected to skyrocket at least in part because of the Christmas Day incident. Reportedly, The Transportation Security Administration expects to have an additional 450 FBS deployed by the end of 2010.
Photo: CBP Port
Photo: CBP Port
I am utterly amazed that there would be anyone that would be against such a passive security measure. Especially at a time when we have such a serious threat to the US.
The days of convenience are long gone. All Americans need to realize that we may have to be a bit inconvenienced to ensure the safety of us all.
Religious reasons are not good enough to suspend this program. Many who have the religious reasons are the ones who need to be scanned, who are we protecting here, the potential terrorists, or the honest citizens?
If people are against the full body scanner perhaps they would support an alternative. As you enter the terminal, everyone-employees and ticket holders-pass one at a time through a "bunker" type bomb proof room with a "detonation device" activated as each passess through. Anyone carrying explosive devices, or ingredients, would explode. This would eliminate the problem. NO body scans and money saved on criminal proceedings. This would fix the problem for a while.
As part of the gargantuan fraud being peddled by the corporate media in service of the government’s agenda to subject everyone to degrading naked body scans in airports, apologists for the devices claimed that people’s genitals would be blurred out to save embarrassment.
This has now proven to be a fraudulent con designed to keep people in the dark about the fact that the body scanners DO produce crisp images of your naked body and they DO allow TSA thugs to see intricate details of your genitals.
A report from October 2008, when the naked body scanners were first being introduced at Melbourne Airport in Australia, detailed how the X-ray backscatter devices don’t work properly unless the genitals of people going through them are visible.
“It will show the private parts of people, but what we’ve decided is that we’re not going to blur those out, because it severely limits the detection capabilities,” said Office of Transport Security manager Cheryl Johnson.
“It is possible to see genitals and breasts while they’re going through the machine,” she admitted.
In addition, London Guardian journalist Helen Carter writes today that the scanners produce an image which make “genitals eerily visible,” after she attended a trial run at Manchester Airport earlier this week.
The aggressive campaign on behalf of governments and the media to sell the public on invasive body scanners has been accompanied by the reassurance that the devices do not show details of genitals, an obvious attempt to counter the fact that the machines do represent a virtual strip search as well as violating laws against child pornography.
Images accompanying articles about the scanners, as well as TV news reports, blurred out sensitive areas, creating the impression that this is also what officials in airports saw, misleading the public into thinking that their private parts would not be on public display.
Since it’s already been admitted by security officials, as well as personally witnessed recently by newspaper reporters, that the scanners do indeed provide detailed pictures of people’s sexual organs, are Americans going to accept thugs in uniforms staring at their genitals, or are people finally going to say enough is enough and start boycotting the airlines as well as conducting mass protests in resistance to this complete abomination against basic human dignity?
The brainwashing is incredible, it never ceases to amaze me, don't people realize that they hear the word terrorist on a daily basis on the TV? They are constantly being reminded about 911 and the taliban etc, to what end? to keep us safe? or to make sure the military industrial complex and the banks that fund they keep the money flowing? Statistically you have more of a chance to get hit by lightning than being attacked by a terrorist. Does Israel use the full body scanners? NO they are not schmucks nor frady cats like the dopes here.