I decided to ditch my previous topic of the same prompt. This is a complete rewrite on a different topic-- The TSA and their full body scans.
Choose an issue of importance to you-the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope-and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.
Airport security today is of utmost significance, brought along by the threat of terrorism and hijackings that have occurred in the past. Today, airport screenings have become a tedious and thorough process, involving the scanning of quite literally the whole body, head to toe. Body scanners and full body pat downs are becoming common, and the strict adherence to policy that can be otherwise reasoned with common sense is ridiculous.
These new policies and procedures for full body screening have brought along much protest and also support. When challenged, TSA administrator John Pistole defends the new policies by arguing that the terror threat is a greater concern, and that the new policies have become the new reality of flying. I disagree with this statement and I believe that the TSA has gone too far in mandating these kinds of scans.
Full body scanners use radiation back scatter or radio waves to generate an image of a body, even through clothing. This can be used to detect the presence of prohibited items on the passenger's body. While I agree that the full body scanners can locate dangerous or prohibited items, I also know that they generate nude images of people, which essentially makes every airport screening a strip search. And what about those pat downs? They do the same thing, right? If people aren't comfortable with being viewed in the nude, well then they can "opt-out" for a so-called "enhanced" pat down which consists of touching and groping, including the breast and genital areas. This "policy" only seems to discourage, discomfort, and embarrass all who pass.
The TSA states that this ensures the safety of all passengers, but at what cost? Passengers can no longer just walk through a metal detector, instead, they have to either be scanned to the nude or groped to near assault. Actions that are prohibited and warrant arrest are now available to be conducted by TSA workers on people who have never committed any crimes. Pilots are subjected to the same kind of thorough investigation of nude imaging or "enhanced" pat downs. I fail to comprehend the lack of common sense in this picture. The pilot is already flying the aircraft-he doesn't need anything prohibited to bring it down, making it senseless to even search them.
I understand that the hijackings of the September 11 incident and also the attempted Christmas bombings have brought about much urgency in improving air security. I also understand that the TSA have never caught any potential terrorists-ever. If the TSA thinks it is their job to change with the threat of security, it might make more sense for everyone to fly naked. After all, that IS basically how the TSA is screening passengers, right?
Air security should be a balance of freedom and safety. It should exist to keep us safe, while keeping our rights. It should not discourage or discomfort us. It should give us a feeling of peace, not of fright. The cause for safety should not have to come at the cost of freedom and rights.
Choose an issue of importance to you-the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope-and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.
Airport security today is of utmost significance, brought along by the threat of terrorism and hijackings that have occurred in the past. Today, airport screenings have become a tedious and thorough process, involving the scanning of quite literally the whole body, head to toe. Body scanners and full body pat downs are becoming common, and the strict adherence to policy that can be otherwise reasoned with common sense is ridiculous.
These new policies and procedures for full body screening have brought along much protest and also support. When challenged, TSA administrator John Pistole defends the new policies by arguing that the terror threat is a greater concern, and that the new policies have become the new reality of flying. I disagree with this statement and I believe that the TSA has gone too far in mandating these kinds of scans.
Full body scanners use radiation back scatter or radio waves to generate an image of a body, even through clothing. This can be used to detect the presence of prohibited items on the passenger's body. While I agree that the full body scanners can locate dangerous or prohibited items, I also know that they generate nude images of people, which essentially makes every airport screening a strip search. And what about those pat downs? They do the same thing, right? If people aren't comfortable with being viewed in the nude, well then they can "opt-out" for a so-called "enhanced" pat down which consists of touching and groping, including the breast and genital areas. This "policy" only seems to discourage, discomfort, and embarrass all who pass.
The TSA states that this ensures the safety of all passengers, but at what cost? Passengers can no longer just walk through a metal detector, instead, they have to either be scanned to the nude or groped to near assault. Actions that are prohibited and warrant arrest are now available to be conducted by TSA workers on people who have never committed any crimes. Pilots are subjected to the same kind of thorough investigation of nude imaging or "enhanced" pat downs. I fail to comprehend the lack of common sense in this picture. The pilot is already flying the aircraft-he doesn't need anything prohibited to bring it down, making it senseless to even search them.
I understand that the hijackings of the September 11 incident and also the attempted Christmas bombings have brought about much urgency in improving air security. I also understand that the TSA have never caught any potential terrorists-ever. If the TSA thinks it is their job to change with the threat of security, it might make more sense for everyone to fly naked. After all, that IS basically how the TSA is screening passengers, right?
Air security should be a balance of freedom and safety. It should exist to keep us safe, while keeping our rights. It should not discourage or discomfort us. It should give us a feeling of peace, not of fright. The cause for safety should not have to come at the cost of freedom and rights.
