Getting Candid: WTF is our Government Thinking?
First thing's first: I'm not usually one to make noise about our government. To be perfectly honest, I'm not educated enough in politics to make legit opinions and not sound ignorant. What I do know is 1) There is no reason why gay marriage shouldn't be legal in all 50 states and 2) the TSA is nothing but a united group of power hungry, sexual molesters.
Until recently, I didn't really care about airport security. Of course I care that we have good airport security because the last thing I'd ever want is another airport/airplane terrorist attack. What I mean is, I haven't flown since 1998, so I haven't been bothered by all the inconvenience that people have had to go through security wise at airports.
Things change.
As some of you know, I'm going to Italy for JIBcon next year and that requires flying. I should take a moment to personally thank John Tyner, because if he hadn't refused the TSA's new security measures, I would've been blindsided in April. Like I said, I don't follow politics. Let me also say that if I hadn't spent so much damn money on JIBcon already, I would not be going. I would not fly. I would not step foot in an airport. That's how strongly I feel about this.
After doing some research on full body scanners and the "new and improved" pat down, I realized that I was going to be faced with a choice, and both choices made my stomach knot up.
In case some of you are out of the loop (like I was a few days ago) here's the general low down:
Full Body Scanners have been in the works since 2005 but recently there have been bills and stimulus plans to have more installed throughout the country, a grand total of 500, believe. The scanners take a full x-ray of you that sees through clothing and shows detailed contours of your body. Basically, an inverted naked photo, a virtual strip search. The government tried to tell us that the images are not saved but then later admitted to saving 35,000 images: www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/04/body-scan-images-from-sec_n_670170.html
On top of that, there is potential harm from radiation that some experts are adamantly saying is dangerous.
You can refuse the full body scanner and opt for a pat down (though honestly, they can call you out and make you go through a pat down even if you do go through scanners), however, on November 1st, the pat down regulations changed. It's not less of a pat down and more of a full on sexual molestation. Here are a few accounts of people who have been through it:
"Although I've always appreciated and respected the safety measures that have been in place since 9/11, my recent experience just went too far. I became increasingly uncomfortable during the pat-down, and I asked for a private screening.
Two female TSA agents took me into a room, and while one watched, the other proceeded with the pat-down, which included touching my breasts, putting her hands inside my slacks below waist level, running her hands down the outside of my legs, then running her hands up the inside of my legs to and through my groin area. It was a violating and humiliating experience that left me in tears."
Or better yet, read this: www.ourlittlechatterboxes.com/2010/11/tsa-sexual-assault.html it almost made me cry.
And this is where I have to say: just what. in the fuck. is our government thinking?
Let me tell you something, I've been "touched" without permission and I'm not talking a quick breast grope. It's what people call sexual molestation. It ended with my fist in his face and the promise of beating his skull in if he touched me again. He got the picture. And here's the deal, you can't tell the TSA that you're going to brutally assault them and you can't hit them, unless you want to end up in prison. You have to stand there and let them touch you. I have to say, I'm not seeing a difference between what I went through and what you now have to go through in airport security. Unwanted, inappropriate touch: check. Feelings of fear, anger, and humiliation: check. Someone please point out a difference because I'm not finding one.
And kids, they can touch fucking kids. Ok, so they changed it so they have to be over 12 but still. Let me tell you right now, I'm not a parent, but I do have a nephew and if he was ever touched like that, someone would be making funeral arrangements. And that someone would not be me.
Let me make this clear, I completely understand the need for good security in airports. However, there is a line and it's been crossed. If the line is in California, the government and the TSA are in fucking England.
And the people who are trying to defend the new regulations and methods, government officials and citizens alike, are disgusting to me. Seriously. In my opinion if you agree with the new TSA regulations, then you have no idea what privacy, dignity, or human rights are. You aren't human. There are other ways to keep security tight, it does not nor should it ever come down to something this invasive. Right now the biggest argument is that the almost Christmas Bomber would've been caught if we had these pat downs when it happened. My response? Bomb. sniffing. dogs. People are always going on about how amazing dogs are at sniffing out drugs, cadavers, survivors, and fucking BOMBS. So why aren't they in airports all across the country?
Honestly, I could get behind full body scans only if the following occurred:
* We get scientific proof and research that the radiation is not dangerous, even for the most frequent fliers. That means a minimum of a year's worth of exposure for people who fly weekly or monthly. I want the results of that test and if it's all clear, then ok.
* The images are less detailed. I want the simplest form possible.
* The software is modified so that images cannot be stored. I want it to be impossible and I want proof.
If those three things happened with full body scanning, I could back it. Until then, no, I am absolutely not ok with full body scanners. However, I will never be ok with the new pat down regulations. Not ever.
Think about the frequent fliers, all the people who have to travel constantly for their jobs, and all this shit they have to put up with. I read an article where a man literally puked at the idea of having to go through this all the time for his job. Guys, think of our boys, our Supernatural boys who have to deal with this shit too.
This brings me back to what they hell am I going to do in April when I'm faced with this. I thought about it, I agonized over it, I'm still sick about it, but I'm going through the full body scanner. Am I horrified over a stranger viewing me virtually naked without permission? of course. But will I ever let someone touch my breasts, crotch, or ass without permission? Absolutely not. Not even if you buy me dinner first.
Until recently, I didn't really care about airport security. Of course I care that we have good airport security because the last thing I'd ever want is another airport/airplane terrorist attack. What I mean is, I haven't flown since 1998, so I haven't been bothered by all the inconvenience that people have had to go through security wise at airports.
Things change.
As some of you know, I'm going to Italy for JIBcon next year and that requires flying. I should take a moment to personally thank John Tyner, because if he hadn't refused the TSA's new security measures, I would've been blindsided in April. Like I said, I don't follow politics. Let me also say that if I hadn't spent so much damn money on JIBcon already, I would not be going. I would not fly. I would not step foot in an airport. That's how strongly I feel about this.
After doing some research on full body scanners and the "new and improved" pat down, I realized that I was going to be faced with a choice, and both choices made my stomach knot up.
In case some of you are out of the loop (like I was a few days ago) here's the general low down:
Full Body Scanners have been in the works since 2005 but recently there have been bills and stimulus plans to have more installed throughout the country, a grand total of 500, believe. The scanners take a full x-ray of you that sees through clothing and shows detailed contours of your body. Basically, an inverted naked photo, a virtual strip search. The government tried to tell us that the images are not saved but then later admitted to saving 35,000 images: www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/04/body-scan-images-from-sec_n_670170.html
On top of that, there is potential harm from radiation that some experts are adamantly saying is dangerous.
You can refuse the full body scanner and opt for a pat down (though honestly, they can call you out and make you go through a pat down even if you do go through scanners), however, on November 1st, the pat down regulations changed. It's not less of a pat down and more of a full on sexual molestation. Here are a few accounts of people who have been through it:
"Although I've always appreciated and respected the safety measures that have been in place since 9/11, my recent experience just went too far. I became increasingly uncomfortable during the pat-down, and I asked for a private screening.
Two female TSA agents took me into a room, and while one watched, the other proceeded with the pat-down, which included touching my breasts, putting her hands inside my slacks below waist level, running her hands down the outside of my legs, then running her hands up the inside of my legs to and through my groin area. It was a violating and humiliating experience that left me in tears."
Or better yet, read this: www.ourlittlechatterboxes.com/2010/11/tsa-sexual-assault.html it almost made me cry.
And this is where I have to say: just what. in the fuck. is our government thinking?
Let me tell you something, I've been "touched" without permission and I'm not talking a quick breast grope. It's what people call sexual molestation. It ended with my fist in his face and the promise of beating his skull in if he touched me again. He got the picture. And here's the deal, you can't tell the TSA that you're going to brutally assault them and you can't hit them, unless you want to end up in prison. You have to stand there and let them touch you. I have to say, I'm not seeing a difference between what I went through and what you now have to go through in airport security. Unwanted, inappropriate touch: check. Feelings of fear, anger, and humiliation: check. Someone please point out a difference because I'm not finding one.
And kids, they can touch fucking kids. Ok, so they changed it so they have to be over 12 but still. Let me tell you right now, I'm not a parent, but I do have a nephew and if he was ever touched like that, someone would be making funeral arrangements. And that someone would not be me.
Let me make this clear, I completely understand the need for good security in airports. However, there is a line and it's been crossed. If the line is in California, the government and the TSA are in fucking England.
And the people who are trying to defend the new regulations and methods, government officials and citizens alike, are disgusting to me. Seriously. In my opinion if you agree with the new TSA regulations, then you have no idea what privacy, dignity, or human rights are. You aren't human. There are other ways to keep security tight, it does not nor should it ever come down to something this invasive. Right now the biggest argument is that the almost Christmas Bomber would've been caught if we had these pat downs when it happened. My response? Bomb. sniffing. dogs. People are always going on about how amazing dogs are at sniffing out drugs, cadavers, survivors, and fucking BOMBS. So why aren't they in airports all across the country?
Honestly, I could get behind full body scans only if the following occurred:
* We get scientific proof and research that the radiation is not dangerous, even for the most frequent fliers. That means a minimum of a year's worth of exposure for people who fly weekly or monthly. I want the results of that test and if it's all clear, then ok.
* The images are less detailed. I want the simplest form possible.
* The software is modified so that images cannot be stored. I want it to be impossible and I want proof.
If those three things happened with full body scanning, I could back it. Until then, no, I am absolutely not ok with full body scanners. However, I will never be ok with the new pat down regulations. Not ever.
Think about the frequent fliers, all the people who have to travel constantly for their jobs, and all this shit they have to put up with. I read an article where a man literally puked at the idea of having to go through this all the time for his job. Guys, think of our boys, our Supernatural boys who have to deal with this shit too.
This brings me back to what they hell am I going to do in April when I'm faced with this. I thought about it, I agonized over it, I'm still sick about it, but I'm going through the full body scanner. Am I horrified over a stranger viewing me virtually naked without permission? of course. But will I ever let someone touch my breasts, crotch, or ass without permission? Absolutely not. Not even if you buy me dinner first.