Remember 9/11. We hear that often. People wave flags and pat backs and
congratulate rescuers and praise the lives of those that have perished that
day. Yet nowadays it seems like the freedoms we have relinquished for the
safety of our citizens are debated yet again. Let me explain.
The TSA has new x-ray devices at the airport designed to view everything on
your person as clear as day. (Think of the x-ray vision we all wish we shared
with Superman). These freaking things pick up everything down to schlong
and boob size. Pretty intrusive huh? But it is a necessary evil to provide safety
on aircraft post 9/11. Your alternative is a TSA pat down. Sounds better, right?
Wrong ! Some are up in arms about being subjected to a pat down. It's humiliating.
Humiliating? To whom? Everyone is getting one or the other. Again an ugly reality
shows itself in policy change.
Humiliating. I thought of the several pat downs I received when I was a teen
even to now as a 33 year old man. Mostly just for having the unfortunate luck
of being born into an inner city borough and for having suspicious ingrained in
my DNA. Humiliating is going to the store for groceries only to be stopped and
frisked in front of passerby's. Humiliating is being frisked on a busy Queens street
for double parking. Wrong yes. Deserved? I leave that for you to answer when you
enter the gate and have to decide which security procedure you want to "humiliate"
yourself with. I mean it's not necessary now, is it?
-- Posted Live From The Outside World