On November 23, 2010, I made my way to the Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT. It was a quiet Tuesday morning resulting in a non-existing security line. I made my way up to the conveyer belt and placed my belongings on it to be screened. At that point, I was motioned to step through the new, full-body scanner. I had no idea why TSA felt it was necessary for me to be subjected to a full-body scan, however I had little knowledge about them and dismissed my questions. There were about four TSA guards standing near by since nobody else was going through security at the time. Soon after, I was on my way home to Chicago. It was not until I was home with my immediate and extended family where I learned of the exposure of theses new full-body scanners. The questions brought up were are these full-body scanners necessary and are they exploiting the privacy of men and women? I believe these new security devices are unnecessary and exploit women to the fullest.
While visiting my family in Chicago, I struck up a conversation with my brother about why these full-body scanners were implemented. Through this conversation, and research of my own, I found that the Ex-Homeland Security secretary, Micahel Chertoff, owns Chertoff Group, his security-consulting agency. Chertoff Group’s client is the company that manufactures these full-body scanning machines. Many critique Chertoff for abusing the public trust in order to ensure private gains.
In addition to Chertoff abusing his power, many women have felt subjected to humiliation as they were selected for full-body scans. Numerous women have felt singly pointed out because of their breast size or attire. Eliana Sutherland claims she was chosen for a pat down because of her noticeably large breast size. Sutherland expressed concern when she saw two TSA personnel clearly starring at her chest. She says, “It was pretty obvious. One of the guys that was staring me up and down was the one who pulled me over” (Daily Mail Reporter). Many woman are concerned with this issue because they feel their privacy is being taken from them solely on the fact that they are women. As I mentioned above, I subjected myself to the full-body screener one time, before I understood why I did not care for them. When I traveled back to Colgate after Thanksgiving, I opted to have the alternative pat down. I had been waiting in the long line at security in O’Hare when it was finally my turn to approach the metal detectors. All of the people in my line had been going through the “regular” metal detectors. The girl in front of me, a young college girl like myself, was asked to go through the full-body scanner as oppose to the medal detector the rest of the people in our line went through. She went through and then it was my turn. The TSA man had asked me to step over to go through the full-body scanner as well. I politely said I would rather have the pat down. What struck me odd at this point was the fact that the TSA man asked me why I did not want to go through the full-body scanner and looked surprised when I said no. I was so shocked that he actually had the nerve to ask why I did not want to go through it. It is clearly written in TSA rules that one can deny the full-body scan by subjecting themselves to the pat down. It made me wonder if he had chosen the other girl and I purposely so he could see our “naked” figure.
As much as many men and women do not like this new safety precaution, women generally feel more exposed by these intrusive pat downs. Kelly Kleiman states she will boycott any airport with these full-body scanners because she finds them unnecessary and too reveling. Kleiman further discusses the difference between men and women’s attitudes about the invasive pat downs as well as the naked images displayed by the full-body screeners. She points out the inherent difference between men and women growing up. Women have lived their whole life trying to avoid and in fear of being stripped, or raped, by a stranger. I have luckily never encountered such a horrible event and I do not like how I legally have to allow an invasive pat down of my body. Kleinman argues that a man’s public nakedness may put him in mind of a gym class or an Army physical; something of pure annoyance. However, Kleinman says, “the threat of rape-including the notion if not the actuality of nakedness-is the pervasive device by which men keep women in line” (Huffington Post 2010). I found this statement extremely intriguing because it is exactly correct. We have spent so much time in class discussing how our society is indeed patriarchal and women are considered less powerful in all aspects of life. These full-body scans are exactly doing what men have done to remain “in control”. By allowing TSA workers to see naked images of each body, women feel like their power and privacy is literally stripped away from them. Like Kleinman said, men may feel like some of their privacy is taken away, however I do not believe they feel as if their power is being take away. Kleinman further states, “Public nakedness puts a woman in mind of the fear she carries around all the time, whether parking in a garage or going to sleep in a house with an unbarred back door or heading out for an evening” (Huffington Post 2010). This is why many women feel these full-body scanners have gone too far. With the anger of the full-body scans brings the anger of the pat downs. Some air travelers will be lucky and get exempted from both the body scan and the pat down. However, if chosen for the full-body scan, one must participate in either the scan or the pat down. The pat down procedures are set up to ensure women TSA workers will pat down other women travelers. Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s technology and liberty project, is getting complaints from women about the new pat down security method. He says, “What these women are complaining about is being groped” (MSNBC). Many women have felt that the pat down was too intrusive and resulted in them feeling “humiliated and deeply offended”.
This issue of women feeling exposed by airport security methods is relative to class discussions of women being subjected by men in other channels. Full-body scanners are definitely a feminist issue and needs to be dealt with. A New York Times article written by Ariel Kaminer, shows us that these pat downs are not sufficient. Kaminer decided to run a little experiment involving airport security at Kennedy International Airport. Kaminer went through security and opted out of the full-body scan for the pat down. She was asked if the had any metal objects in her pockets. She honestly answered no and the TSA agent continued with the pat down. After going through security, Kaminer reached in to her pockets only to find keys and coins. She decided to place a battery in her pocket and get back in the security line. She traveled through security eight times in one day and not one TSA worker noticed. Clearly, the TSA workers did not do their job adequately. The full-body scanners and pat downs are unnecessary and humiliating. Women all over the United States feel even more powerless than they already feel from society. What will TSA do next when a terrorist resorts to putting explosive up his rectum? How will they create a security system for that inspection? Why should women feel even more fearful at an airport where their safety should be ensured? The truth is we should not be fearful traveling through airport security.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6617853/ns/us_news-security/
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