TSA scanners dangerous

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Subject: TSA scanners dangeroushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-elliott/5-reasons-im-opting-out-tsa_b_2137558.html
5 Reasons I'm OptingOut Of The TSA's Scanners (And You Should Too)Posted: 11/16/2012 7:00 am


Next week is one of thebusiest of the year for air travel. And the last thing you probably want to seeat the airport when you fly home for Thanksgiving is a long line -- especiallyone that's preventable.But this year isdifferent.This Thanksgiving, I'mtelling the TSA agents who screen me that I won't walk through their full-body scanners.And I'm not alone. Agroup of activists who are concerned about the so-called "advanced"imaging technology are also urging air travelers to just say"no" next week.Opting out means agentswill either give you an "enhanced" pat-down or wave you through thescreening area (and when there's a long line, it's a safe bet it'll be thelatter). But the peaceful protest will also slow screenings to the point wherethe agency will have to reconsider the way it checks air travelers, as it didduring a successful opt-out action two yearsago.A sustained protestcould kill the scanners.If you're one of themillions of Americans who fly, and don't think there's anything wrong withgetting a full-body scan, let me offer a few reasons you should reconsider.1. They're notadequately tested and could be dangerous. Unfortunately, the scanners you'llbe asked to walk through haven't been properly tested. The latest independentevaluations are actually based on data provided by the TSA.The government wants us to trust it, but it won't give us a reason. That'sunacceptable.2. They're easilyfoiled. It'snot difficult to sneak a weapon through a full-body scanner,  according to several reports. The careercriminals who might want to do us harm have figured out how to get around thescanners already.3. They're too expensive. At a quarter of a million bucks a pop, thescanners are a huge waste of taxpayer money. To use one, or to allow one to beused on you, is is an endorsement of an iffy technology. It also lines thepockets of undeserving security contractors, say critics.4. They probably violateyour constitutional rights. Beyond the fact that they are nothing more than anoverpriced visual deterrent to amateur terrorists, the TSA's scanners areconstitutionally problematic. The Fourth Amendment's provisions againstunreasonable searches are directly at odds with the way these scanners are deployedand used.5. They haven't caught asingle terrorist. Sure,they've netted plenty of contraband, which the TSA likes to show offweekly on itsblog. But so far, not a single airborne jihadist has been caughtwith the scanners. Not a one.National Opt-Out Week isa good start, and it comes on the heels of the TSA's humiliating withdrawal ofits most controversial full-body scanners from major airports: the risky"backscatter" X-ray machines.But in order to end thewarrantless scans for good, we need to stand up at the same time and say"no" even after Opt-Out Week ends.We need to do it untilthe TSA changes the way it screens us.