Well, I have become a naturally positive person. Sometimes I have to bite my tongue HARD. So, I'll start positive and try to end positive. I can't guarantee the middle. I'm human after all.
On a positive note, this was something that really made me happy last week. I actually felt tremendous joy as we all watched maybe hundreds of dolphins off the bow of this boat in San Diego. I was a chaperone with a group of kids who spent the year working for a trip to Sea Camp.
So, when we flew out from Phx airport, I went through normal security procedures that we have had in our country since shortly after 9/11. You all know them. Phx has not yet brought in the body scanners. I have tremendous objections to these machines for many reasons. Unfortunately, on our trip home, the San Diego airport did have the scanners. I did not even realize it until I was putting my bins and belongings down and saw a woman out of the corner of my eye assuming the scan position. Uh-oh. Is this just a pull one or two out of line thing or does everyone get it? Nope. Everyone gets it. Aw CRIKEY!
So, my brain does a quick, what the heck am I going to do and what about my teen daughter? Processing all of that in a split second, remembering that I decided when the time comes, I was going for the pat down. And seeing that fortunately (yes, there was a positive!) the youth in our group, were going through the old normal procedures and walking through the beeper things we all used to enjoy and not appreciate so much.
So, it's my turn, and I ask the very nice TSA lady, what if I don't want to be scanned? "You want a pat down?" "Yes, I do." She was nice enough not to fulfill my greatest fear at the moment and not shout at the top of her lungs, "We got a pat down here!" Another very nice TSA lady employee escorted me out of the way, asked me to sit, and explained what she would do. She asked me if I wanted to be screened privately and I declined. And then I celebrated my anniversary with my very first patdown. Woohoo!!!!!!!!!! Yeah baby!
Um, it wasn't all that bad. It was a little embarrassing, because people now know I am objecting to my other option. She is running her hands all down my body. But I was really scared she'd do the very extra personal pat down that we've read about in the papers. Nope. Didn't happen. My first thought was, "well, it wasn't that bad, I guess I can keep flying." And my second thought was sadness and some anger. Sad, that we have reached a point in this country that every American citizen who flies is seen as a potential criminal for the actions of a few. And angry that more Americans do not realize that we are laying down and letting them trample our rights. It is not the duty of the government to "keep us safe." It is the duty of the government to protect our rights. I agree with Ron Paul on this.
There is an inherent risk in getting out of bed in the morning. Heck people die in bed in their sleep for cryin' out loud! Nowhere is completely 100% safe. Remember the cry of Patrick Henry? "Give me liberty or give me death!" Well, we are giving up our liberty, we are submitting to an out of control monster that runs our lives, and our cry is becoming, "give me safety or give me death." It's something I fear we won't wake up from. No one can make us totally safe, without taking most of our freedom. Have we reached that point? How many successful terror attacks have their been on American soil since 9/11? We should rise up as the colonists did and REFUSE to accept this. It does not make us safer. It only makes us less free.
That's just the freedom issue. There's also the health issue. We have just undertaken a huge science experiment with the health of the American people as the experiment. It's x-ray technology! I once read about the history and development of x-rays/ It's NOT a pretty story. When it was first discovered, those discovering had no idea what they were messing with. X-rays build up cumulatively in the body. That means the damage that is done with one, is added to each and every one you do on top of that first one. The fewer you have, the better. The more you have, the more your health risks for cancer increase.
Body Scanner Risks
I've had enough x-rays, that I don't want to add more, and I have a family history of cancer that I do not want to increase. So, there you have it. In my next rant, I'll talk about privacy, bathrooms, and open doors. But you might have to even remind me to rant. :-)
On a positive note, my life and particularly my family room are coming back together nicely. And I am so happy that my dear hubby and I have just passed the 23 year landmark. Airport scanners aside, it was lovely to get off the plane, and find my hubby waiting for me. I just love him.
No comments:
Post a Comment