Security Versus Dignity

This is an opinion piece, which I do not usually do on my blog.  But I am so distressed by the developments relative to airport security and the resulting physically invasive pat downs, that I feel the need to express that.   I am horrified by what I am  reading that people are having to go through.  One example:  a woman was forced to removed her breast prosthesis which she wore as the result of a mastectomy.  I cannot imagine the humiliation of that, nor the emotional damage.  All this also makes me wonder at what age an adolescent has to submit to this physical invasion of privacy.  Such an experience could be terribly traumatic.  And in particular, all those who have already experienced sexual abuse of any kind should not have to endure this.  

At some point,  common sense should prevail over fear and the need to keep the masses safe.  I understand that they do not use this kind of physical pat down on all passengers in Israel, the most security conscious airport in the world.  They do not assume that every person flying is a potential terrorist.  There have to be other strategies to employ.

The thing I hate the most is that a few terrorists who hate Americans and are out to kill them, can have such a negative effect on our entire culture.  Thanksgiving travelers going to family get-togethers are now to be subjected to the discomfort of airport security, with delays and protests.  My daughter and her husband going on their honeymoon in January now have this to dread.

If I measure the risk against the potential danger of NOT conducting pat downs on every individual who goes through the airport,  I, for one,  would chose the lessened sense of security over the total invasion of privacy.  (the airport from which we fly does not have the scanning machines, so that is not an option)

I remember well the mantra immediately after September 11 2001.  "If we stop living our lives the way we ordinarily would,  the terrorists have already won."

In more ways than we could ever imagine,  freedom is already gone.