I'm not a very "political" person, but I have recently been outraged by the new TSA security measures being implemented at airports across the nation. I'm not going to go on and on about it here, but I will just say that this wrong. Mechanical scanning of person to revel an image of the person's naked body is one thing. You have no connection with the person operating the scanner, and no one is touching you. It's a pretty borderline procedure, but I am willing to submit to that. But I will not submit to have a stranger, a questionably trained individual who claims to be a professional, touch me in inappropriate places in the name of security. What I am even more horrified by are pieces like this LA Times article, that equate submitting to these new policies with, essentially posing for Playboy. Hey geniuses: 1) Option A is voluntary, the person on the other side of the camera isn't fondling your breasts (unless you want them to), and generally, you are in control of or are able to consent to where and in front of whose eyes those boudoir snapshots end up; 2) Option B is mandatory, this random person's hands are all in your business and you can't tell them to stop, and you have to trust that your naked body scan is going to be jettisoned appropriately and not end up the object of some government sicko's wet dream. Sorry, buying a plane ticket isn't giving consent to be potentially sexually assaulted, or exploited. Folks, be warned and be vocal. Don't let a TSA agent take advantage of you. You have rights. Don't be fooled into thinking there is a good reason to sacrifice them!
Back on Monday with a new Monday column inspired by ongoing conversations I've been having with friends about interpersonal relationships in the 21st century!
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