A passenger was thrown out of the San Diego Airport for refusing a pat-down and full-body scan due to religious reasons.
The US Transportation Security Administration wouldn’t have any of it. The TSA says religious beliefs will not get you out of the scan or the pat-down.
John Pistole, chief of the TSA, told the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday that passengers who refuse to go through a full-body scanner machine and reject a pat-down will not be allowed to board the aircraft.
Seems the TSA means business. However, wouldn’t this be considered to be in violation with a persons civil liberties – particularly, freedom of religion?
Civil rights groups contend the screening to violate freedom of religion, as well as “the right to privacy and the constitutional protection against unreasonable searches,” according to MSNBC.
A man posted online that he was thrown out of the San Diego Airport for refusing the scan and a pat-down groin check. He had asked to go through a metal detector instead.
A full-body scan, though reportedly damaging to a person’s health, can almost be justified – but these pat-downs are definitely invasive, not to mention uncomfortable and embarrassing.
Many civil liberties groups are now suing the TSA to stop the use of the full-body scanners– one of them being The Electronic Privacy Information Center. “Their lawsuit says the machines are overly intrusive and violate civil rights, and it is questionable whether they could detect powdered explosives such as those used by a passenger in last year's attempted Christmas airliner bombing. They also question whether the machines pose a health risk.”
Marc Rotenberg, director of EPIC, said “there is growing opposition from civil rights groups, religious organizations, libertarians, airline passengers and pilots” regarding the full-body scanners.
MSNBC says “EPIC is urging air travelers to take part in a national opt-out day the day before Thanksgiving, refusing to go through the full-body detectors and insisting that any pat-down they receive as a result take place in full view of other passengers.”
What will the TSA do then? Refuse all passengers boarding - on the day before Thanksgiving? Guess we might find out next week.
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