petition against body scanners

Robin | 06.01.2010 20:01 | Terror War | World

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to halt the installment of body scanners in airports.

This petition is an effort to block the nationwide implementation of full body scanners that represent a total violation of privacy, a health risk, and tyranny. Forcing people to pose for naked photos is a crime. If the government does this it will be a criminal government. If the body scanners are allowed to be implemented travelers will be forced to do worse things under the threat of being treated as a terrorist if they refuse the violation of their dignity and freedom. Professors of Molecular and Cell Biology maintain that there is no safe dose of ionizing radiation. In addition to these issues, full body scanners would not even have stopped the Christmas Day bomber from boarding Flight 253, according to a British MP who helped design the machines. “I must advise the Prime Minister – and the British public – that the scanners are not a “silver bullet,” said Ben Wallace, who worked on the scanners at defense research organization QinetiQ. “You would be mistaken to think that they would counter the new threat.”

Robin
Homepage: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/bodyscanners/

Comments

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No proof of safety

06.01.2010 22:03

There is currently no proof that these body scanners are safe for adults, children or pregnant women.

They are illegal to use on children as they would create "indecent images".

Refuse to be scanned!

scientist

refuse to use 'em

06.01.2010 22:25

As I hear it, you can refuse to go through a body scanner and opt for an old-fashioned pat-down search.
Not that I fly anywhere, but supposing I have to, I will be phoning the airport security management beforehand and telling them I will not use a body scanner on grounds of indecency and they will have to make alternative arrangements, if they feel they need to.
They will. A little assertion works wonders, and it's wonderfully empowering.
I would also be making it patently bleeding obvious that I'm not a 'terrorist'. Such a person would want to be completely inconspicuous.

Annie Citizen
Homepage: http://www.rightsandwrongsuk.blogspot.com

The Easiest way to fool the scanner

07.01.2010 03:16

Would be to simply cover your entire body with a layer of noxious material. The Scanner looks for surface features - such as a square of explosive strapped to the body. By carefully covering the whole body the scanner sees no significant distinguishing features. The scanners are, thus, an expensive waste of time, money and resource. They are engineers toys that solve the problem of next years balance sheet not any problem of terrorism.

This circumvention of the scanner might well be impractical - and we all might hope that it is. The point being made is that the scanner does not offer an absolute and effective solution. They offer the false perception of effectiveness which makes the entire system a good deal more dangerous as, it will be reasoned, "nobody can smuggle X on board". This raises the hazardousness of every flight.

Yes there are considerable, important, ethical grounds for rejection of this idea - but there are also practical limitations to what scanners can achieve. Those limitations are nowhere near the limitations of human ingenuity.

A Scientist

start petitition elsewhere

07.01.2010 11:56

if you are starting a petition opposed to something, does it make much sense to host it on the website of the every organisation that has ordered the introduction of what you are opposed?

on top of that, to be included on the petition, the website must send you a confirmation email, where you click on a link

since they are not sending the confirmation emails doesn't seem likely the petition will allow in many signatories

vghv,

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theres better solutions

07.01.2010 13:04

Its true that people are liking to work out how to bypass these scanners, but they still will help.
Metal detectors have been around for years and people have clearly worked out methods to get a bomb past them. That does not mean they are not a vital addition to security.

I think two options would be of benefit

Use profiling. I know its an emotionally unpopular thing. Putting that aside, it cannot be argued that it wouldn't be a more effective way of conducting security than concentrating resources onto certain groups of passengers.

Alternatively, strip search all passengers and have them all wear white cotton disposable gowns that are provided, and they have to keep their hands in sight at all times. This would be much more effective than any scanners will ever be.

Both are likely to be unpopular, but unfortunately needs must. I've racked my brains and can't think of any other way to capture a terrorist who is carrying a liquid bomb on their person.

Rather than protesting about security, we should be concentrating on protesting against the terrorists to let them know that the community does not want their bombs on our planes.

Ben D

The truth is out there

08.01.2010 09:22

There are concerns within the thinking few that there are possible side effects from the scanner technology.
See wikipedia=terahertz waves.

Old Holborn

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