Airport security might be going too far and is interfering with our freedom as American citizens. Security as in x-rays, scanners, and officers has been substantially increased in airports because of the common fear of terrorism in America. Ever since the terror attacks of September eleventh the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been on their toes with enhancing security measures to try to keep things as safe as possible. Are the steps being taken to controlling to a point of controversy? TSA may have taken it too far with all these new additions and could just leave people more paranoid about taking the airlines to begin with. These changes are noticeable and play an everyday role in our lives as travelers of the airline and the world. All the new technology added to the airport is especially overwhelming to frequent travelers. Airport security modifications infringe on peoples’ everyday rights.
The installment of technology to enhance security at the airport has a negative impact on the economy. Scanners are expensive and do not even detect every possible threat because pretty much anything can be used as a weapon. Incidents in the airport are low compared to the money spent on airport security, “The TSA still commands a budget of nearly $8 billion—leaving the agency with too many officers and not enough to do” (Kenny Pg 1). An increase of officers and scanners to go along with a low amount of threat is just putting money in places where it is not needed. Ever since 9/11 airport security has drastically increased due to the fear of terrorism. A majority feel that the measures taken by the airport were blown way out of proportion. There has not been any significant devastation like that of 9/11 that involved the use of a place since then. Importantly it is huge to note that there has not been any comparable attempt like that of 9/11. Issues that are more relevant deserve more money to be spent on rather than being used in the airport where crime is diminishing.
Fully body scanners leave people feeling cautious about their health. Scanners sendoff rays of radiation, “a type of dangerous and powerful energy that is produced by radioactive substances and nuclear reactions” (Merriam Webster) that has a bad impact on the human skin. Since radiation is potentially deadly if exposed too long enough the concern is understandable. However, research shows that airport scanners may not be harmful as a normal x-ray would at the doctor’s office. “Each scan takes a few seconds and irradiates a passenger with a low energy (28 kilovolt) dose of about 5 microrem (HPS 2010) or 0.05 microSv. It is three million times smaller than the safe dose of 150 mSv” (Cutler Pg 3). Although radiation has a long term effect so the added radiation no matter the strength leaves people questioning if it is necessary. “As the radiation dose increases, so does the cancer risk. “No threshold” means any exposure, no matter how small, is assumed to cause some added risk for developing cancer” (Harvard Pg 2) Even though it is a low level of radiation it still leaves a higher chance of leading to cancer and this is why people feel the need to voice an opinion. Kids that travel and have to go through these scanners are twice more sensitive to radiation compared to adults. It is hard to imagine a group of kids being lined up to go through a scanner that can cause potential damage to the body. Scanners are a health risk and people need a more say in whether they want to have a scan.
As airports become more secure people fear for their privacy. People are being questioned for everything that is being brought on the plane. Recently it seems as if