Protect Your Right to Privacy!
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Libertarian Party of Indiana Calls on TSA to End Use
of Full Body Image Scanners at Indianapolis International Airport
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Dear
Fellow Hoosiers,
In light of recent events, the Indianapolis
International Airport, by order of Transportation Security Administration, has
implemented the use of full body scanners.
Many are unaware of the nature of this machine. We need all Hoosiers
that care about their privacy to contact their Congressmen, Senators, the
Indianapolis Airport Authority, and the TSA.
We have written two form letters that you can use to attach your name
and send off. Those can be found here and here.
A full
body scan entails standing in front of a machine that dispenses extremely high
frequency radio waves that reflect off a person and creates a digital image. Americans would never submit to mandatory
strip searches, so the TSA has employed the technological equivalent.
This
image is essentially a nude image of that person's body. That nude image is then "interpreted" by a
security officer to verify if there is a threat. This scanner is a hands-off approach to a
strip search and is a major invasion of privacy.
Several
problems, exposed by the American Civil Liberties Union, have shown the
following:
1. The
photos are not secure as the TSA claims. Images can be extracted from the
machines, and taken by machine operators.
2. The
full body scanners are not effective at detecting explosives hidden in body
cavities. Terrorists over the last several months have all had explosive
devices either hidden in body cavities, in heavy clothing, and some are
surgically implanting devices. The weaknesses of these devices have been
exposed, and are no longer effective.
3. It
is unclear if children are or are not prevented from walking through the
devices. If they are walked through these scanners, then this is breathtakingly
inappropriate. If they are not scanned then we are putting children at a higher
risk of being used in terrorist plots.
4. The
scanners are not identified at the Indianapolis International Airport. Many who
walk through the scanners are unaware of what they are walking through. The Indianapolis Airport
Authority has responded by stating that there should be two signs in place
warning passengers of the scans while they are in line and if a passenger
refuses the scan they will receive a pat-down by a security official; however,
there is no verbal explanation and they offer no alternative pat-down unless
there is a refusal of the scan.
For more
information on the serious problems with the full-body scanner, please visit: http://www.aclu.org/technology-and-liberty/see-through-body-scanners
Please write to Sen. Lugar, Sen.
Bayh, Rep. Carson, or the IAA with your concerns about the Full-Body Scanners
and how they are an invasion of privacy. Demand that the TSA end this invasion
of privacy immediately.
Lastly, Executive Director Chris Spangle was featured on Channel 6 this evening's 6 PM and 11 PM newscasts raising awareness on this issue. He will also appear on Abdul in the Morning in Indianapolis on Newstalk WXNT 1430 AM at 8:10 AM tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Sam
Goldstein
Chairman,
Libertarian Party of Indiana
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Richard Lugar
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Evan Bayh
463 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Find your congressperson's address here:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA)
7800 Col. H. Weir Cook Memorial Drive, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46241
Complaints can be made directly to the TSA using this online form:
https://contact.tsa.dhs.gov/DynaForm.aspx?FormID=10
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