The body scanners and the pat downs and the strip searches at our airports have been widely accepted by way too large an element of our population. Just because they are in a hurry and want to fly from a to b, they will bend over and kiss their freedom goodbye.
Here is a copy of a posting by a woman who was multiply assaulted at the Orlando Airport recently:
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"I hope that by sharing this experience others won't have to go through it and are better prepared for any similar situations. I am a frequent flyer, having commuted by plane to work for the past 2 years, I thought I had seen it all. But nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced on May 16th 2011. As I was getting ready to fly from Orlando, FL to JFK, I experienced the reality of the end of our human rights in the U.S. on my own body. Passing through TSA security, after having put all my belongings including my shoes, belt, laptop out of the bag, etc... on the conveyor belt, I was walking through the body scanner. Almost on the other side I was advised to step back inside, place my feet within the outlined form, place my hands above my head, and stay in the scanner. I had obviously not realized that this was a new imaging device, the full-body-imaging device, but I did as I was told. Within a second of standing in the scanner I became extremely dizzy and nauseas, and could not see all of a sudden. I tumbled out of the machine, being able to see again, quickly looking for a chair to sit down as I knew I would fall over any second. Scared and confused I asked TSA security officers about this machine and requested scientific information about the scanner and its' influence on the human body. I was given a pamphlet that did not contain any such information, so I kept asking for it. I was told that perhaps the general manager was able to provide it and that they would look for him. In the meantime, as I was sitting on the chair next to the machine, I asked to get my belongings which by then had been scanned also and were sitting somewhere on the other side of the line. This request was refused to me by TSA security personnel. No explanation was given to me as to why. I kept asking for at least my passport, wallet, rings, but TSA security denied me any right to get my personal belongings back. Thankfully a good friend of mine was travelling with me and I asked her to watch my belongings, and she did. I closed my eyes for some moments and did some self-hypnosis in order to feel better. Within a few moments I was able to get up and walk again. But as soon as I wanted to walk TSA security agents told me I was not allowed to leave. Very surprised I asked why and was told that "the machine had found an abnormality in my abdomen" and that I needed to be patted down in a private screening room. I asked what "abnormality" was supposed to mean, but no conclusive answer was given to me. I was escorted to a stained glass wall cubicle and two female TSA officers explained to me inside of the cubicle what the pat-down would entail. I was advised that the officer would use the inside and the outside of her palms and that she also needed to "touch me on the inside of my pants". I kept asking why all of this was necessary, showing them the inside of my pants, assuring them that I had "nothing on me". They insisted that the pat-down was still necessary because "the machine had picked up an opaque object in my abdomen". I told them I was wearing a tampon and asked, if that's what the machine could have picked up. The TSA security officers advised me that that was not something the machine could pick up. I had to allow the pat-down which was pretty uncomfortable. They did not find anything (of course) and for a brief moment I felt relieved, sure that I was finally able to leave and hopefully still catch my flight. But this was not so. The TSA officers continued to explain to me that now that "they did not find anything during the pat-down police had to be brought in to examine me". I was still kind of dizzy and now I just started to feel scared. I continued to ask why and if this was really necessary, not able to believe what was happening. I asked for a copy of the supposed image of the "abnormality in my abdomen", and was was told that no copies were ever kept. (Yeah, right.) It all started to seem surreal to me. They told me that I was not allowed to leave until a police officer had examined me. In a state of shock I became concerned about any medical conditions the machine could have picked up and asked, if it would be able to detect tumors, cancers or fibroids. I was told that this was not possible and that the scanner could only detect "non-organic objects and would not scan any deeper than 2 inches into the body". Even more confused I kept asking why it was then necessary to examine me, if the pat-down had clearly shown that I did not have anything on me. No clear answer was ever given to me. A while later a male police officer entered the cubicle. He seemed ready to arrest me from his attitude at first, but TSA security officers said to him "she's calm", and he relaxed. He explained to me that because nothing was found during the pat-down a female police officer would have to examine me, because the examination was "out of TSA's jurisdiction". I felt like a prisoner, dizzy and confused. When the female police officer finally arrived, everyone except for her and me left the cubicle. I could see the male police officer listen in from the outside as the female police officer explained to me that I needed to strip my pants and underwear and show her my tampon. I could not believe what I was hearing. I kept asking why this was necessary, but I was not given any other option. On top of that the female officer stated, "and ma'am, don't worry, there are no cameras installed that are watching you". Of course, since one of the rules of the mind is that negations can’t be understood, all I heard was, “there are cameras installed that are watching you”. I felt as if I was in a dream from that moment on. Detached from myself and my body I stripped down my pants and underwear in front of the police officer and showed her my tampon. After she had seen my tampon the police officer “allowed me” to put on my underwear and pants again, and I was then escorted back out to the security check line by the two police officers and two TSA officers. Another TSA officer was holding some of my belongings in a tray and my friend who had been waiting anxiously came running over. I was in a total state of shock. The TSA general manager came over and said that he was going to tell me something about the scanner. My friend wanted to listen in, but he harshly told her to leave. “You need to step away, ma’am, you can’t listen to what I’m going to tell her”, he said. I stated that I wanted my friend to be there and listen in, as did my friend, but she was told to step away. She did, because she had no other choice and just yelled over to me, “you’ll tell me later”. I wished I could, but my memory draws a complete blank when it comes to what the TSA general manager told me. I guess it’s because I was in a state of shock. I remember that afterwards the male police officer came over to me and wrote down a police report number and told me a report had been filed for his and my protection. I asked “what kind of a report” and which number did I need to call in order to get a copy. Only because I asked I was given a number to call. He then repeated three times in a row to me that the police and TSA security were sorry for any inconvenience they had caused me and asked me each time, if I heard him. Yes, I heard him, but it didn’t undo what had been done. I was finally released and caught my flight in the end only because it was delayed by more than an hour. Yesterday the copy of the police report arrived. Though I had been warned by several lawyers that it would perhaps not state the truth, the rage I felt when I read it was still incredible. Many details are being left out in the report, it never even mentions that I had to strip down naked and show a police officer my vagina, and it is extremely contradictory. Having gotten legal advice in the meantime I know now that anyone has a right to refuse to walk through any scanners in the first place and be patted down instead. No one had told me that at the Orlando airport and there were no signs explaining that right. I also know now that I legally should have been given the option to refuse any examination and risk missing my flight. Believe me, had I known that was an option I would have gladly missed my flight! In essence I was kept prisoner and was not given any options. I felt abused to say the least and am working with therapists to heal the trauma that’s stayed with me so far. I know I will overcome this trauma as I have overcome other traumas in the past, but I still do not feel prepared to fly again because of this experience. It is not easy for me to publish this very “exposing” experience, but I choose to do so, because I really hope that it helps someone and prevents this from happening again. We are all human beings and have a birth right to freedom. It is time for us to stand up for our rights. Good luck to all of you and if you have experienced a similar story, please contact me! Franka Fiala" ******************************************************************* |
BOYCOTT AIRLINE TRAVEL. REFUSE TO BE SCANNED. (YES, IT IS MEDICALLY DANGEROUS) IF YOU FLY FOR BUSINESS, INSIST UPON CONFERENCE CALLING OR TELECONFERENCING INSTEAD. GUESS WHAT, IT WILL SAVE YOUR COMPANY $$$!
"We have nothing to fear, but fear itself," according to FDR. That in itself has the power to draw fear unto us. Fear begets fear.
Fear naught, for I AM with you. Render unto Caesar only that which is right. Not your Rights! Let's kick over the tables and start again with virtue and goodwill as our battle cry.
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ALL WHO RESIDE ON THIS PLANET.
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