Body Scanners... with benefits

Our country has been dealing with terrorist’s attacks and extremely dangerous threats for our nation for over two decades. The 1980’s was a period of great turmoil for many countries including the U.S. In a span of four years several airplane attacks occurred, killing hundreds of people around the world.
● A 747 explodes due to a bomb in a terrorist’s luggage over the North Atlantic killing more than 300 passengers.
● A 747 is bombed killing 270 passengers and crew members. This 747 was heading towards New York City.
● A French airliner explodes killing 170 people from 17 different countries.

Just to name a few of the numerous airplane casualties.
Back then, the government and the public did not react in the same way people react today। Draconian security measures were not implemented on U.S. airports, air traffic was not stalled, passengers’ personal items were not searched, and last but not least, people did not have to go through full x-ray body scanners and body pat downs by security officers in the airports.

How body scanners work
In 2010, a new security measure was introduced in U.S. airports; full x-ray body scanners. These scanners are able to detect any objects a passenger may have hidden on his/her body. If a potentially hazardous object is located, the security officers have the right to perform a body-search; essentially they have the right to pat down your body with out you being able to refuse that because then you would be even more suspicious.
The government claims that this security measure renders U.S. airports safer and less open to terrorist attacks. This might be true to an extent, however these scanners can not see through skin making it easy for terrorists to safely hide weapons and explosives in body cavities.

Use of Body Scanners

So since passengers and aircraft personnel are upset due to this security measure, which does not under any circumstance guarantee safe air traffic transportation throughout the United States, then why doesn’t the government recall these scanners? Well, to answer this question, we have to take into consideration the factors involved in the creation of body scanners.
The Transportation Security Administrator was planning on spending millions of dollars on body scanners. Three manufacturing companies with alleged governmental influences and connections were able to grasp this opportunity and be in charge of supplying U.S. airports with full body scanners.


The Manufactoring Companies

• L-3 Communications, a major contractor with the Department of Homeland Security and employee of three different lobbying firms, has a 163 million dollar scanner contract.
• Rapiscan- one of the company’s lobbyist is a former senior legislative aid, has a 173 million dollar naked-scanner contract.
• The American Science and Engineering Company- this company’s lobbyists include a former deputy administrator for the TSA, and a former administrator assistant at TSA। AS&E was the first full-body scanner contractors.

Each scanner costs approximately $130,000 to $170,000. President Obama’s budget request for this year requires $88 million necessary to install 500 new scanners throughout U.S. airports.
Personally I thought that body scanners were an attempt to increase our national security against attacks and prevent any potential terrorist from entering an aircraft. Now, thanks to the blog TSA Spend Millions on Body Scanners, Sparkin Competition Among Suppliers , I know that these scanners have a larger significance in politics rather than in safety issues. So what I am left to understand is that no matter how unjust it is, no matter the frustration of passengers and aircraft staff, and no matter how time and manpower consuming this security plan is, it will continue to exist in U.S. airports because there will always be $88 million in play.
The ultimate question remains whether body scanners are for our safety or for helping out certain companies to increase their profits.