America: Slaves of Freedom

As you all know, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has implemented advanced imaging technology at airports. Walk-through metal detectors have been replaced with full body scans, and opting out of the scanner will subject you to a pat-down.  These new security measures have been cause for great debate, even petitions and boycotts.  My job is not to convince you about how safe the scanners are or how the pat-downs are necessary, so feel free (and I encourage you ) to visit the TSA website.  I am here to voice my opinion on how absolutely ridiculous and selfish Americans have become.  Not only do we take the freedom we have for granted; we have in fact become a slave to it. 

In 1996, I went on a school trip to Europe.  My mom was able to walk me all the way to the gate, watch me board the plane, and bid me adieu as I took off.  How times have changed.  Today, unless you have a plane ticket, there is no need to even go inside the airport.  After September 2001, our lives as Americans changed as we knew it.  Traveling was never going to be the same.  Anyone who wore a turban, or even appeared to resemble middle-eastern decent was considered a potential threat.  As recently as last month, Fox News contributor Juan Williams came under fire for saying he still gets nervous when on a plane with anyone wearing Muslim garb.  I don't recall anyone (aside from Muslims themselves) raising concern about being unfairly targeted in airports. I don't remember seeing petitions, FB groups, boycotts, etc.  I'm not surprised.  It's the classic case of American selfishness- if it doesn't apply to you, it's not a problem.  As long as you look American as apple pie and your privacy isn't the one being invaded- it's not a problem.  But now that we all have to show TSA agents our goodies through a scanner, or be subject to a stern fondling (all to make sure we don't get blown up by the way) it's the biggest violation of individual privacy in the history of this Unites States?  Interesting.

What's ironic about this issue is if you ask children in inner-city schools about being scanned and patted down, they may wonder why no one ever petitioned for the removal of scanners and full body searches they endure.  And we're not talking vacations or business trips: we're talking just getting to class. Everyday. More than 30% of urban schools use some form of advanced security measure, compared to less than half of this percentage for suburban schools.  Think if all the schools in the US were required to have this security measure.  Can you imagine the PTA riots that would ensue?  But what makes a certain type of person/community more susceptible to advanced security measures if the objective is to potentially save lives, especially when it's statistically proven that young people aren't lost just in urban areas?  Where have mass school killings and hostage situations occurred? Suburbia.  How many of these schools have advanced security measures? Right. Again, interesting.

We are the land of the free and the home of the brave, but when are we going to collectively say enough is enough?  Sure, the bark was bigger than the bite: there have been no major flight delays as a result of the more stringent security measures, but why did the media (aka the matrix) take this story and run with it to begin with?  On the flip side, why has there never been a mainstream new story to cover the disparity of advanced security in American schools?  We are so used to being free, we take it for granted.  And because we feel a sense of entitlement and control, we do it at the risk of blowing the #%^ up!  I can't get with that, and I wont.  I believe in freedom to the infinite degree, but we have no idea what it's like to be terrorized in the sky.  I never want to find out. Get over it already!

Sidenote: I am not versed enough in world politics to write a full blog entry on the subject, but because I have wonderful Asian friends, I would like to extend my blessings of world peace over North/South Korea.  Give Peace a chance!