In an example of how quickly many members of the public have become not only comfortable with but comforted by the harsh and seemingly arbitrary treatment received by others at the airport, 56-year-old rape victim Claire Hirschkind was hurled to the ground and dragged across the airport by police, reassuring others that the TSA was right on top of things. AntiWar.com
Hirschkind was apparently singled out because she has a pacemaker implanted in her chest, but objected when TSA officials announced they intended to feel her breasts. When she argued there was no due cause "the police actually pushed me to the floor, handcuffed me," Hirschkind reports, prompting the extreme comfort of fellow would-be passengers. AntiWar.com
HIGHLIGHTS
Hirschkind says her constitutional rights were violated. She says she never broke any laws. But the Transportation Security Administration disagrees. DailyCaller.com
Hirschkind has filed a lawsuit against the TSA that names Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and TSA administrator John Pistole. Examiner.com
US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said full-body scannings and pat-downs will continue at airports around the country. Australian News.net
The TSA has issued a statement saying "our officers are trained to treat all passengers with dignity and respect" but that "security is not optional." RawStory.com
FACTS & FIGURES
About 70 airports have put into use over 400 backscatter x-ray machines that can see beneath passengers' clothing.
The United States has also been pushing other countries to start using the so-called "naked" scanners.
Passengers who set off a metal detector or body scan machine or refuse to be scanned receive an invasive physical pat down.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says it received over 900 complaints from travelers in November who were subjected to the new screening procedures of the TSA.
Scientists say the X-rays could pose a risk to everyone from travelers over the age of 65 to pregnant women and their unborn babies, to HIV-positive travelers, cancer patients and men.
A technology website has published 100 images they said were taken by body scanner machines at the Florida Federal courthouse. They were images that weren't supposed to be saved.
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