ACLU news letter 04/14/2011

[Gladiator 42/5/71]

Dear Max, Tell Congress: We need some sanity when it comes to security. The TSA's out-of-control security measures have shocked us before. But this latest story is undeniable proof that we need a change: They frisked a 6 year-old who was left confused and in tears because she thought she did something wrong.1 Aviation security requires striking a delicate balance between the personal safety of passengers and their right to privacy. Unfortunately, the TSA has developed increasingly invasive methods of searching passengers — methods that are clearly encroaching on our rights. We must rein in these invasive, out-of-control searches and implement security measures that ensure passenger privacy. Tell Congress: We need some sanity when it comes to security. More than 70 airports around the country are now using controversial body scanners — also known as "naked scanners." These machines use low-dose radiation to produce strikingly graphic images of passengers' bodies, essentially taking a naked picture as passengers pass through security checkpoints. Yes, authorities at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) say you can opt out of the naked scan. But doing so will subject you to new and highly invasive manual searches of your body, including your breasts, buttocks and inner thighs. The TSA has subjected passengers to "enhanced" pat-downs, which have resulted in reports of people feeling humiliated and traumatized, and in some cases, reports comparing their psychological impact to sexual assaults. Please take action: Tell Congress to rein in the TSA. All of us have a right to travel without such crude invasions of our privacy. Thanks for standing with us. Sincerely, Anthony D. Romero Executive Director, ACLU

[Gladiator 42/5/71]

Big difference between the SPLC and ACLU huh? Like them or hate them, the ACLU actually fights for the Bill of Rights.