When Polls are Wrong

I've heard and read about the public approval of the full body scanners, somewhere between 66% and 85% of the public don't have a problem with the TSA's use of them. That sounds good as the TSA and HSA have reiterated over and over, "See, they may not like them but they think they're right and good." Except the poll is wrong because the question was, "Do you favor full body scanners to fight terrorism?"

See, they biased the question with the presumption that no body scanners invite terrorists through the check points where we know that's not true or going to happen. Remember all in-flight terrorists started their flight in Europe not in the US and therefore didn't go through our passenger screening process. And while TSA has caught suspicious terrorists, meaning now prosecuted and more so convicted, with the screening process, none were caught with the full body scanners, but the carry-on inspection devices.

When the question was changed to be neutral, it's a good bet people will not like the full body scanners, such as asking, "Would you be willing to go through a full body scan if we suspected you of carrying something illegal?" Or some such question, making it personal to the individual about TSA view of them as a threat than some generic terrorist.

The point is that the full body scanners and enhanced pat-downs aren't necessary and clearly intrusive into the privacy of individuals. There are better ways to minmally screen citizens without resorting to fear to sell technology as the answer when it's not and a waste of taxpayers' money.

Remember it was Secretary Chertoff who started the process to get the full body scanners and shortly after leaving office, but before the final decisions were made, he started working for a lobbyist representing the company making and now selling the full body scanners. It's was a fix from the start by Mr. Chertoff, and he more than likely made up the fear into evidence of a threat and the solution.

We've been duped as the polls are duping us even more. They're wrong and they lie about the truth and reality.

Dear Mr. President

Well, I've listened to all your latest comments and responses to the new TSA rules and other things about our life you say you understand and are working hard to fix. Well, with all due respect of your office, we don't want your sympathy or empathy and we don't need or want your understanding. We want your results to resolve these issues and problems.

We want you to experience what we have had and will have for a long time, something you don't understand. You don't get humiliated at airport screenings with long lines, inspections, belongings checks, patdowns and now full body scan or "enhanced" pat downs. They're useless and meaningless and not really intended to deter terrorists or detect some types of dangerous or hazardous chemicals or explosives.

But you say you understand. And that's all you do, talk. We're tired of talk and we're tired of more and more fear of us, the citizens, as terrorists. We're not the guilty ones. We're not the threat. We're not terrorists. So why do you treat us as them? You don't understand that?

You could take all the full body scanners away, stop all the patdowns, stop with the shoes, stop with the restrictions for carry-on items, and nothing would change. Nothing. Except of course we would have part of our lives back and would travel easier, and ever safer. Any bets to tests this? Or are you afraid of us, the citizens?

What we want is our freedom, our civil rights and liberties, and our privacy from government intrusion and interference where and when it's not necessary, useful or helpful. That is what we know and understand and want you to understand and act on and for our behalf to give us.

Can you understand that? And more so, can and will you do something about it? That we understand.