On the eve of one of the nation’s busiest travel days, a poll has found that 61% of likely voters oppose the newly enhanced security measures at the country’s airports.
The poll by Zogby International of 2,032 likely voters also found that 48% said they would probably seek alternatives to flying because of the new measures.
Airport security has become a topic of heated debate, particularly since Nov. 1, when the Transportation Security Administration implemented a more aggressive pat-down search technique at security checkpoints.
Since an attempted bombing on Dec. 25, 2009, the TSA has expanded the use of full-body image scanners that use low levels of radiation to create what looks like a nude image of the screened passenger to detect hidden weapons or contraband.
A TSA official said the agency was adding about 60 scanners a month at the nation’s airports, with a goal of installing 500 machines by the end of 2010.
TSA officials said the scanners and the new pat-down technique were used on only a small percentage of passengers. Most travelers will be screened using traditional metal detectors and X-ray machines.
But privacy rights groups, including the ACLU, have objected to the new measures, comparing the pat-down procedures to a “groping.”
The Zogby poll, taken online Nov. 19-22, seems to indicate a change in public opinion over the last few weeks. A CBS News telephone poll taken Nov. 7-10 found that 81% of Americans questioned said they approved of the use of the full-body scanners at airports. The CBS poll did not ask about the new pat-down search techniques.
Of those polled by Zogby, 52% said the enhanced security measures would not prevent terrorist activities and nearly half (48%) said the measures violated passenger privacy rights. Another 32% said they considered the full-body scans and pat-down search procedures to be harassment.
“It’s clear the majority of Americans are not happy with TSA and the enhanced security measures recently enacted,” pollster John Zogby said in a statement.
{LA Times/Matzav.com}
Of what merit is a 61% opinion against something? We’ve had higher percentages of people against other things -like Obamacare or even the President’s approval rating!
Get used to it, folks, this is the new America – if you don’t like it, keep quiet and rust us, because we know better than you do what’s good for you.
The issue of these bizarre severely invasive “pat down” and “strip down” checks of airline passengers is an extremely serious problem. Under the guise of (so-called) “security,” TSA agents are now able to legally do what are really horrifically horrible things to people.
See http://www.patriotupdate.com/stories/read/6204/Video-Young-Boy-strip-searched-by-TSA- and http://www.patriotupdate.com/stories/read/6224/Spreadin-the-glove-TSA-infecting-U-S- for more details and read the numerous comments at these two sites, which express the vehement outrage countless people rightfully have about this situation.