I´m sorry Alameda, but you´re sounding a tad paranoid. I don´t know why this obsession of your very self being watched instead of billions of other Internet users. Like I said, I do not have any skeletons in my closet and I don´t really give a rat´s tutu whether somebody chooses me over all other users to read my emails to friends, in which I tell them about my son´s development.

DNA discrimination? Are you for real? You mind alleged DNA tracing but you´re ok with women being openly treated like dirtbags in the Middle East? How about being against finger print based evidence since it may happen that one person had them surgically removed...

See, people don´t need to go as deep as DNA goes to discriminate, in most cases it´s enough to have a visible quality - like age, gender or race.

You may choose to disagree with me, but Internet surveillance has more benefits than actual threats to the freedom of individual. Besides, you´re free to stop using it if you value your privacy that much.

Daydreamer, I don´t think I am singled out. It is the commonality of the matter, it´s everyone....like when 12 year old girls are subjected to body scans, I find that objectionable. 

In the end it´s a waste of resources to be scanning everyone and monitoring everyone. Then....those scanners cost a lot of $$$...maybe security isn´t the real issue. Who profits from the sale of the scanners? I don´t want to be subjected to the indignity of being photographed nude...and I don´t like being exposed to the radiation they emit and I would not want my loved ones exposed to it either. It is dangerous and untested technology.

The potential harm that can come from being exposed to them is yet unknown. Those ill effects are not only for those who get the scans...radiation travels.

If you don´t care, fine, that´s your business, however I don´t think your choice should be the standard for everyone. I am trying to raise awarness of tghe issue.

On an other matter....if you read carefully my former post...you will realize I didn´t expect a lot of privacy online. Please read my post again. In particular this:

"I can´t say I really have had any illusion of privacy online....you are probably less private online than anywhere. After all, it is an invention of DARPA. "

.........and where did I ever say  I am OK with women (or anyone) being treated like dirtbags in the ME (or anywhere)?....That is your assumption...based on what I don´t know. I am against anyone being treated like dirtbags... anyone.... I believe in respect for all creation.

and vice versa

Full body scanners have been discussed here and it is again your choice to fly or not. I reckon a body scan is less traumatic for a 12 year old than a full cavity search.

We´ll never see eye to eye here, so let´s agree to disagree

 OMG!!!! You go from an arbitrary body scan to a full cavity search on a 12 year old child in the blink of an eye? Unless there were a valid reason, why should any such search draconian measures be done?

I stand by the fourth amendment....

I´m not American so I don´t need to

On a serious note, full body scanners give quick security-related answers. They are means to avoid tragedies like the one that happened on 9/11. If you don´t want to be scanned, don´t buy a plane ticket. Do you think your right not to be scanned overrules my right to be safe?

It´s a nice idea to assume everybody is innocent unlessproven otherwise. Too bad this approach doesn´t really give me much reasurrange as far as my personal safety is concerned. Why else would we have security gates at airports? Why would starangers go through your personal stuff? Isn´t that a violation of 4th Amendment as well? If you consider luggage searches at airoprts are neccessary, then why do you consider body searches unnecessary?

You know, before I put my child on a plane, I´d love to know everybody was thoroughly scanned and no idiot got an idea it would be nice to blow everybody up just because he thinks there´s 72 virgins waiting for mass murderers in the afterlife.

Full body scans are against so many peoples values. It is injustice to discomfort billions of people who has to use the planes, just to catch one terrorist.

Scientists of the technology age are able to find more acceptable security solutions.

It  is injustice to risk lives of thousands of innocent passengers just because some people are not comfortable with being scanned.

But I sure hope more acceptable means  of security controls will be found. I´ll be first to applaud ways of providing safety without forcing people do something they are not comfortable doing.

I am not a great enthusiast of body scanners. I just think nothing better has been invented yet. And I look forward to something that will put the scanners to the long forgotten past

Actually, as far as American laws are concerned, when a person buys a plane ticket they are agreeing to certain conditions which can include the inspection of your luggage and perhaps a body scan.  Once you agree to this and complete the transaction of buying your ticket, then you are no longer protected by the 4th Amendment for these types of searches. (At least this is what my smarty pants lawyer friend told me when I complained about it on my last trip to Turkey). 

Yes, it stinks...but I am with DD on this one...better safe than sorry.  For me, my need to travel overrides my need for modesty.      

 Bravo Elisabeth....this is the most useful comment in this thread so far! I think this will probably be contested sometime in the near future though. It´s interesting to see how laws can be twisted and turned into things that hardly resemble what the intent was....

I think there has to be a better way. What we are doing is dehumanizing and humiliating people, as well as exposing them to health hazards. Not much good comes out of policies like that.

I love Ann Richards take on airport security.... may she rest in peace...a Texan and one of my favorite ladies....watch this...it is so funny....

OMG....I miss Ann <---<  this link is for any who don´t know who she was

I totally agree that there should be a better way...I certainly didn´t appreciate the pat down I got in Charles DeGaule (sp?) Airport in Paris!  There was an older lady in front of me that was so humiliated that she began to cry.  I felt horrible for her.  I was traveling with my infant daughter and I had to hand her over to another airport security person so that I could get my "pat down." I was horrified! 

I would love to be a stubborn American and say, "you know what, you can take your airline ticket and stick it where the sun don´t shine!"  but I love visiting my family...so I don´t have much choice.  I think that is what bothers me most...I don´t REALLY have a choice.  Its not like I can drive to Turkey!!!     

This makes me think of a quote by Benjamin Franklin:

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.