Benedict criticizes airport body scanners

[Michie]

Pope Benedict XVI appears to have weighed in on the use of airport body scanners, according to media reports.

While the pontiff didn't name the devices during his address to Italian aviation workers over the weekend, those present say it was clear he was referring to them. The scanners produce an image that makes it appear as if the subject is naked.

"Every action, it is above all essential to protect and value the human person in their integrity," Benedict said, in comments published in the Telegraph of London.

Continued- http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/faith/2010/02/benedict_criticizes_airport_bo.html

 

[Secundulus]

Ban Muslims from airplanes and then there will be no problem and no body scanners.

 

[Fantine]

I think that I would prefer a "body scan" to a "body search." I think that, for the sake of propriety, there should be men's and women's lines, with women TSA officials scanning women and men scanning men.

 

[Eucharisted]

And they miss his message, yet again.

 

[Dewi Sant]

 

[Fantine]

The scanners have been installed in order to protect human life, not to debase it.

 

[LightHorseman]

The scanners have been installed in order to protect human life, not to debase it.

well... yes and no. They do more about giving the impression of protecting human life rather than actually doing any actual practical protecting. But if they make you feel better, then I guess thats not without value either.

 

[colleen]

Ban Muslims from airplanes and then there will be no problem and no body scanners.

That is a horrible thing to say. Not all muslims are terrorists.

 

[colleen]

The scanners have been installed in order to protect human life, not to debase it.

While I think the intention behind the scanners is good, I don't want to walk through something that is going to give the inspector that kind of peak.

 

[mark46]

I'm sure that thre will be the alternative of a full background check and physcial body search instead. About 5-6 hours seems about right for those who want this special treatment.

While I think the intention behind the scanners is good, I don't want to walk through something that is going to give the inspector that kind of peak.

 

[MariaRegina]

Is that a photo-shopped picture?

 

[ebia]

Ban Muslims from airplanes and then there will be no problem and no body scanners.

That's the most asinine thing I've heard today - and it hasn't been a day without some serious competition in that field.

I think that I would prefer a "body scan" to a "body search." I think that, for the sake of propriety, there should be men's and women's lines, with women TSA officials scanning women and men scanning men.

That's something you woud be guaranteed in an Islamic country - nobody would dream of having woment even searched in a room where there is a man present, let alone by a man.

For what it's worth, by far the best, most thorough, politest, most professional and least intrusive feeling security checks I have been through were in Peshawar airport. They make western security checks look like rank amatures playing at it.

 

[MariaRegina]

(snip)


That's something you woud be guaranteed in an Islamic country - nobody would dream of having woment even searched in a room where there is a man present, let alone by a man.

For what it's worth, by far the best, most thorough, politest, most professional and least intrusive feeling security checks I have been through were in Peshawar airport. They make western security checks look like rank amatures playing at it.

What did they do?

 

[Secundulus]

That is a horrible thing to say. Not all muslims are terrorists.

No, but all the terrorists that are attacking airplanes for the last ten years are Muslims. Profile all of them and leave the rest of us alone.

 

[ebia]

What did they do?

Well, they body search you more thoroughly, but manage to make it less intrusive (and, as I said, they take the women into a different room for it). If there is anything on the x-ray of your baggage they don't recognise they get you to unpack it and show them what it is and if necessary explain it ('it' was actually an attachment for a bicycle), they make you turn on any electronic devices such as cameras or torches that have batteries in them to make sure they don't contain battery bombs (and spare batteries are a definite no-no). They go through a representative example of baggage thoroughly.

And of course there is no rubbish about having carry-on glass bottles of duty-free (an absurdity with all the other precautions on sharps) because you're not allowed alcohol and there is no duty on anything anyway.

And they manage to make you feel like you are being treated like a honoured guest the whole while.

 

[Secundulus]

That's the most asinine thing I've heard today - and it hasn't been a day without some serious competition in that field.

Great. I am serious.

 

[ebia]

No, but all the terrorists that are attacking airplanes for the last ten years are Muslims. Profile all of them and leave the rest of us alone.

And if they have all been male we should ban men from flying?


Leaving aside that it would increase tensions, be unstainable for any international operation, bring a reverse backlash that prevented any western operation in the middle east, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, most of North Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia,..; be unsustainable with some of the best economy international airlines in the world (Malaysian, Emirates, ...), wreak havock with international trade, and prove to the world all the worst assumptions about America are right.

But other than that, why not?

Oh, yes - because people can lie about their religion. And because we claim to value the idea that innocent people should not be punished simply by some idea of guilt-by-association. You go down that road and you've thrown one of the basic ideas you claim to stand for out of the window.

Come to that, some of the rest of us need good trade relations with parts of the Islamic world more than we need good trade relationships with the US and simply would not - could not - implement such a daft idea internationally.

 

[Secundulus]

Oh, yes - because people can lie about their religion. And because we claim to value the idea that innocent people should not be punished simply by some idea of guilt-by-association. You go down that road and you've thrown one of the basic ideas you claim to stand for out of the window.

I don't care about any of that. The elephant is before us and everyone pretends not to see it.

 

[ebia]

I don't care about any of that.

Then you have lost the plot and the terrorists have achieved what they want to achieve.

And, as I say, you couldn't do it anyway - because no other country in the world would be prepared to go along with it and air travel is an international exercise. I would presume your consistution would prohibit it anyway.

 

[Michie]

Oh good grief!

Does anyone have anything to say about the Pope's message?

Or are we going to pontificate on how politically correct we are?

Sheesh.