The backscatter machine again – Part 2

Last week I ended abruptly and this week I would try to complete the topic. We have heard quite a lot about radiation. We are exposed to radiation when we undergo x-rays. X-rays are used for medical purposes to view inside the body, so in a sense it is useful when certain diseases afflict us.{{more}}

Some experts feel that there is radiation in small doses in most places. But if we can avoid it, we should not have a deliberate exposure. There are studies that have shown that it can cause cancer and I suspect that some time in the future, there would be studies that show more dire consequences. Dr David Brenner, Director of the Center for Radiological Research of Columbia University, is among those who believe there is no threshold. Radiation damages DNA, he says, and just one damaged cell can become the seed of cancer ,though it takes decades to develop (www.nytimes.com)

In an article entitled “Bye-Bye to the Airport TSA Back Scatter Machines,” Dr Mercola of Mercola.com wrote that some ionizing radiation causes DNA damage that can lead to cancer. He said that the effect of radiation could be cumulative. He also said that the US was removing it for privacy reasons and not for health reasons. The pictures are so detailed they earn the moniker “naked body scanner” and have prompted retaliation from privacy rights activists, who liken the picture to a “virtual strip search.” (http/articles.mercola.com/sites)

Terrorists’ acts have caused governments to take drastic measures at airports to protect travelers on aircraft. This machine has given so much power to the workers that sometimes there is unconscionable behaviour that borders on spitefulness. Last year March, I was returning with my daughter to New York from Atlanta, Georgia, when we ended up on a line going to the backscatter. We noticed, too, that some persons were waved through, while others had to go through the machine. When it was our turn, we were sent to the backscatter, without being given an option. We indicated that we preferred to be patted down manually. As if our words were bad words, the worker became agitated. My daughter told me not to say anything, because she sensed the hostility of the worker. We suspected that we were in for the long run. There was no one available immediately to do the pat down. She took her time about it. When she eventually condescended to it, it was with a sour attitude. When she was finished, we had to make a dash for the gate. It was closed, as we suspected. The attendant was already about to leave the gate, without consulting anyone. Luckily an air hostess came out and allowed us to proceed.

When I passed through JFK last month, I asked about the backscatter machines. The worker did not even know the name of the machine, but I was told that they had been removed. Another machine, the millimeter wave scanner replaced it, but this machine resembles the backscatter. I opted for the pat down and I know the workers did not look at this kindly. Seems like a waste of their time. Nonetheless, I will not have an iota more of radiation in my body than that which is necessary or unavoidable.

Ada Johnson is a solicitor and barrister-at-law.
E-mail address is: exploringthelaw@yahoo.com