Airport Security: Civil Liberties Annoyed or Destroyed?

Seeing as all of my previous posts have been utter crap, here's something a little more worthwhile. 

Airport security has always been a sensitive subject. Before the 9/11 attacks, there were scanners and gun checks in response to several hijacks in the 70s, but these precautions were less controversial. They were unintrusive and expedient. However, the security methods used by the TSA now, which range from liquid regulation to full-body scanners  in lieu of the 9/11 attacks have been considerably more controversial. It is arguable that they even infringe upon our Constitutional rights. However, these methods are being exercised in time of war and are for American safety. And if being forced to remove our shoes could save us from losing our lives to terrorists, then our civil liberties become a necessary sacrifice. In times of war, the government has the right to protect America's safety in exchange for our civil liberties through its airport security methods. We are at war with terrorism, and many of these terrorist attacks use our airplanes as a medium. We can prevent these attacks through increased scrutiny at airports. Our Constitutional rights are not abolished during this scrutiny, but simply annoyed. This annoyance is an affordable price to pay when dealing with American security so long as the TSA's actions are reasonable. 

Our civil liberties can be annoyed by airport security several ways. The most important example is how it compromises our Fourth Amendment. Our Fourth Amendment protects "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized" and could be disrupted by full body scanners or pat downs (source: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html). However, our airports have warrants to examine passengers and their luggage. And the majority of the TSA's security methods are logical and unintrusive. Taking off your shoes and putting them in a separate bin to be scanned is reasonable. There have been several attempts at shoe bombing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Reid http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/24/nyregion/at-adis-medunjanins-terror-trial-a-would-be-shoe-bomber-testifies.html) and taking off your shoes is not a difficult action. The exposure of feet and ankles is not considered scandalous in America and airport floors are kept relatively clean. This is easy for everyone to do and does not take a lot of time. This forceful removal of clothing may urk some people, but it is far from any serious violation of the Fourth Amendment. The real controversy lies in TSA procedures that may seriously disturb our Fourth Amendment. These include full body scanners and pat downs. 

Full body scanners are more effective than metal detectors. but more intrusive. They're small gates that you have to walk through. If you set off the detector, a red light flashes. You are pulled aside and a detector wand is hovered over you. If this wand is set off, you and the security official must identify what's causing the problem and deal with it. If it's money or jewelry (which it often is for innocent people), it's not a problem. Or the detector is not set off and you are free to go. This is quick and painless. But the TSA has made upgrades to this concept in the form of full body scanners. This is where our civil liberties may be at stake. Full body scanners may be intrusive, revealing the surface of people's skin. This is akin to a strip search. However, the people examined have no reason to be strip searched. The full body scanner attempts to be a more precise metal detector, but it further endangers our Fourth Amendment because it is more invasive. However, full body scanners have yet to become a standard procedure and can be edited so that civilians are more comfortable. One way this can be done is by decreasing the definition of images produced by the scanner.

The TSA's aim is to ensure American safety by defending our airports against threats of terrorism. And our privacy and Constitutional rights may be lightly compromised if it ensures our security. But if the TSA goes too far and uses more intrusive methods, our civil liberties could be trampled. Is our security more valuable than our freedom in time of war? Yes. Sacrificing civil liberties for public safety is an ugly exchange but it is necessary in order to keep America safe. If the government's security techniques trespass on American rights too far, then compromises can be made.