The Ugly Double Standard of Airport Security
Nick Carraway
Some rights reserved by quinn.anyaLast week Lenore Zimmerman, an American citizen, boarded a flight leaving out of JFK Airport and headed to her winter home in Florida. Zimmerman is 85 years old, weighs about 110 pounds, and needs a walker to get around. Prior to boarding, she requested a pat down instead of passing through the scanner that she feared would interfere with her heart defibrillator.
In response to her request, TSA agents following standard security procedures took Ms. Zimmerman into a private room, pulled down her pants, and began a "private screening", a procedure more commonly known as a strip search. During the process, Zimmerman suffered a cut on her leg when she bumped against her walker. As blood soaked into her sock, TSA agents offered no sympathy; instead they continued to remove her clothes and search under her arms for any signs that this grandmother was a threat. By the time the strip search ended and a medic arrived to treat her wound, Zimmerman had missed her flight.
Two weeks from now, another American citizen will board a plane leaving the East coast's December chill bound for a warmer climate. However, his experience will be far different from that of Lenore Zimmerman. He will bypass security, his private jet will wait on the runway until he's ready to go, and no one will forcibly remove his pants. Instead, flight security will accommodate his every need, and he'll be granted the reasonable expectation that he is innocent of any crime until proven guilty.
On a round trip with an estimated cost of $1 million, this man, President Barack Obama will travel from Washington, DC to Honolulu and stay for seventeen days in a beach front property for about $3500 per day. Including a motorcade, constant security detail, a 24 hour staff, and military special forces on the beaches, there's no doubt the price tag for this vacation will stretch well past $1 million. But even more valuable than any perks measured in dollars, this traveller will have the luxury of not being treated as if he were a potential homicidal fanatic. Nor should he be treated any differently, because obviously the President is not a terrorist.
Like anyone else, President Obama deserves a Christmas vacation with his family, but on a fundamental level, his trip is a symbol of something gone wrong with America. The problem is not that the highest office in the land comes with an expensive security detail. It's not even that taxpayers will fund a portion of the extravagant prices associated with a half of a month's worth of time lounging on one of the most beautiful shorelines on the planet. The real issue is that while the majority of us are subject to humiliation from the TSA, a small, isolated class of powerful people are privy to a higher standard of decency. And unfortunately for Lenore Zimmerman, she is not part of this priveleged class, even though it is clear to any logical observer that she has no more likelihood of being a terrorist hijacker than President Obama does.
At its core, American democracy is meant to ensure that a precious few basic rights are afforded to all citizens, not just the rich and powerful. Two of these sacred rights have traditionally been protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and the presumption of innocence until a court of your peers judges otherwise. No doubt many holiday travellers would love a presidential trip to Hawaii for Christmas this year, but Lenore Zimmerman just wants some simple respect.
Reader Comments (1)
While I maintain my original perspective from a while back, http://www.thelunchbreakblog.com/news-commentary/2010/11/18/its-just-junk-thanks-for-keeping-it-safe.html, I believe this incident is horrendous, but I see it as an individual/isolated form of misconduct and poor decision making.
I have had the additional inspection performed and have read about these procedures in other airports, and at no time has it required the removal of clothes. I'm unclear as to why such steps were taken, and I would assume that there will be a lawsuit forthcoming.
However, I agree with your overall sentiment that regardless of the perspective of the law itself, there can't be a double standard. And I also agree that such egregious acts of disrespect are completely intolerable, especially with an elderly woman who deserves that respect at the very least.
Good post. I'm starting to reconsider the more stories I hear like this.