Well, they got a few things right…

In response to last week’s attempted attack on a plane heading from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, the New York Times is pointing out the inadequacies of our nation’s security system. “But as this case makes chillingly clear, the airport security systems put in place after the Sept. 11^th attacks– complicated, expensive, and hugely onerous for travelers – have serious flaws.”

What the New York Times editors fail to understand in their assessment of our nation’s security system is our ability to be both safe and free.

In the ACLU’s press release, Mike German, policy counsel in our Washington Legislative Office and a former FBI agent, assesses how the US addresses national security concerns - with a bloated and ineffective terrorist watch list, racial profiling, and extreme invasions of privacy.  In the wake of events last week, some, including the New York Times, are advocating for use of full body scanners, or electronic strip-searches. Given the technology’s ability to pick up on details of the body like mastectomy scars or medical details such as colostomy bags, serious consideration should be given to using this technology before subjecting innocent travelers to potentially humiliating practices.

At the ACLU of MAINE, the ACLU, and I’m sure all across the country, we are relieved that last week's events didn’t end tragically. We want a secure and safe nation. Unlike some, though, we do not believe you must sacrifice freedom in order to be safe. Just this summer the US Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the strip search of a 13-year-old student based on an uncorroborated report of a classmate. To conduct so intrusive a search, one needs probable cause or reasonable suspicion. To subject hundreds of thousands of travelers to invasive electronic strip searches with no suspicion of guilt is not in line with the spirit of the 4^th amendment. We hope that as we establish policies to secure travel for Americans, we keep the spirit of the 4^th amendment in mind, and particularly the importance of privacy and our long held commitment to a presumption of innocence.  

Reading this situation unfold over the past week reminded me of the work I’ve had the privilege of doing in my two years at the ACLU of MAINE. After September 11^th, Bush expanded power in the name of national security at a tremendous cost to our liberty. From warrantless wiretapping to sneak and peek searches to government sanctioned torture, we’ve been working tirelessly in Maine on national security issues since I came on board.  I know the work extends far beyond my time with the organization. On New Year’s Eve, I’m reminded of this history, saddened knowing that the work is no where near done, and heartened that I’m still with the organization that has been and will be at the forefront of this work in the next decade.  To learn more about our work, take a look around our website. To support our work, join by clicking here, or donate by clicking here.