March, 05 2010, 04:16pm EDT
TSA Expands Use Of Invasive Body Scanners
WASHINGTON
According
to reports today, the Transportation Security Administration will
expand the use of full body scanners to 11 more American airports over
the next two years. The body scanners, or whole body imaging devices,
create a strikingly revealing image of the human body. The American
Civil Liberties Union believes that this technology greatly infringes
on civil liberties and there are serious questions regarding its
efficacy in protecting airline travelers.
In
the wake of the attempted Christmas Day attack, the government has
announced intensified airport screening and there have been calls for
the across-the-board implementation of full body scanners for all
travelers. Both the House and Senate have held multiple hearings on
airport security since January.
the wake of the attempted Christmas Day attack, the government has
announced intensified airport screening and there have been calls for
the across-the-board implementation of full body scanners for all
travelers. Both the House and Senate have held multiple hearings on
airport security since January.
The following can be attributed to Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:
"The Bill of Rights extends beyond curbside check-in and if
the government insists on using these invasive search techniques, it is
imperative that there be vigorous oversight and regulation to protect
our privacy. There is no one measure or magic solution to keeping us safe, and while our government should strive for the best security possible, it must adhere to respect Americans' civil liberties.
the government insists on using these invasive search techniques, it is
imperative that there be vigorous oversight and regulation to protect
our privacy. There is no one measure or magic solution to keeping us safe, and while our government should strive for the best security possible, it must adhere to respect Americans' civil liberties.
"Before
these body scanners become the status quo at America's airports, we
need to ensure new security technologies are genuinely effective,
rather than merely creating a false sense of security. It is far from
clear whether this technology would have been able to foil the
attempted Christmas Day attack and every resource we put into using
these machines is a resource not spent on intelligence analysis or
other law enforcement activity."
these body scanners become the status quo at America's airports, we
need to ensure new security technologies are genuinely effective,
rather than merely creating a false sense of security. It is far from
clear whether this technology would have been able to foil the
attempted Christmas Day attack and every resource we put into using
these machines is a resource not spent on intelligence analysis or
other law enforcement activity."
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
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Biden Commutes 1,500 Sentences and Issues 39 Pardons—But Leaves 40 People on Death Row
"State-sanctioned murder is not justice, and President Biden has an opportunity and an obligation to save lives," Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley said earlier this week.
Dec 12, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 Americans and pardoning 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes, a move the White House described as "the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history."
But the president's sweeping use of his clemency power as his term nears its conclusion did not appear to extend to any of the 40 men currently on death row—some of whom have been there for decades.
According to a White House fact sheet, those who received commutations "have been serving their sentences at home for at least one year under the Covid-era CARES Act," a law that extended the amount of time in which people could be placed in home confinement to reduce the spread of the virus in prisons.
The White House did not name those who received pardons or commutations but said the list includes a "decorated military veteran," a "nurse who has led emergency response for several natural disasters," and "an addiction counselor who volunteers his time to help young people find their purpose."
The Biden Justice Department paused federal executions in 2021, but President-elect Donald Trump pledged on the campaign trail to expand the use of the death penalty and is expected to allow the executions of the 40 men on death row to take place if they're still there when he takes office next month.
In a statement on Thursday, Biden said that he has "the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses."
"That is why, today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer," the president said. "I am also commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who are serving long prison sentences—many of whom would receive lower sentences if charged under today’s laws, policies, and practices. These commutation recipients, who were placed on home confinement during the Covid pandemic, have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance."
Biden, who campaigned on ending the death penalty at the federal level, vowed to "take more steps in the weeks ahead" as his administration reviews clemency petitions, leaving open the possibility of commutations for death row prisoners.
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Despite the Pentagon's repeated failures to pass audits and various alarming policies, 81 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted with 200 Republicans on Wednesday to advance a $883.7 billion annual defense package.
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The push to pass the NDAA comes as this congressional session winds down and after the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced last month that it had failed yet another audit—which several lawmakers highlighted after the Wednesday vote.
Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), co-chairs and co-founders of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, said in a joint statement, "Time and time again, Congress seems to be able to find the funds necessary to line the pockets of defense contractors while neglecting the problems everyday Americans face here at home."
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