Between a Rock and a Hard Place

The news media has been buzzing nonstop about the controversial TSA measures to prevent airplane bombings. Fliers must now choose between two equally unappealing options, a full-body scan, or a very thorough pat-down. In the media, it appears as though most Americans see this as an invasion of their privacy and a violation of the 4th Amendment ("The right of the people to be secure [...] against unreasonable searches and seizures"). People are slowly getting more and more enraged after seeing news stories about TSA "victims," such as a cancer survivor who was forced to remove her prosthetic breast and an eight year old boy who was forced to get a pat-down.

People are also unhappy with full-body scans, mostly because it emits radiation and there is a possibility that their scanned images will be leaked. However, a new poll released by CBS reveals that an overwhelming majority (81%) said yes to the question "Should Airports Use Full-Body X-Ray Machines?" The TSA posted this poll to their blog to combat the current media backlash against them. Is this truly how the American public feels?

This poll can be used as an example of how question wording can affect polls. This is how the actual question was asked: "Some airports are now using "full-body" digital x-ray machines to electronically screen passengers in airport security lines. Do you think these new x-ray machines should or should not be used at airports? " The people answering this question probably imagined that it would be like a normal x-ray, showing bones, rather than every contour on their body. If they were asked whether they would be opposed to TSA agents seeing them naked from the neck down, it is likely that the majority of them would say yes. Their ignorance and therefore their non-attitudes is probably what led to the results of this poll, so the poll cannot be trusted as a true interpretation of public opinion.