[redwitch]

When my daughter was little, she had to endure some pretty invasive handling by medical professionals. It was NEVER made into a game. I would explain to her that while she had been taught it was not okay for anyone to touch her there, sometimes there were times it had to be done and that I would be right there with her to make sure they were only doing what they had to do.

Personally, I don't like what TSA is getting away with. It goes against my concept of civil liberties. I also agree that it should not be turned into a game. Making an unpleasant experience as palatable as possible is one thing, to make it "fun" is another.

I honestly think that if my daughter were still little or if I were flying with my grandson and someone said they needed to check their gentalia for weapons, I would be leaving the airport and finding another way to travel. There is just no way I could justify having my child or grandchild manhandled.

If you feel that today's searches are necessary, then by all means accept them and fly away. If you feel they are overly invasive, illegal or immoral, then do your best to reject them, either by refusing to fly, protesting or by doing as Richie does and trying to educate others as to his beliefs and why he finds them objectionable. You don't have to read his posts about body searches. You know his views -- they're self-evident from the titles. But that doesn't mean you have to denigrate him or his beliefs. He is making valid points, although some may be somewhat stretched.