14 DAY TRIAL // As the debate on whether TSA scanners take security measures too far continues to rage on, Tim Geoghegan and Matthew Ryan of Timnovations have come up with 4th Amendment Wear, a clothing line made with special metallic ink.
The idea behind the line, consisting of t-shirts, underwear and socks for both adults and kids, is that it will allow more open dialog by reminding the airport officials performing the TSA scans and the wearers of a little thing called the American Constitution.
All the items in the new line are made of cotton and have the 4th Amendment written with metallic ink in a very visible part, thus allowing the official to read it as well.
The makers say that the metal in the items is not enough to trigger the metal detectors at the airport but enough to be seen in the TSA scanners. They vouch the items don’t contain more metal than a regular pair of blue jeans.
Also, in a post on their product page, the makers insist that the line is not a cry for rebellion: they know these increased security measures are necessary, but that doesn’t mean they should accept them blindly and not even question whether they violate rights or not.
“The clothes are designed as a silent protest against the new reality of being searched to the point where we’re basically naked. We don't intend for this to be anything more than a thought-provoking way to fuel the debate about safety vs. civil liberties,” Geoghegan and Ryan say.
“If we sell a few items, great. But the main intention is to open more dialogue. It's more of a conceptual piece than anything else,” they further explain.
“Hopefully, these clothes ask us all to re-examine how much we’re willing to go through for the sake of security. Hopefully, they prompt us to reread the US Constitution. Yes, we need to be 100% safe, but does that mean giving up all notions of personal privacy to do so... not only while flying, but in every other aspect of our lives?” the makers further ask.
Perhaps there are other ways of ensuring safety without infringing upon one’s freedom, the makers also suggest, adding that the 4th Amendment Wear line is only a means of telling people that all options should be explored before settling on just one – in this case, the TSA scanners.