At that point the defense program had developed a conceptual model for what a bomb detector could look like, sadly the technology is still far from completion. Until then one solution has been to use security cameras that flag unusual situations, like abandoned backpacks or packages as well as people dressed strangely for the current weather or season. Someone who wears a think winter coat in July could easily hide an explosive vest beneath it.
But how ethical are these methods? When the situation involves a suspicious bag or box, it can be very inconvenient to send in a bomb squad in for a bag full of textbooks. It can also be rather inconvenient for a person who simply likes wearing winter coats to be detained as a possible bomber. Not only could it make them late for something but also the social judgment that could result from even being suspected a terrorist is frightening and embarrassing. Even before I …show more content…
All technology, defensive, offensive, passive, or active should never, never be used without examining every detail of every possible outcome. If we fail to do this we not only violate the ACM Code of Ethics on many levels but we undermine everything we are working towards in this nation. To continue to make progress towards a goal we must not blind ourselves with flashy computers and gadgets that seem interesting, else we look up and realize that we strayed from our original path. When we forget to account for ethics in warfare we are terrorists. Just like the men who brutally killed over 2000 people on September 11, 2001,or the men that casually blew up themselves as well as 52 other London commuters of July 7, 2005, or even the Muslim extremists who slaughtered over 100 people in Paris on November 14 of this year. We cannot stoop to their level, or our belief in freedom for all is nothing more than empty
But how ethical are these methods? When the situation involves a suspicious bag or box, it can be very inconvenient to send in a bomb squad in for a bag full of textbooks. It can also be rather inconvenient for a person who simply likes wearing winter coats to be detained as a possible bomber. Not only could it make them late for something but also the social judgment that could result from even being suspected a terrorist is frightening and embarrassing. Even before I …show more content…
All technology, defensive, offensive, passive, or active should never, never be used without examining every detail of every possible outcome. If we fail to do this we not only violate the ACM Code of Ethics on many levels but we undermine everything we are working towards in this nation. To continue to make progress towards a goal we must not blind ourselves with flashy computers and gadgets that seem interesting, else we look up and realize that we strayed from our original path. When we forget to account for ethics in warfare we are terrorists. Just like the men who brutally killed over 2000 people on September 11, 2001,or the men that casually blew up themselves as well as 52 other London commuters of July 7, 2005, or even the Muslim extremists who slaughtered over 100 people in Paris on November 14 of this year. We cannot stoop to their level, or our belief in freedom for all is nothing more than empty