Terrorism comes in many forms, instilling a sense of terror in the population to get them to comply with demands.

This can manifest as random bombing sprees, threats to contaminate water supplies or do similar violence or when thugs holding hostages drag a feisty one aside and beat them senseless in full view of the other hostages to put paid to any plans for non-compliance.

Strategically demonstrating the punitive measures which people who refuse to cooperate will be subjected to is a form of terrorism.

If the TSA is, as has been claimed, sending up a hue and cry of "Opt out! Opt out!" when someone chooses not to be x-rayed for security purposes, then performing an "enhanced pat down" on them, including genital groping, tears of humiliation and obvious distress in full view of the other travelers awaiting screening, specifically to demonstrate the unpleasantness of the alternative to submitting to the x-ray scan...

If that is being done in the name of protecting people against terrorism, I just hope whoever deemed that it be so is aware of the horrible, horrible irony.